Whatz Newz... by Roy Mackey
2013 IDSwest Interior Design Show
"WE ARE EAST VAN" booth at the IDSwest Interior Design Show at The Vancouver Convention Center. Sept/2013. Wow.... talk about one busy place for the four days the show ran. The EASTVAN booth was designed and built by Mario Sabljak very cool furniture designer at www.mariosabljak.com
Mar/13/2013
On my writing home front I have just completed my latest book.... The Lucky Landlord... The Fine Art of Picking Perfect Tenants. Not much use to anyone unless you are a landlord.... if so... then priceless. Hope to have it in e-book format soon and available on Amazon.
Watch for www.theluckylandlord.com to be coming soon!
Not one positive response from the post below in well over a year... aparentlly the Rogers Rocket Ship is not getting good reviews.
Hey Everyone...
Just curious if there is even one person out there, who lives in Vancouver and uses Roger's rocket hub, that has something good to say about it???? All I get from Google searches is frustrated people that say it is really slow and not even slightly near the "vaguely" advertised claims. It would have a lot of advantages for us here at the studio but it is so hard to believe today's "liar marketing" techniques thus word of mouth is all you can trust. There must be someone out there that likes it...
____________
September 29/2010
NEWS FLASH....
Anyone out there got a pre 1966 4dr car they want to sell?
If so I am looking for something. Preferably something cheap and in original condition. I don't have time or the place for a basket case. If my next bank job goes over well I will even have cash. If you have a pic you could email that would be great. Something like this turn-key driver below would be perfect! This one only smokes on Sunday.
Nov/14/2012
NEWZ FLASHES!!!
Hey Everyone, just so you know this weekend is the...
Eastside Cultural Crawl!!!
This is one great event if you are looking to check out some cool studios here in East Van and score some cool art. There will be hundreds of ambitious artists opening their studios for your investing pleasure. Ambition being the key word as Marta and I will not be opening our studios. We both caught a bad case of lakambishon once again this year. Not to mention just can't take the time away from our own production. Just the same with time running out to find good art to invest in before things change economically and it is too late we ourselves will be out looking to buy art. After all we have enough of our own crap already!!
Just to note even though we are not in the crawl this year if you want to check out our studio feel free to call ahead as we will likely be here working away. After all we are always looking for new ways to take a break and if you are in the hood might be as good a time as ever.
Otherwise just another fine day in paradise.....
Charlie Mackey
1929 - 2012
My best friend just had his body die.
Mind you I guess it was wore right out...
He was not your average cat by any means
He was living proof that attitude and smiles
will take you farther than vitamins.
Now that I think of it aside from being a best friend
he is also a pretty dam good Dad!!!
We sure had a couple of dam crazy adventures!
I am already looking forward to
catching up with him again at some point down the road
and am pretty sure I will... if all goes well
He was a prime example of the fact that
when you smile with your heart
it shines through your eyes.
He taught me a lot,
which was only some of what he knew.
Sept/1/2012
Did a road trip in the Benz up to Invermere to see the family. She ran like a top which was not bad considering it is almost 30 years old. Turned out to be a fun trip. Good to see everyone again for the first time in a few years. The farm looks the same... actually a little better. The family was generous as usual. Mom even gave us some blankets so we would not freeze sleeping in the car. She also gave us a half price deal on all the food we ate. As usual they even threw a big party on our behalf. Unfortunately once again it was after we left so could not attend but at least the thought was there. That's what family is all about, everyone being supportive of everyone else. My big brother, being the overly protective one he is, told us not to hurry back. Not that I was going to since this was the first break we have had away from the studio in a long time. I was definitely dragging my feet.
Herez a quick studio pic...
In other really dull news...
roycmackey@telus.net
NO LONGER WORKS!!
I have finally scraped that email address off my finger once and for all. What a job! I had to though in order to avoid bill collectors, the CIA, some of my family, the RCMP, my therapist, politicians, lawyers and other such undesirables
Thus I have changed my email over to:
roy@flamingsteel.com
If by chance you need to give someone this new email address over the phone please spell it out in case the CIA or RCMP have your phone bugged.
August 1, 2012
NEWZ FLASHES!!!
hmmmmmm...... lets see....
oh yea....
We are having another
OPEN STUDIO EVENT
This coming Saturday August 4, 2012
Goes from Noon til 5 or 6pm
#108 - 1701 Powell Street
604-269-3500
but no need to phone ahead we will be here.
Free coffee and candy bars will be served.
Could be worth the trip if you are worried about your investments and retirement fund.......
oh and just a reminder my new email address is:
roy@flamingsteel.com
The old roycmackey@telus.net has been left to fill up and drown
which won't be long based on the mail box size
July 20, 2012
Do You Deserve to Own Art?
Wouldn't you, for once, like to buy something that does not break on the way home or go out date with the next seasons latest trends. Something that is classic enough to endure the ravages of time and hold its appeal and value? Something that potentially could go way up in value on top of providing you with endless pleasure on a daily basis.
If you think you deserve that then you may want to consider buying some real art. Now I admit not all art and not just my art either but art that really grabs your attention and tastes. There is a lot of great art out there and if you buy enough of it you could eventually hit on the next hot artist. If so your investment could skyrocket. I assure you the latest electronic gizmo will never do that. You could also play a role in history by preserving art for future generations... Oh and if you think you cannot afford art check this link:
Oh and as an added note.... the mothership recently told me that boomers are starting to turn seventy and that when they do that they start cashing in their stocks, bonds and other paper investments for cash to live on. (also because they have to by law if they are American)
This is great but does have its complications. According to the Wall Street Journal and other sources this is going to be the biggest sell off of stocks in the history of Wall street. Mostly because there are millions of boomers all turning seventy within a few short years. If you know how things work it will be fine for those that sell early (in the next year or two) Due to the shear number of boomers this is going to apparently devastate Wally street like never before. Mostly because there will be far more sellers than buyers by a long shot. This could bruise your portfolio if you were not careful. Even though it is a great time to buy housing in America art could very well be even better. Especially if you consider things like the end of petrodollars about to happen very shortly. Once the sell off of stocks starts it will be too late as prices will fall quicker than George Bush hopped up on coke stumbles on his words.
The trick is to sell off now and buy gold, silver, ART and antiques. With your change grab a few cheap houses just for fun. Not that it will really matter since the government will likely steal it off you in the near future anyway but in case they don't... Remember Warren Buffet bought silver not at thirty dollars an ounce when everyone else wanted it but at five dollars an ounce when no one wanted it. Which brings up the following point. Have you ever heard the story of gold, silver, art and antiques? If not you may want to check it out.
In other unimportant news...
Oh and in case you were noticing my prices are going up substantially any day now. If I quoted you a price before that was cheaper, or you were looking at a piece that was cheaper I will stick to the previous price for a very short time longer. The new prices will be posted sometime today or tomorrow give or take.
Yes it is open studio time again!!!
Saturday Mar/3
Wing by for free coffee and candy bars
noon til 5pm
no need to phone ahead
See whatz new...
Hi Everyone, hope you are all doing well out there and looking forward to spring like we are. It is that time of month again where we clean up a bit and open our studio for your viewing pleasure... or at least amusement. If you want to do something unusual for a change then feel free to wing on by.
This is a great chance to try a free cup of very strong www.seattlesbest.com level 3 medium roast done up by none other than Henry down at their plant. Lots of caffine for a nice laid back relaxing Saturday in the sun.... or I guess I should say rain. We will also have candy bars here to balance out that coffee with some wholesome nutrition.
I will also be relaying what the mothership told me about the coming un-real estate crash and how to avoid the losses most will experience. This alone could make having to drink the coffee we will be serving worth while. That is if you are a property owner here in BC.
Then as an added bonus I will also be talking about how you can get the government to buy you investment art for free!!! If you have a business and pay taxes then you qualify!!! How good is that?!!! After you hear this you will want a second cup of that free coffee!!!
My Latest Blog Post..
You Missed the Tax Deadline... Dec 1st...
itz yor money...
Open Studio!!!
tomorrow... Saturday
Feb/4/2012 noon to 5pm
wing by if you are bored and want to take a look.
Not a lot of fun but beats mowing the lawn or helping your friend move. See how people willing to waste their lives doing art actually live. Buy a candle holder. Try out some free coffee, Seattle's Best Light roast, higher in caffine than dark roast and smooth as butter with no bitter burnt roast taste common with today's coffee's. Also for nutrition we will be serving up brownies, banana bread, and candy bars for nutrition. Copies of my book on sale along with other art.
108 - 1701 Powell Street
Vancouver
604-269-3500
but no need to phone ahead
THANKS EVERYONE!!!
Jan/8/2012
Hi Everyone, a big thanks to all of you who showed up to our open studio event!! I am pretty sure we can now all agree on that fact that gasoline vapor really is explosive. In fact a lot more than I had thought. Fortunately I think everyone learned a good lesson today. First always run when someone has matches in their hand and says "watch this" Second is after some google searching we now all know that facial hair and eyelashes will grow back in time and that bright flashes can create momentary blindness. That sure put a few people at ease. Also I think from now on I will perform my fire demonstations outside where there is more room to run if needed. Anyway forgive and forget as my dad used to always say. A really big thanks to all those who bought copies of my book today. If sales keep up as they have been I will be able to finance my next book. "Fun on the Farm with gas and matches" I do say though, after today, the chapter on safety will be longer than first planned.
Hope to see you Feb/4 at our next open studio.
Jan/2/2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!!
Lets give 2011 the ole finger
and then...
A BIG THUMBS UP TO:
2012
One of the best damm years we are ever going to have!!!!
OK... I admit this last year was not all that bad. I guess I had the best year ever for art sales. Got my toe into New York. Kept my nose above the water and head about the ground. Had record breaking web traffic, got a haircut, had a bath and leaned out thanks to my candy bar diet, made some new artwork. Yes it was back to back fun with things like coming up with new ways to eat at McDonalds, gassing up the truck at the shell station, youtube, email, surfing the web, and inventing new ways to do things like laundry and welding. Not too shabby. Not sure how much longer I can keep up the pace but hopefully 2012 will be more of the same!!!
May the Gods of good fortune fun and adventure bless everyone one of you non-stop!!! (or if nothing else at least enough to catch up the visa bills!)
Jan 7, 2012
#108 - 1701 Powell Street
Vancouver BC
604-269-3500
in the ARC Building
corner of Powell and Commercial Drive
Yes we are partaking in another First Saturday Open Studio event. The first one for 2012!!! This gives you time to unload all the wallymart junk you got for Christmas. Then wing on buy for something you really wanted. Plus you can check out the joint. No need to phone ahead as we will be here. I will have my latest batch of cand holders on display along with some of my new copper works.
As usual we will be serving fresh brewed cheapo coffee and nutritious snacks like candy bars or donuts, maybe even fresh baked cake!! Copies of my books will also be on sale.
To see a list of other artists around town who are also opening their studios on this day check out the link below!!
Just a heads up here.... your chance to score one of my famous modified hammers is running out fast! Don't say I never warned you...You can click this link to see whats left (those titled in red are sold)
if you don't want to miss out completely then you better act fast. At this point most of whats left is in New York being sold by www.vandm.com If you get there soon you might get lucky.
Nov/3/2011
Contact list changes...
Your name was bumped off my previous contact list!!
If you haven't yet you need to sign up again to my new list.
If you signed up AFTER Nov/3rd then
you don't have to as you will be on the new list.
Hey Everyone, just to note as of NOV/3rd..ish I have changed my contact list over to a new system. If you were on my contact list before... you aint now. This sucks I know...
If you wanted to stay on my contact list for my updates... or to get on my list for my updates then click this link below and do the sign up. Takes only a couple of seconds though you will need to confirm it was you who signed up. This makes sure you only get my updates if you want them and not some bored weirdo signing you up for strange newsletters. It is also a lot easier to get off my list once you come to your senses. A bit of a hassle but telus could no longer handle my huge contact list. If you were on my list and hated it... just keep quiet and do nothing. You will automatically no longer receive my emails!! Nice clean and easy!! Get on my contact list
Dec/20/2011
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!
Sure Christmas may not be the funnest time of the year for some people but either way it sure beats tax time!!! Especially if you owe! To help you cheer up some I would click on the video link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U
After you watch the video then ask yourself if the universe is really that big is anything worth worrying about? Maybe you should stop and smell the roses a little more, breathe the fresh air or even stretch your legs. If the guy behind you honks then just smile and give him the finger or even throw a rock at him! In a hundred years do you think anyone is going to care.
It might just be time to grow your hair long, tell you boss off and then quit. Or if you are an artist maybe cut your hair, get a real job and become a lawyer!!! Yes once you get past your own excuses you can do what you want.
Remember it is better to do what you want and be happy than do what everyone else wants and be unhappy like everyone else because they are also doing what everyone else wants instead of what they want.
If everyone did what they want the world would be a happy place. Happy people are always nicer people to be around. When was the last time you couldn't wait to hang out with unhappy people.... besides last Christmas. Not likely that often. When was the last time you saw someone who was unhappy that was doing what they wanted? Not likely that often. Do the world a favor this year... be responsible for a change...turn off the News and quit making excuses for why you can't do what you want. You can't make anyone else happy unless you are happy. Even then they might not want to be happy anyway. Tough fact but true.
So do you want to be happy or are you going to continue trying to make everyone else happy? You may not know it but your kids really don't want all that crap you buy them every year anyway. Quit using them as an excuse for not doing what you want. Quit playing the martyr role and own up to the truth you really want to be doing something else. Then just do it. When your kids see you come alive doing what you love you will become their idol way more than being the stodgy old martyr you have been up until now. Partly because they are sick of your constant guilting that martyr's often do since it is part of their role. On top of that they can brag at school how cool their dad is.
Remember the old saying... here today dead tomorrow... or something like that. Most people that die often have their friends say "he was too young to die" Might be true but he was still dead anyway.
Just my un-educated two bits to stir up those "stupid" dreams floating around in the back of your head before it's too late.
Dec/6/2011
A big thanks to everyone who stopped by for our open studio event. Sorry about the line ups and running out of the free beer and Krispy Kreme donuts. We never expected that much turnout. If I would have known the ghost of Jimmy Hendrix was going to show up I would have arranged better seating. Well until next time see you then!!!
Yes we are partaking in another First Saturday Open Studio event. If you want to wing by and check out our joint and the art we do feel free as we will be here. No need to phone ahead!! A great chance to score some investment art or Christmas presents. I will have my new candle holder series on sale for... well you gotta show up to find out. After Sunday they will be going up to $125. !!! As usual we will be serving fresh brewed cheapo coffee and nutritious snacks like candy bars or donuts, maybe even fresh baked cake!! Copies of my books will be on sale. Great gift for that someone special you hate at work.
Saturday Dec/3
#108 = 1701 Powell Street
Vancouver BC
On the corner of Powell and Commercial drive in the ARC building.
To see a list of other artists around town who are also opening their studios check out the link below!!
http://firstsaturday.weebly.com/
Nov/26/2011
Well I guess I learned my lesson today. Some guy said he wanted to look at this... I said sure thinking he won't buy it so I don't have much to worry about... Guess it's too late to worry since he took it. My own fault I guess assuming he was just another lookee Lou... The guy was obviously a pretty sharp cookie. After all, like I said below, when was the last time you saw one of these suckers? Me neither!!
When was the last time you saw a 1926 General Electric fridge? Well wing by our studio if you got time and check this one out. Another piece of heavy junk I thought I needed. Almost mint shape considering its age. Not sure what I am going to do with it but either way it is a real gem. I might use it to store some of the radioactive metals I have kicking around here. Either that or for storing my cell phone when I am sleeping and don't want the government listening in on my snoring. Course I would have to line it with lead first. Actually now that I think about if $650. and its yours. Yep you can hauler away. Probably weights about 1200 pounds so bring a couple of reel men... or women to picker up though.
Nov/7/2011
Hey Everyone, just a big thanks to all of you who stopped in for a visit during our open studio event!!! A slightly bigger thanks to those of you that actually bought some art!!! The strong coffee helped keep us all awake during this dull and uneventfull event. As usual Sweetie did her feather grooming show but never actually pulled any out. I am starting to agree it is not all that exciting to watch and after an hour I guess does get a little tedious. The candy bars went fast as usual. Remember... Our next open studio event is: Dec/3/2011
Oct/14/2011
You know there are some perks to knowing the gang from the mothership. In this case it sure helped when it came to getting the new iphone. I love my iphone but it was time to upgrade. Last time it was a fiasco. I don't get up early for anything... let along standing in a line for two hours for an iphone only to find out the were sold out. So I stalled and next thing you know the next model is out. Course this time I wasn't waiting. Well just my luck the mothership crew gave me a heads up. They told me to wing by this one particlar Rogers outlet and talk to "whats his name" there. A iphone keener like me. Sure enough I went in there and he told me everything I needed to know and do. Man this guy knew iPhones!! He said everyone knows the iphone is getting released today but not many people knew their store was opening at 8:00 for the event! He guessed they would be getting six phones and that if I got there and the line up was eight I may as well go home. Sure enough at seven am no one was there. (ok I got up but it just seemed easier than the other options) I sat there in my truck catching up on some very exciting emails and before long it was eight. By nine thirty on the release date of the phone I was takin video and checking my email!! I tell you every company has a list of haters but I love Rogers! Yup... one sweet phone.... Maybe tomorrow I will build the temple for it!
New York's annual Affordable Art fair is over...
and it has now been officially proven that New York really is a great city with great people who have great taste and great vision too boot!!! Of course this is based on the fact that some of my hammers actually sold at the show!!!!!! I am also quite happy that my web traffic spiked radically during the show with one day experiencing almost 400 new visits!!!!
I will be updating my hammers list shortly so cross your fingers that the hammer you have been kicking around is still there!!!
A big thanks to Bill and his gang cohorts at:
A very cool site for those with tastes that go beyond the Bargin Barns of life!!!
............
Fortunately for me I followed the advice of the mothership and and did not ship the hammers down all in one box!!! They advised me that they would never make it and that I should send an un-insured "decoy" box down first and the other two boxes later. They also told me to send them high speed with delivery in three days. Sure enough the first box "got lost" and never showed up until exactly the day after the show was over, almost three weeks later!!!!?? When I phoned Canpost and asked how many boxes actually get lost she proudly told me "Why only 4%, which I know might sound like a lot but is pretty small compared to the trillions of boxes we ship!!!" I don't know about you but 4% of trillions of boxes seems like it would be a pretty big pile of boxes to "Get Lost" !!!! Apparently though "got lost" is how delivery companies spell "got stolen" It has a far more innocent feel to it. Also from what I hear "we found your package" is how they spell "we caught the thief and fired him" After all the image of a hurried delivery van pealing around the corner with the back door open is a fine explaination but only in cartoons and funny movies. It really lacks credibility though in the real world.
NEWZ FLASHES!!!
OPEN STUDIO
Hey Everyone, we are having a first Saturday of the Month open studio. Last minute I know and I never sent out an email notice but if you like free beer wing on by. We won't have any but I like free beer too so we can at least talk about it over cheapo cookies and home brewed no name discount due to past expiry date coffee!! A great chance to check out my new copper works and score a candle holder. No need to call ahead!! We'll be here eating cookies and drinking coffee!!
Saturday Oct 1, 2011
Noon till 5pm
#108 - 1701 Powell Street.
The ARC building
Sept/18/2011
Modified Hammers by Roy Mackey
Now in New York's Affordable Art Fair
The latest news my modified hammers have been shipped to New York for the Affordable Art Fair. Herez the link if you want to check it out:
http://www.affordableartfair.us/newyorkcity/exhibit.php?fair=20112&exhibit=469&artist=3465
Sept/19/2011
NEWZ FLASH !!!
The modified hammer series now in the:
The New York Times !!
CheerZ to www.vandm.com for managing that.
Check out this link below Aug/11/2011 in the home section.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/garden/roy-mackeys-hammer-art.html
In recent newz I recently bumped into a very cool dealer from New York who is now selling my hammer series on his very cool website. To check them out click the link below here.
or to check out his main page
This is definately one cool site to bookmark for those with cutting edge tastes.
June/6/2011
NewZ Flash!!!
Hey Everyone, thanks to all of you who stopped by to check out the joint during our Open Studio Event. Sorry to those who got here late and missed out on all the cookies... ya gotta be fast. Except for a few jaw cramps the yawning compitition went very well. At least we weren't stuck walking around in all that carcinogenic sunshine like a lot of other poor suckers!! A big thanks to Bob for helping me get that rusted out five gallon pail of PCB's into the dumpster. Now if I can just get what leaked out cleaned up off my shoes and floor for a change.
March/30/2011
Hey a big thanks to every one who came by to check out our art and the joint we live in!! It was a fun day and a really big thanks to everyone who scored some art or copies of my book!!! Just to note that since we had so much fun we will be opening again the first Saturday of next month also. Watch for an email in that regard if you are on my contact list.
Jan/10/2011
OK Everyone time to get over all those silly new years resolutions and get on with life. Spring is coming, property prices are about to plumet, silver is going to go through the roof and nowz the time to invest in art while you still can!
Jan/10/2011
OK Everyone.... the holidays are over!! Time to dive into some New Years resolutions... actually its almost time to start breaking them already!!!
Yes the one nice thing about the middle of January is you can start giving up on your resolutions and get back to your regular life. What a refreshing break that is. Resolutions are like jumping out of the hot tub and into the snow bank. Of course you don't stay out long before you jump back into the tub. And when you do does that that tub ever feel great!!! That, friends, is why resolutions are so great. They quickly make you realize that you were living the life you wanted all along!!! Hell if you really wanted change you would not need resolutions to do it. Who needs a resolution to eat more cake? Not many. This is going to be great news for all those guys out there who dived into the latest issue of Mens Health and were motivated into starting their "Six pack in six days, lose that gut, bust that fat, beat that belly off club workout" If they haven't dropped it by now, they will soon, and when they do will they ever be happy!!
On a side note have you ever saw a "January Runner" ? In case you don't know they are guys who usually did good in sports all their life up until they got that high paying job. The years rolled by and before long they finally realized that mountains don't look that big when you look up or down at them. But get a good sideways view and whoo eee that is one big mutha!! This view usually gets caught on film at some beach somewhere by a stray camera. Later when the film gets developed the truth can no longer be denied so off they go. How you can tell they are "January Runners" is by the size of their midsection in relation to the pace of their run. Usually they don't match. The guy I saw was batting right along way faster than a ponch that size should move. He also had a bit of a cocky and confident look/attitude that said "see... nothing to this... did I tell you I used to run Westwood Lake trail twice in 50 minutes?..." Of course it was only about day three of the workout so the pain had not caught up with him yet. I knew from experience it would tomorrow or the next. After all even though I have been running for years it is often on and off. Strangely when the pain does catch up with him it will be the same time there is major trouble at the job. Trouble that will require way more hours. In fact a lot of those hours will be the ones he had slated for running.
Anyway gotta go it is midnight and I just cut a nice slab of chocolate cake!
Anway if you want to hear more about new years resolutions click below.
Dec/20/2010
You know over the years I have learned that not everyone likes Christmas. In fact there are a lot of people who just can't stand it. In fact more than it seems since most don't say anything. Now most people would rant and rave how they "should" like it but it won't help much. Not only that its a free country... so far... and thus people can say and think what they want.
For those "dislikers" out there it stirs up nothing but bad feelings for them. Things like the gut wrenching pain and agony, desperate loneliness, pit of hell depression, anger, frustration, irritating family members who are always on your case, endless disappointment and let down. Yup it happens often but most people mask their feelings so as to not look "negitive". This of course... according to a book I read once... is what causes cancer. Hanging onto longstanding resentment, negitive feelings etc. Thus if you don't like Christmas don't be afraid to vent it. Who cares what anyone thinks. Remember someone in your families upline fought and died so you could speak what you wanted. Also remember every coin has two sides. Thus I raise a toast of water or wine to you for being, thinking and speaking who you are. I also recommend you check out the post on my website titled: Merry Christmas from Hell... just click on the title of this post.
Finally on the bright side, as bad as it gets it won't last long and every year you get through it is one less year you will have to deal with it. You might just want to consider that it is the small price you have to pay for spring!
CheerZ!!!
and oh ya...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!
Nov/30/2010
Just hung 6 of my stainless works in the Hollyburn Country Club in West Vancouver today. It actually went quite well inspite of the pouring rain. They look quite decent up even though the lighting is not that good.
Nov/24/2010
Live Art News in America:
Well everyone this years Eastside Culture Crawl is once again upon us!!
Nov 26,27 & 28
Unfortunately since Marta and I won the lottery we will NOT be opening this year. Instead we are going to spend the weekend planning where we are going to invest the $60.
Just the same don't let that keep you from this amazing event!! There are hundreds of artists with far more ambition and vision than us that will be opening their studios here at the ARC and in other buildings around the east side!
This is truly an event you don't want to miss! Last year we had 3500 visitors come through the ARC alone and we were only one of the many buildings.
Check out
for more info.
Or to hear my two-bit-shopping-tips on hitting the Crawl... at least for here at the ARC building check out:
Tricks for Smooth Crawl Art Shopping
November 12, 2010
Hey just a strange side note here. If you like unusual events check out
We were driving around south Vancouver industrial areas and stumbled onto an oasis of gourmet baked goods!! Some kind of bakers market and a sugar lovers dream. It was hard to believe. Here we were looking for a ten thousand sq. ft. warehouse and next thing you know right in the middle of that arid wasteland I am shoveling back cupcakes and cookies!! Not sure about the details since I was too busy grabbing up all the deals. From what I could tell no robotically made goodies there. All hand made treats to die for. I'm telling you it is really worth checking out!!!!
October 24, 2010
Hey Everyone,
Just to note we maider back from our mothership abduction! They even set me up with a fine old Mercedes and then dropped us off at Invermere. We had a great time back there. I really do miss the Windermere Valley. They are all such great people. Pretty well every time we go back there they throw a party on my behalf. Unfortunately it is always on the weekend after we leave so we always miss it. Just the same it goes to show you how great the people are there. Heck even my parents did not charge me rent for the first two days we were there! They even gave us food for half price... Not only that but the tires on my car kept going flat and I bet I had five people offer me a hand tire pump to blow them back up for free!! That is one of the great things about living in a small town. People are really generous and friendly.
October 31/2010
Here was some old vintage tin I spotted up this back road we drove up on our way back to the valley for a visit. The old farmer that owned it said no one had spotted that stuff since he put it there fourty years ago. I could not believe it since he had a small field of really cool stuff like this but in far better shape!! Some of the old beasts were still running. He said if I never told anyone about it he would give me a free bottle of this gas he had made. He told me to pop a shot of it in my tank every morning and things would run a lot smoother. I figured what the hell free is free!! Well he was not joking as it did make the old Benz wake up like never before. You barely had to touch the pedal after that. Needless to say my lips are sealed but I might go back there sometime and hit him up for some more of that gas for the old Benz if we keep her.
Unfortunately my camera battery died before I got pics of the old Harley with the sidecar and the convertible with the backward doors. Those were in the barn but it stunk so bad in there with that big dead cow all puffed up that even if my battery was good I would not have taken the pics anyway. Anyway he seemed like a nice chap so I promised him not to worry that my lips were sealed.
October 14/2010 NEWS FLASH....
International Drive Your Car Day
Yes it had to eventually happen. To read more click on the link below.
October 8/2010
NOTICE
To those that have shown interest in aquiring one of these works you may want to act fast. If everything goes well in the next while I may be selling them all back to the devil in exchange for that job in accounting I have always wanted.
Otherwise thanks for stopping by!! Don't forget if you need a break from the rat race and hyperness of modern life then you may want to score a copy of my book. The breath of fresh air will recharge you.
Check out my latest score!!
Aug/28/2010
Here is a rustic old Black and Decker Twist Drill Grinder. Not sure why they called it that? This is going to replace one of my newer plastic bench grinders. This one runs so smooth it is hard to believe. It amazes me how good these old beasts run. Tell me again why we want the newer plastic junk? By the way if you have any vintage tools like say a Atlas band saw or lathe, Beaver or similar scroll saw, or any other old obsolete tools I may be interested. Might even consider doing trades for some of my art or other junk I have kicking around.
Aug/11/2010 HereZ a real beauty!
Yup a genuine 1947 Walker Turner drill press. Once again it is "in with the old and out with the new!!! It took a little cleaning up and a new belt but runs like a top. You have to actually use these old drill presses to feel how much better they are. Some will argue but something that was built by people who were proud citizens and not just "consumers" is remarkable. Built to last and has proven so. Runs quiet and smooth. Most new tools these days have so much plastic on them they are a fire hazard in any shop. By the way if you have any vintage tools like say a Atlas band saw or lathe, Beaver or similar scroll saw, or any other old obsolete tools I may be interested. Might even consider doing trades for some of my art or other junk I have kicking around.
Quick Newz June/13/2010
Yes a genuine 1948 Brunner 2hp compressor!!! Read more under the heading Tool Tricks From My Studio. Just gave it a test drive yesterday and Wow! almost hard to believe how sweet a machine this thing is!! By the way if you have any vintage tools like say a Atlas Drill press or lathe, Beaver or similar scroll saw, or any other old obsolete tools I may be interested. Might even consider doing trades for some of my art or other junk I have kicking around.
Quick NewZ Feb 25/2010
Just to note everyone that there is still a chance to be the five thousandth person to come to our studio during the Olympics! If so you win a free Flamingsteel.com t-shirt!!!
Tragedy Strikes London Drugs Jan/14/2010
I appears that tragedy has struck London Drugs. I just heard the news today. Yesterday I ordered some prints through their very cool online ordering site. They were very good quality prints, for only 16 cents each or so when you buy a pile. After picking up the last pile I noticed something was different. They smelled funny kind of like the old photographs used to. I knew something was up right away. I had already ordered hundreds from them before so was quite familiar with them. I also have a bit of an eye for detail. I started to break out in a cold sweat so made a break for the door. I could smell that dried out stale smell of accountants in action.
Anyway after I got home I compared them to the new ones and sure enough no comparison. It was right then that I realized that the accountants had taken over London Drugs… my favorite store next to KMS Tools!!! It is really strange to have this hit so close to home. Sure I knew of accountants in other cities who were tearing apart companies like no tomorrow. In fact it was on the news everywhere. Their penny pinching has been choking off the quality of North American products for years. On top of that they have been slowly leading most vulnerable companies overseas for production. Their goal was to save some numbers on their spread sheets which they did accomplish. Trouble is now with all the jobs overseas and no one working here no one can pay for those products. So the accountants turn to the only thing then know… more penny pinching. It is a downward spiral and happens to every company that lets their accountants out of their cages.
At first I thought maybe it was just a mistake. Likely just some underpaid flunky grabbed the wrong paper. After all it was the weekend and they were probably partying the previous night. I decided I would email the help line and sure enough they got back to me with the explanation. Here is part of what they said in the blue. I actually like the way it was worded. It has a nice ring to it. Since they must figure most people can’t read it likely works well for them.
LD) The labs have changed the type of paper that they use in our labs. We have now changed from the Fuji Supreme paper to the Dry Ink Technology paper.
Me… [Dry Ink Technology paper really sounds nice don’t you think? It’s a great new way to spell cheaper]
LD) Our new Dry Ink Technology paper is a little thinner than the Fuji Supreme however it is made to provide better quality images and to help maintain the quality of images over the years.
Me… Yes the paper is thinner…, has far less gloss…, is way less water resistant…, smells funny and no longer has a trusted name brand on the back. I am sure all of this makes it better quality!!
Just the same I kind of liked the Fujicolor brand name on the back of the old paper. The extra gloss and thicker paper also felt good. The one good thing about the new "improved" paper is that it has the same great price!!! Gosh those darn accountants sure are smart!
LD…The reason that they switched the paper is because they put new printers in the labs.
Me… wait I was under the impression they changed the paper because of the new and improved, “last a long time”, quality no name paper???...)
LD...Not all labs have switched over but they will all be done in the near future.
Me…in other words… you are too late sucker! Our devious plan has already been implemented!! We were going to say something in advance but just like the company that doesn’t put its name on the paper must think "If your name aint there then you don’t have to stand behind it!!!"
LD...I am sorry you were not pleased with the quality of the new paper and I will pass your email along to the appropriate person at our Head Office.
Me…great at least my opinions will do some good once she puts it through all the appropriate systems. I guess they will just pull all those machines and go back to a quality name brand paper with the old machines… you think?
[Meet... "the appropriate person at our Head Office"]
LD...If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.
Me…[Well... you have been more than helpfull so far... I was just wondering though. When was the old quality paper going to return?.....
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Quick NewZ Jan 13/2010
Well just to note that Ken may be getting a yola site soon so he can also do all his updates himself. Good for you Ken. When you moving back to town? Yes the three big NY galleries are still hounding me. All I want to do is weld!!!
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Quick NewZ Dec 23/09
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
I hope you are having the best holiday season ever!!! Say hi to your family for me. If we are out your way we may stop in but if not have a drink for me.
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Quick NewZ Nov 23/09
3,500 !!!!
Well Everyone, the total number of people that walked into the ARC over the three days was 3500!!! To some that may not seem like a big number but think back when was the last time that many people walked through your living room!!! It is a crazy and fun event for sure. It turned out that my book seemed very popular and sold very well. Lots of repeat customers wanting more copies or copies of the new one.
Joe at the cafe along with his six extra helpers were run right off their feet. It was pretty crazy. Needless to say they did an outstanding job of feeding everyone!! He set up a phone ordering and delivery system for the ARC Tenants which was real cool. Especially since it is so hard to get away when it is so busy.
We also got to see a lot of long lost ARC tenants that used to live here which was cool. The best part was after it was over I could have still said hi and goodbye to at least three or four more people!!
The star piece of my artwork was my "Thumb Print" piece. It pretty well stopped everyone that walked into our studio! It was fun to see such a widespread positive response.
My post cards below were also very popular... though they were free during the show!! : ) I will be putting these for sale on this site in the near future. They are quite labour intensive to make since they are not just mass printed. I have to apply the printed backing to each photo. Watch for that sometime soon. They will be a limited time offering.
Below is a photo of a slow spot during the crawl. I was able to grab my camera and take a quick pic...
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Quick Newz Nov 3/09
Hi Everyone, just a reminder here!!
The annual Eastside Culture Crawl is soon upon us!!!!
November 20, 21, 22
For details check out:
Stop by the ARC and say hi!!
We are now in the process of doing our monthly dishes in preparation for this years Crawl. I have a hunch it is going to be one of the best ones ever. I heard there are over fifty buildings involved with over three hundred artists opening their studios?!! It is a pretty crazy event. Our record attendance here at the ARC building was around 3400 people. Not a big number but when they walk through your living room and you say hi to them all believe me its BIG!! : ) By the time Sunday rolls around if you can still talk you don't want to for sure. That asside it is always tons of fun and us artists get a chance to meet a lot of real honest hard working people. Of course those people get to see what us lazy unmotivated artists do and how we live. It is fun for everyone.
If you plan to attend this year here are some valuable tips to remember!!
CRAWL SHOPPER TIPS
Hi Everyone out there in the Vancouver area. As you may know this years Eastside Culture Crawl is once again upon us. This is a hugely fun event for both artist and visitors! If you are out and about checking it out make sure you stop in here at the ARC! We are on the invite/map. Below I have written some points that might make your visit more enjoyable for everyone involved. I have been involved in about eight or more of them and have picked up some tips that might help visitors have a better time.
A couple of points to remember during the crawl are first most artists are not set up for debit or visa etc. Cash or check usually works though. Some artists though may want to keep the work around until the show is over. That is pretty common with a lot of galleries and shows etc. You can rest assured that even if paid for it would be more than safe with them until you pick it up after the show. Artist's will often treat art buyers like the Gods that they are. If you are still a little nervous then then an option is to at least leave a deposit to let the artist know you are serious and committed to buying the piece.
Never tell a pre-gallery artist you are a gallery owner, if you are, otherwise they are liable to follow you home. If not that they will at least talk your ear off non stop which could threaten their air intake and thus affect proper brain function.
Also it is important to remember that the pile of junk in the corner of their studio that your child just jumped on and broke is a $5000. piece of art work. I know it really is hard to believe. So please save a lot of hard feelings and keep an eye on your younger ones. Of course if you are somewhat art educated you will already know this.
Another point to remember is that most of the artists in the show are not yet in real estate, even though they may want to be. So please don't ask them how much their rent is, does that include heat and hot water or how they like living in the building. They want to talk about their art or even better sell you their art. The building here though does have a manager that will tell you all of that... In fact he gets paid to do that. He will even book you in for a building tour if you are an artist.
Though the artist may want to talk to you for hours about your medical condition or whatever. please don't let him!!!!! Being an artist is a tough life and they really need to keep focused on selling their art and other potential customers. These shows are a crazy amount of work to get ready for. Not to mention way more expense than it seems at first. They need to recoup their expenses. Promise the artist that you will call him after the show is over and you can tell him all the details then.
It is also important to remember that most artists at least here at the ARC anyway have hidden camera's in their bathrooms. They are also known for posting videos taken with these camera's on the web. So needless to say don't ask them to use their washrooms if you don't want to end up online! Aside from that, most likely have their bathrooms piled to the ceiling with private and personal stuff that you would not want to see anyway!! The ARC does have washrooms in the basement for everyone to use. There is also a common room down there that will have another show on anyway.
One thing you will notice here at the ARC is that there are virtually no TV's! Artists often don't have time after doing their day job (if they have one) and then their artwork to watch tv anyway. Most will though have computers that they worship and depend on. With a lot of them it is their only connection to the outside world. Please don't ask to use their computers to check your email!! Aside from being a bit rude it is an invaision of one's privacy. Most artists along with normal people prefer to leave privacy invasion up to qualified government personal who do it without them knowing it via virus scans etc.
Another good point to remember is there are as many examples of artists who made it very big while they were alive as there are of ones who never made it until they were dead. So please save yourself the embarassment of telling that story one more time. Remember most artists have heard the old "make it after you die" story thousands of times. Of course anyone into marketing knows that death has very little to do with an artist making it. In fact, unless an artist lives long enough to produce a big enough body of work he will likely never make it anyway... dead or alive. So again save yourself the embarassment of telling that cliche story one more time.
One real good point to note is that a lot of what makes art good or bad is your interpitation. Have you ever met someone who hated a flavour of ice cream you loved? They weren't really crazy... they just had different tastes. During one "Crawl" I had up one of my crosses with arrows stuck in it. One fellow came in, a nice christian chap, who did not take much of a shine to the piece. The look in his eye made me, for a moment, appreciate the fact that we have such strict handgun laws here in Canada!!! For the rest of the show I kept one eye on the door to our studio and the other for some cover just in case. Later on in the show another fine Christian chap came in and fell in love with the piece and what it represented to him. He went on to rave about the piece and that I must have recieved inspiration from God himself when I did it. He told me to never stop welding. Just the same I still kept my eye on the door for the chap who was not so... shall we say...moved. Remember "good" is often nothing more than a personal preferance. In fact if you look at history some of the greatest art was rarely recognized by the art authorities of the time. Trust you own likes and dis-likes and you won't go far wrong.
During the Crawl you are also bound to stumble across some artist who does work just like someone you know. Even though it could be true the artist does NOT want to hear about him. Not only does he not want to hear it, he would definately not love the artist's work. They love their own work. That's why they do it. Think about it for a moment. If you were a dentist and you told someone that fact, how would you feel if they dived into a long winded story about how they knew a dentist who did ABSOLUTLY AMAZING WORK. Would you want to quickly grab that dentists web address so you could check out what he is doing when you got home? Didn't think so. Neither do many of the artists here want to check out some other artist that is doing AMAZING work just like theirs. This is another cliche that artists hear over and over and over and over and over....
Another point to note is that a lot of artists's just love dogs! Probably even your dog. Just the same some might not. So please don't bring your pet, dog, cat or otherwise. Even though artists work in their studios here at the ARC they also live here. Some may not appreciate your pet in your space as much as you do. Not only that but pets often don't have an appreciation for fragile art like humans do. Who knows some may even have pet alergies. So once again please leave Bowser at home or at least in the car. This will save everyone a lot of stress likely including your pet.
It is also important to note that having 3500 people track through your living room is a little stressful to say the least. As the previous manager here for six years here I saw a lot of artists say no big deal when I told them about the crawl. Often those ones by Sunday were cross eyed and exhausted in dis-belief! Even though it is taxing it is also a lot of fun. This makes it great for you since you get the chance to trudge through a lot of private studios you would normally never get to see! Following some of the above pointers will make this experience better for you and everyone else.
Otherwise hope to see you at the show!!! Have fun and check out some cool new art. For more info on buying art check out my other post: Gold silver art and antiques
may be continued...
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Quick Newz Nov 3/09 Thanks Marcy Lui!!
I have to give a big thanks to Marcy Lui for sending me this book. She scored one of my books for free on my FREE STUFF YOU DON'T WANT section. A friend of mine said she probably just wanted to get me back for getting my book. Well I thought that was very nice. Unfortunately though I no longer have my ukulele.
I remember back on the farm I had a real beauty found it at the dump. Anyway Ivan was heading out camping this one time and had all his gear right by the door. I had muddy boots on and for a joke jumped on his sleeping bag that was laying there. Of course he was not around! Well as soon as I did I heard this crunching sound. I guess he was going to sneak my ukulele out on his camping trip with him. He had wrapped it up in his sleeping bag so I would not notice it. He probably wanted to show it off to his friends though I never did see him play the thing and always said he hated it.
Anyway it was completely crushed beyond repair. Though my family all seemed to take it very well I am sure they missed me playing that thing all the time. I used to sit in front of the tv during old reruns of the Jackie Gleason show and play that thing non stop. I should have took some lessons I guess.
Well just the same a big thanks out to Marcy for the thought!!
Quick Newz October 10/09
Well the winners to my last and final FREE ART CONTEST have been announced. Check out LATEST FREE ART CONTEST in the menu and fine out even faster ways to score free art and other junk free.
Just to note that Marta and I will be participating in this years Eastside Culture Crawl. Watch the Georgia Straight for more detail on this amazing and huge three day event!! Nov 21-22-23
click below for more info:
Quick Newz August 29/09
Well everyone I have sent out the email for my next FREE ART CONTEST!!! If you want to get in on this make sure you get on my contact list. A cheap and easy way to win free art and other junk! See menu on left at top!
Don't forget my Volume 2 of my book "A Fly in the Microwave... fun on the farm when no one's around is here! Check out www.burninggrass.com to order a copy or two!!! Or if you are in the hood feel free to stop by the studio and grab a copy! Hell I might even thow in a coffee.
Hey have you checked out my "Free stuff you don't want" in the menu?
Quick Newz August 28/09
DHL Showed up today with stacks of my books!! (A Fly in the Microwave 2... fun on the farm when no one's around) I will be sending out an email later on announcing this and also announcing another free art contest etc. If you want to score a signed copy early before they are banned our out of print then click on: burninggrass.com to order a copy or two!!! Or if you are in the hood feel free to stop by the studio and grab a copy! Hell I might even thow in a coffee. Hey don't forget to check out my "Free stuff you don't want" in the menu!
August 26/09 My Book is getting shipped out today!
I just got a call from the printers, Printorium Bookworks in Victoria, and they said my books (A Fly in the Microwave 2) are getting shipped out today and should be here tomorrow!!! If you can't wait to score a signed copy while it is still in print then check out:
There, if you have a paypal account, you can order one through the safety of paypal. Online orders will usually be in the mail box within a couple of hours at the most. It will also be available through eBay. This is good if you are interested in building up your rating on eBay.
CheerZ and stay tuned!
August 21/09 My New Website
The latest news here with me is this new website. Originally I had a web designer build me a site that was actually very nice. The trouble with most websites though is once it is done that's pretty well it. It becomes a tomb to lost surfers. Nothing ever changes since making the changes is far too sloggy.
The trouble is you can draw up some changes you like and then give it to your web designer. They will upload it and the second you see the changes online you notice its not quite right. Then it is back to the drawing board followed by the web designer again. Each time costing you a little more money. It is hard to tell what you really like until you see it online.
Eventually I gave up on my website and let it just die. The host of my site, webserve, could never keep it up and running. Their tech support was hilarious. In fact after some online googling I heard they were going to make a horror movie based on Webserve. Not sure if it was true but it would have been a good one! : ) Anyway I let the website die since the hundred bucks I lost was not worth the headache. Luckily I managed to take the webnames I had with them also. They are now safe with a reputable company.
After that I then set up a blog with wordpress. It was hugely better since I could update images and text etc into posts when ever I wanted. Navigation around a blog though sucks.... recent posts, catagories and no landing page images. Eventually I did a post with images and links that would direct visitors to other posts showing images of my art. It was a tough slog to set up with so many limitations but at least the info there was fresh. It did get lots of traffic also.
Now that I have set up this site with www.yola.com I can build and make the changes to the site myself when I want. Not only that but it takes seconds. Your website is free from start to finish. If you want to get picky and register your own name like I did it then costs you $19. a year for the name. The best part is if I can do this anyone can. It is a fast easy way to get a website that works. If you are an artist like myself you could be making updates with new work etc every second day or so. This is where a site like this is really handy. If a site never changes then who the hell wants to come back?
Anyway check them out www.yola.com
If You get on my contact list you can get updates every so often on new work and shows etc that I have coming up. These are titled LIVE ART NEWS IN AMERICA and go out every month or so. Keep up to date on new work, latest books and other funny stuff. Just to note I never sell or give out emails to anyone for any reason.
ph. 604-269-3500