I posted this blogpost early this morning, on Ocean Lovers Collective’s website. It is a look at the Alchemy of Change. It has been a darned busy weekend. Work in the office on Art, Writing, Photography. Designing a new optical system for my 5DM2 water housing. In process I also found myself doing a bit of image collection work out along Coast Hwy 1 south of where I live. The assets of our Coastline and local waters get a lot of pressure placed upon them as the hordes descend,
I stepped out of a marriage of over 22 years into an odd situation at the age of 44. Having been married for most of my adult life, and walked a less than conventional path, the roadmap of memories and tales was rather, um, let’s say: convoluted. I had done a lot of things which when examined from our cultural perception of “normal”, were far from any definition of the term. That, surfaced immediately, when I began to ply the dating seas. I learned early on that it was best to not really talk about what I had done in
In life and in our Western Cultural assessment of what will inevitably amount to a rather short term existence on this blue ball, we are constantly encouraged by the status quo, to “pick a lane” for ourselves. Or at least, this was the method employed till this latest socio-economic meltdown. The concept was to attend school, move in to a field that would best suit our fiscal goals, and supply the road to our own future happiness. Each day, you were to arrive at that job, and park right between the lines. Never vary that. Or face severe retribution
Chapter 5 in the California Series. I have not always lived in California. My Dad was going to college on the GI Bill in Milwaukee Wisconsin, at Marquette University. I had never asked him why, being from Hawaii, he chose the Mid West. He met my Mother there. That was where my two Brothers and I were born. We were sick a lot as infants. The family pediatrician had told my parents that our Hawaiian genetics may have been to blame, as we did not tolerate the cold of hard, Midwestern Winter very well. In fact, I ended up in
The third in a series on Loves. Surfers. Yes, those who ride weather, water and wave. I love them. The rapid thunk thunk thunk of footsteps atop the wooden stairs that led up to the flat I had rented that morning at Currumbin Beach, Queensland, jolted me out of my jetlag induced reverie. I had been in Australia for less than 12 hours and had somehow managed to get from Sydney to Coolongatta and into a flat with a rental car in that time. Not bad, but I was tired. It was the second leg of the 1978- 1979 Pro
This is the second installment in this series on many loves. It is about Surfing. Not many people know exactly why they surf. It just is what they do. Surfing gives a lot to the participant. It often gets to the point of seeming to be a greedy avocation. The more you get, the better you become at it, the more that it drives you. I have surfed all of my life. My Dad tossed me in a pool at 4. I swam. He then taught me to bodysurf. I never looked back. Only forward. It is still that way
We don’t get seasons here in California in the classic sense, where each turn of the page has a huge and definite tone, as in latitudes further North or South. But in spite of a more balmy and temperate nature, we have certain aspects that Californians come to expect, each Fall. As the artist Robb Havassy and I sat with long time waterman, fisherman, and surfboard industry icon Reynolds Yater recently, I thought to ask Rennie about this Fall and whether he had ever seen anything like it? His answer? “Never” That said a lot to me. Weather is one
It was only a year or two ago, when I realized that I am an “artist”. At a very young age I painted. My Father and Uncle were both painters. So as any child would, I simply took for granted that painting and drawing were normal endeavors. At 12 I had learned Photography and studied Philosophy. It was what was going on around me, and being inquisitive, I learned. So does a bird realize it is a bird? Of course, flying would not be so special to him. But to someone without wings, oh to soar! I had a request
n. Increased vigor or other superior qualities arising from the crossbreeding of genetically different plants or animals. Also called heterosis. Typically the term is reserved for describing the increased performance of a species. But in Ventura California we have been seeing our fair share of the above described noun more in the form of a verb. Verbs denote action. When a person and in turn a community, becomes insular, the processes of growth cease. Of course growth has many forms. But the one we all ought to be after, is sustainable personal and community growth. This sort provides a stable
Recently, NYC based production company Silent Crow was in Ventura. Two writers with the company happened to have connected with Donna Von Hoesslin of Betty B and learning a little bit about her female inspired Eco Fashion line. They came up with an idea. Producer Matt Bennett showed up to do a little bit of discovery work, and honed a reality show concept that deviated from the norm, in that it endeavors to look at the personalities and lives of the women in both my and Donna’s lives. Silent Crow named the show Bonafide. Donna and I have long exchanged
I posted this blogpost early this morning, on Ocean Lovers Collective’s website. It is a look at the Alchemy of Change. It has been a darned busy weekend. Work
I stepped out of a marriage of over 22 years into an odd situation at the age of 44. Having been married for most of my adult life, and walked a less than conventional path, the roadmap of memories and
In life and in our Western Cultural assessment of what will inevitably amount to a rather short term existence on this blue ball, we are constantly encouraged by the status quo, to “pick a lane” for ourselves. Or at
Chapter 5 in the California Series. I have not always lived in California. My Dad was going to college on the GI Bill in Milwaukee Wisconsin, at Marquette University. I had never asked him why, being from Hawaii, he chose
The third in a series on Loves. Surfers. Yes, those who ride weather, water and wave. I love them. The rapid thunk thunk thunk of footsteps atop the wooden stairs that led up to the flat I had rented that
This is the second installment in this series on many loves. It is about Surfing. Not many people know exactly why they surf. It just is what they do. Surfing gives a lot to the participant. It often gets to
We don’t get seasons here in California in the classic sense, where each turn of the page has a huge and definite tone, as in latitudes further North or South. But in spite of a more balmy and temperate nature,
It was only a year or two ago, when I realized that I am an “artist”. At a very young age I painted. My Father and Uncle were both painters. So as any child would, I simply took for granted
n. Increased vigor or other superior qualities arising from the crossbreeding of genetically different plants or animals. Also called heterosis. Typically the term is reserved for describing the increased performance of a species. But in Ventura California we have been
Recently, NYC based production company Silent Crow was in Ventura. Two writers with the company happened to have connected with Donna Von Hoesslin of Betty B and learning a little bit about her female inspired Eco Fashion line. They came