Friday, May 18, 2012

All Together Now

Okay, so Amy wants us to toot our own horns on these posts, but I have to tell the truth. I have no horn to toot. See, when I was about 8 or 9, I joined band class. I'm not sure why, even, besides maybe to get out of P.E. I didn't have any particular interest in music... at that point, I hadn't even bought my first cassette. (I was 12 when that happened, and it was Janet Jackson's Control, followed by Petshop Boys' Please, which probably should have been a tip-off to my parents about my orientation)

Anyways, so I decided I was going to play the clarinet. I quickly discovered that there were some things almost as bad as being forced to play football in the south Texas sun. Namely, trying to produce something akin to music from a clarinet. After months of never moving from the shameful Last Chair, and irritating every cat within hearing-range, I "accidentally" dropped my horn case in the middle of the road on the way home from school, and never looked back.

So yeah, no horns here.

That's okay, though, I discovered my talents lay in other areas.

Oh, I should introduce myself, I suppose, since I don't know a lot of the folks coming to this lil' partay. I'm Judah, and I tend to make goofy faces when taking pictures, as evidenced below. I can't help it, it just happens.


I live on 67 acres in the backwoods of Tennessee (as in it's 45 minutes to the nearest city) with my partner of 15 years, Charlie, and our dog Ajakx Einstein. (A.K.A. "World's Smartest Dog") We're in the process of building our home entirely by hand, which is both rewarding and sometimes frustrating.


All righty, intros are done, so on with the (non)horn-tooting!

I like animals a lot. Like, a LOT a lot. Our home is full of them, most of them rescues of one sort or another. There's Coco the conure, Larry the lizard, the aforementioned Ajakx, the cats Una and Decimal Decimator, and numerous fish. Those are just the regulars. I also work with several no-kill shelters, so the number of dogs can range from 1 to 10 (or more). It feels really swell to take in an abused, neglected, dog that's scared of people or angry, and work with them until they turn into big, slobbery, love-givers.

I LOVELOVELOVE comic books. They make me happy. I've read them since I was a little kid, and I think they help me maintain some of my kid-ness. Which anyone who knows me can tell you, I've maintained a lot of. I like that about myself.

My favorite book is Uncanny X-Men, and my two favorite characters are Rogue and Storm, pictured above. (and no, Rogue isn't a big meanie, she'd been possessed, obviously... duh) As a kid, I SOOOO desperately wanted either a white stripe or a white mohawk. As an adult, I frequently have a white mohawk.



Anyways, I "blame" comics for my love of art. They're what made me first pick up a pencil and start drawing.

I spend a lot of my time in the gardens that surround our home. If I'm not reading or making art, I'm in the garden, oftentimes taking pictures of the stuff there. Like my outdoor reading spot.


Or the bugs that reside in the garden, of which there are plenty.





I make art of all sorts. I'm a little A.D.D. in that regard, which I think is both a good thing and a not-so-good thing, but mostly a good thing. "Art dolls" are a particular love, and one I return to time and again.


I also paint. I used to paint a lot, but took a break for many years, mainly because I travel for work, and have just started getting back into it the last couple of years.



I play in the ever-popular "found object" mixed media realms as well. It gives me a reason to pick up rusty things off the ground and pile them up in drawers.


I sew... though my skills in that area are minimal and mostly self-taught. Some day I'll learn the finer details, but probably not any time soon!



Right now, I'm working on a series of mixed media (in the most literal sense... they consist of collage, sewn elements, wood, metal, paint, ink and other stuff) pieces called "But is it Art" playing with that tired old argument about "art vs pornography." See, I'm also sex-positive. I hate that our culture has created such shame and disgust around the most natural of acts. Much like breathing, eating, shitting, and dying, it's the one thing that everyone does. Or most everyone. I think. I hope.

I like that one of my "missions" in life is to get people to stop feeling guilty about their bodies. Whatever their shape or size, whatever you do or don't do with it, it's an amazing, beautiful thing... celebrate it!


These are still WIPs... eventually they'll be sewn onto fabric or canvas and altered even further.


I like that I encourage others to make art, and not to judge themselves or belittle themselves. We're ALL artists. Each and every single one of us. It doesn't matter if "all" you can draw is a stick figure... you're still an artist!




All righty, that's all for now... off to meet some of the other folks in this lil' partay!
Everyone enjoy the start of their weekend! That's an order from Ms Jackson.

Oh! And the giveaways! Just leave a comment, and on monday I'll do a drawing for the winners of a shrine, and a little 4x4 painting! (see previous post for an example of the shrine... it won't be that exact one, but one made just for you... you can even send me a theme if you want! Or leave it up to me, your choice!)


Oh #2! If you just happened to stop by here and *aren't* one of the party-goers, stop by Amy's blog to check out the fun she's put together!
http://butterscape.blogspot.com/

37 comments:

  1. Hi Judah! Nice to meet you. :) You are one talented guy and your hair rocks! :)

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    1. Nice to meet you as well,Natasha! And thank you!

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  2. Nice to meet you Judah :D I was so shocked to see the gold art doll!!! I was so going to paint that image today, but got side-tracked doing a tribute portrait of Donna Summer. And I love the b/w WIP, but then I do have a "thing" for dark haired men lol :D XXX

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    1. Nice to meet you as well, Gina! Paint away... I'd love to see your interpretation of it! I'm with you on the love of dark haired men, but I may be biased!

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  3. Hey Judah - glad I found you here - wonderful toot post

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    1. Yup, here I is!
      (I had to delete the old blog when I cancelled that Gmail account)

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  4. Oh my freaking gods, Judah, I LOVE your work and all your acres of land and comic books--speaking of which, my Piano Man and I are going to see Evengers, today--and I'm taken by your first name and your smile and your dog... you should toot your clarinet, you know?

    There is a bright darkness that pulls me to your work. I shall haunt your blog, often...

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    1. Why thank ya, Magaly!
      Hopefully you enjoy the Avengers as much as we did... it was plain ol' goofy fun!
      Look forward to seeng you again!

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  5. I'm having a little dance party with Ms. Jackson (if you're nasty) while I write this. but first I had to google "conure" because I didn't know what one was. and then I felt silly because I really like birds and felt like I should have know that. This is a rocking-good non-horn-tooting post. happy weekend! -Karen

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    1. Listening to that song made me remember how much I enjoyed her! And how much I like to dance.
      Happy weekend backatcha!

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  6. Wow - you pack a lot of different interests and passions into your one self - no wonder you're a little ADD. How wonderful to have the passion and the talent - that's the way to live...

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    1. It probably shouldn't come as a surprise (the ADD)... I'm not complaining!
      Much.
      It would be nice to remember to finish some of my projects up, but whatever!

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  7. okay, i think your blog is my new favorite blog and you and your partner are like my new favorite couple! it warms my heart to hear how long you've been together - my oldest son came out last year and i can only only hope that, if he so chooses, he experiences the joys and security of a long-term relationship. i know that probably sounds dumb but when he was little, living his dream which is what it sounds like you're doing. you don't need me to tell you this but you completely effing rock! your work? amazing and important!

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    1. First off, cheers to you for being a supportive mom! That indeed makes you an Awesome Mama! (and nope, nothing in your comment sounds dumb at all!)
      Secondly... many thanks for the kind words!

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  8. Am I wrong, or is your dog named after Nicholas cage's dog in "Peggy Sue Got Married"? Perhaps coupled with Doc Brown's dog's name in "Back to the Future"? Great movies!

    OMG, you live in Paradise! To be surrounded by that much natural beauty, animals that love you and a partner that loves you more than all that combined sounds like bliss!

    I've been enjoying your comments as I've been hopping around...so nice to finally meet you!
    I never liked Jean Grey either...haha!

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    1. That's completely coincidental, but I my have to start a rumor that it was on purpose!
      And yeah... pbbbbt on Jean Grey!

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  9. Hey Judah. Nice to meet you. Again. I think this is a pretty cool idea on amy's part. Thanks for the "this is your life" post!

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    1. Hey Seth... nice to meet you again as well! (my old blog was deleted after I closed down that Gmail account)

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  10. VERY Cool post!
    It was great reading about your life (I would LOVE all that space and land!) and you have a beautiful attitude about life ;)
    Beautiful art too - I love the shrines in the post below - and thank you for the chance to play along.
    Oh, and Otter Pops - are like popsicles!
    Kristin xo!

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    1. Well, you're welcome to come wander te land some time, though I warn you I may pass you a mower if you do!
      And thank you!

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  11. What a great blog - I've enjoyed a proper mooch around, met the animals (love the cat that thinks he's a dog!), enjoyed your amazing creations. I may have to become a stalker - I like it here :)

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  12. Heya Judah, now I would have never met you if it had not been for this party and thus> Amy, and I am SO glad I did, you are one talented superman and if you have no horn to too, then feel free to borrow mine, 'cause I am not a great horn-tooter. I LOOOOVE your art dolls and I love that you believe every stick figure artist is an artist, I keep telling people this and so many of them are so stuck and feel they need all be Rembrandts, pfff. have fun building your house in the woods with the critters all around you, you make gr8 pics btw, love the snail one.See ya around xoxo

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    1. Pass me your horn!
      Yeah, I wish people would realize that art comes in all forms... that they would just let themselves enjoy their talents, whatever they are!
      See ya around!

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  13. Hi, Judah! Wow - I really like your work and LOVE this post. You are so lucky to be living out in the beautiful, green country. I'm originally from Ohio, but 20+ years ago was captured by aliens and deposited in the cultural armpit of the world (aka, Las Vegas, Nevada).

    I've been wanting to create some shrines and have collected quite a few "houses" for them (tins, cigar boxes, etc.), but can't seem to get started with it. Any suggestions?

    After reading about all the stuff you do, I can understand why you're never bored!

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    1. Sorry to hear about the LV thang! I've never been, but I have a very good friend who moved there to be with his elderly mother several years ago, and I think he has the same feelings about it as you do!

      As for the shrines, the easiest thing to do is just start! Sound cheesy, I know, but it's true. Take one out and just start painting it... or pick a few elements that you want to incorporate into it. You'll be surprised at how easily they start coming together.

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  14. Great post Judah & even love your name... I'm so sorry I arrived here so late at the party but was pretty pleased to see you still had wieners out - so don't mind if I do! I think living with so much land I too would be filling it with animals at the moment our dog has the neighbourhood posse up each day so we can give them a little treat & snack. I too (I think I may have told you) am a big comic/graphic novel fan & I think I also was inspired by old comics esp Batman & casper the friendly ghost which I liked to draw on my etch-a-sketch... crap enough... let's get down & dirty... it's YOUR tooting post so I want to tell you something else... I l o v e y o u r w i n g e d d u d e! Oh so heavenly... my hubby (the Big F) sews too, all his boardies & our girls shorts & stretches his talent into skirts (his sewing ability not him - although he has worn a kilt on occasion)... Oh yes my violin met a similar end as your horn, don't blame you, the neighbourhood dogs heaved a sigh of relief ;) OK, if you don't mind, please, pretty please, put my name in for your shrine - they rock (& are shiny), although a customised shrine should be reserved for someone better than I, I can't help but say... I really r e a l l y would love it! OK Catch ya babe & thanks for the wieners ;)

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    1. Plenty of weiners for everyone, even the late-comers!
      I *just* got the graphic novel you recommended in the mail on saturday... looking forward to digging into it. Perhaps even this afternoon!
      And cheers for men who sew, whatever their skill level!
      (and yup, you're in for the drawing!)

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  15. Magnificent post! I love your silly photo faces- I have so much taking photos of people with such fun on their face! Thanks for sharing about you - fabulous attitude, fabulous home and open space (that bench with the ferns is perfect), fabulous art (love the sewn dude)- hmmm, I seem to be using that word fabulous quite a lot here. Perhaps I should use a thesaurus so I don't bore you with the use of the same old word- but I really like that word- so I'll just use it again- fabulous post!

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    1. I'm not sure I could do a serious face if I tried!
      I dunno, I kind of like fabulous!

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  16. What a fun!
    I love and read comic books. I read lots of Italian ones but I also used to collect Wolverine, X-Men and many others from USA.
    Your mixed media pieces are really amazing!

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    1. Welcome, Simona, and thank you!
      If you ever want some comics from the US, let me know, and I'll send ya some!

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  17. ahem. i'm so late getting around to visiting. i'm a dick, i know this. blame manslave for coming home and disrupting my schedule. i love when you post pictures of yourself. okay, wait. i love when you post. period.
    i read someone comment on one of your facebook posts that he enjoyed your posts because you had an interesting lifestyle. i think that is exactly it - you are interesting, intriguing and cool, but you are Not A Dick At All. that's why i really dig you.
    despite your coolness (and attractiveness, sorry), you are just a damn nice guy.
    xxa

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  18. I am sooo late to visit all, the weekend got away from me, I am glad to get introduced to your blog and will have to stop back again! glad you joined in! I especially love the found art piece and the guy with orange wing! so cool!

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  19. Hello JuDaH!!! Nice name, I like it very much. Your dolls and style are unique as you are..which are both awesome! I like that you take care of the animals of the world..I have one dog which is a Boston..but I tell her all the time I am her momma'sita! She is my walking friend and keeps me motivated even when I don't want to be motivated. I love Comics as well..my cousin actually is a writer for comics..and has gone to New York for comic con. We traded art one time..he gave me some comic books of his and I painted him a painting for his home. I used to collect marvel trading cards and still have them..now I am a collector of lots of paper and other small pieces of random art. I love to trade and swap art on a regular basis..so this artful blog hop was perfect for me.. Thanks for inviting me to your blogspot!!

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