Snow, finally

It snowed last night for the first time this season. It's nearly December. Craziness. I finally have an excuse to wear my new Sorell snow boots.

Washington's Disguises

More fun from the boredom bucket. 

Finger Fun

A little bit of finger fun at the music shop.

Evil Ways Ink

Stopped by Evil Ways Ink the other day to hang out with everyone.  It's so much fun watching the guys draw, tattoo, and paint. The shop is fantastic. It's loaded with artwork, gifts for sale, jewelry, magazines, portfolios, flash, you name it. There's even some big comfy couches to lounge in while you play Xbox.

The artists are working constantly. Between tattoos, you can find them painting, pin striping, designing, or researching reference material. They are in a constant state of evolution, always improving what is already sublime. It's a melting pot of creativity, which produces some outstanding work.

Evil Ways Ink has some of the greatest artists I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Justin Wainer is incredible. He excels in traditional style artwork. His black and grey tattoos are so vivid, they look like they could hop right off the skin. He demands the highest standard of clean, crisp work from himself, which makes his tattoo work stand out as pure quality. He applies the same standard to other mediums, such as pin striping and script work. Here he is, with another project.

Ryan Frank is also a phenomenal tattoo artists there. He is a very good friend of mine. He is also a fantastic painter, with brushes and cans. Like Justin, he has a strict standard of cleanliness. Everything he does simply pops. His work is sharp, crisp, and full of character. He is one of the most talented people I've ever met. I envy his ability to produce huge quantities of work so quickly, and maintain such a high quality of work at the same time. Unlike many artists who need to find inspiration in order to be creative, Ryan seems to be internally equipped with a 10-gallon tank of creativity. All he needs is a pencil and paper and he'll make magic happen.  You can find his artwork on flesh, boxcars, gallery walls, and everywhere in between. He's an artistic jack of all trades who always keeps his mind open, and his hands busy.

Here's Hannah, the adorable piercer.

With an overly amazing crew of awesome artists bursting with talent, it's definitely one of my favorite places to spend my time. And bumping elbows with folks like this definitely works to my benefit. I've had the privilege of being tattoo'd there on several occasions. Here's a custom piece Ryan did on my ribs. I am so in love with it.

 If you'd like to take a gander at some of their work, you can find them on Facebook. Better yet, visit the shop. They are conveniently located right off 494 in Newport, MN. 

Draining

Me and some fellas went underground Tuesday night to explore and shoot some photos. Here are a few of my shots from that night. And a drain GIF, of course.

Thrifty finds

I found some gems while thrifting on Monday. I was especially happy to find the tea canister. It still smelt like tea. I need to think of something fun to do with the Norwegian tile, it's so cute! I found a few cute vintage frames and pictures. The farm scene below is just gorgeous. 

I couldn't say no to the boy with the fiddle. The little dish is, I believe, meant to be a soap dish, but it's going to be used as an ash tray. Either way, it's very pretty.

And how about these cards? I am so in love with this style of illustration. I used one of them already to write a thank-you note to my boss. Another awesome $1 find.

I had to take a photo of Michael's Buddha figurine. It sits on the windowsill. I love his happy face.

Here's one of my paintings, it's hung up at our place. This was more of my paint-playing. No method to that madness.

Grandma's Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers

My Grandma is one of the coolest ladies ever. She's the sweetest lady you'll ever meet, but she'll cuss you under the table if you beat her at a game of Rummy. She also taught me the joys of cooking, knitting and crocheting, and sipping coffee on a porch in the wee hours of the morning. She has the coolest collection of knick-knacks. My favorites include her table top owls. She has about 6 sets of them. 

Whenever I see little owls like this, they always remind me of her, and makes me crave lefsa. The little owl tattoo on my foot is commemorative of her. And here is a photo of the lady. 

Mermaid Painting.

I made a painting for Michael's mother. She asked for something for her bathroom, and she likes the idea of a mermaid. She also likes warm, vintage illustrations. She has a few of those Toulouse Lautrec advertisements around the house. This is a 2x3 foot acrylic and ink on canvas, the final product. It's much more colorful in person. I'm pleased with it.

Futts

There are these dudes that take photos underground. Not just underground, but in some of the raunchiest places I've ever seen. I'm talking ACTIVE sewers. They stomp poop in 3 inch glittery pumps, leopard print tights, and leather vests. They are the most hardcore bitches I've ever met. And their photography.... They take very dirty photos in very dirty places. Lots of NSFW stuff. But it's incredible, and completely unique. They call themselves the Futt Slutts, "Futt" being a photo containing a combination of "foot" and "butt." Their photoblog is the epitome of hardcore erotic subterranean exploration. Check out their stuff (warning: you will see genitals)   http://futtslutt.tumblr.com/

Here are a couple "futts" from my archives.