inspired by einstein

(this is a self portrait digital photo that i took in may 2010.

i'm sitting on my personally custom painted chair, in front of my barely started canvases 

that later turned into the mixed media masterpiece series.

inside of my san gregorio, ca historic live-in art studio/loft space. 

in other words, dream land.)

i'm having a really incredible week. my spirits are high and i have nothing but good vibrations shooting out of me towards all of my precious friends and family members that i care so much about -- many of whom are going through tough times. i'm very lucky to be having a fabulous week full of deep thought, inspiration, rewarding art and design projects, amazing people, epic sunsets, delicious fruits and vegetables, and warming weather. i love thinking and feeling for myself, enjoying nature, indulging in art, and researching whatever i want to know more about. with that in mind, i spent a good amount of time this morning reading over some famous albert einstein quotes to post on my facebook page to inspire my some of my struggling friends, as well as myself. for a while i was obsessed with him... he's so fucking genius. see some of my favorite einstein quotes below this "exploding thoughts" mixed media piece i made in 2005.

(this is a mixed media piece that i did years ago called "exploding thoughts." click here for details.)

I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. 


I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best both for the body and the mind. 


I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. 


I never think of the future - it comes soon enough. 


A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. 


A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy? 



A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy? 


An empty stomach is not a good political adviser. 


Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves. 


Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking. 


As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. 


Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish. 


Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater. 


Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. 


Everyone should be respected as an individual, but no one idolized. 


Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler. 



Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts. 


Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions. 


Imagination is more important than knowledge. 


Isn't it strange that I who have written only unpopular books should be such a popular fellow? 


It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.  


It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. 



Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.


Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. 


Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. 


Love is a better teacher than duty.




--thank you, Albert Einstein, for re-enforcing my sometimes seemingly radical thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and concepts on life. 

(this is another mixed media piece that i made years ago called, "life, death and disease." click here for details.)

later this afternoon, after thinking hard about a dream i had over the summer, which i may or may not have written anything about in previous posts on this blog, i stumbled upon a poem/personal note that i wrote february 27th, 2010:


"a night of thought"


what am i supposed to do
to be a part of this world?

how do i stay happy
and make others happy at the same time?
how do i fulfill my dreams
and fulfill the dreams of others?

how do i live life each and every day
and bring beauty, love, peace, and inspiration to people, plants, and animals?

how do i save myself
from falling into the disgusting black hole of society?

how can i live the life that i want to live
and do what i want to do
and make what i want to make
and be who i want to be?

how do i spread good vibes
spread love
spread serenity to everyone?

i want to live a good life
i want to be remembered
i want to put the future in my hands
and mold it like clay
into something amazing
into something beautiful

i want to save my family
i want to take care of my friends
i want to shelter all of the weak, poor, and hurt
from the frightening world around them

i want to love
and be loved
i want to see and be seen
hear and be heard
i want to be bold
brave
self sustained

i want to share my thoughts
and have people care

i want to be the most incredible, brilliant, serene dorey kronick that i can be
and prove to the world that i'm worthy of this life
of this earth, of this solar system

i want to make art
i want to paint
i want to sing
i want to be

i want to stand on a tall mountain and view the scenes below
i want to see the sunset everyday
and appreciate the skies above me

i want to know who i am
i want to save myself
i want to be appreciated

how do i do all of this?

i suppose that is the meaning of life.

travel far and wide and make yourself known

help people, help animals, help the planet

why do we ask ourselves these questions?

how do we get so enraptured in all of these little details?

it seems so much farther beyond survival
but maybe it's not...
maybe all of these things combined are survival

humans have progressed so far that we possess and continue to come up with these kinds of thoughts and ideas

we needed a way to organize it and categorize it

so, i guess, we did our best to do so

the system is certainly not perfect

but i certainly don't have a better idea of how to make it work.

i'm just playing a small part
in a big thing
a really big thing
or so it seems...

maybe when we die
we realize that this was all just a very small time period
life, that is -- our lives
and bigger, more important things -- like holding the universe together -- take over us

rocks, dust, gas, atoms, molecules, "dark matter"
that's what the universe and everything within it is made of anyways right?
right?

maybe i'll just become a single molecule
a very small piece of matter that holds other bigger things together
and my part will be to function with all the other molecules

i definitely can't be the only person who has these kinds of thoughts
can i?

we're all just confused beings in this crazy universe
someone tell me who has all the answers
because i'd certainly like to meet them
and have a conversation about all of this

so many questions...

crushing on boy bands. hard.

New 

Toro Y Moi 

Music video on Urban Outfitter's blog: 

"New Beat"

Plus you can stream the new album and read a shorty interview with Chadwick. 

[Rad-wick.] 

(I have no photos of my own of this band, so I borrowed this one from the Toro Y Moi blog. 

I hope this is okay. I really don't want to get in trouble, but I had to have a photo to accompany this blog post. Right? 

Go check out their bog to see a ton of great photos, hear songs, and watch videos <3)

I actually met Toro Y Moi for a brief minute last summer. Let me explain...


I've been shopping for clothes, art books, and misc. accessories at Urban Outfitters since the [re-made vintage, sometimes snobbish hipster] store first came into existence, when I was living in southern California in high school. (Sorry to sort of ever so qslightly be slandering UO if you like it or work there and sorry to bring it up at all if you don't care for it -- I know that people can be very opinionated about this store. I've gotten quite a bit of attitude from some of their employees at times, but some of their employees are way cool, and you have to admit, they carry some rad shit. I spend my money there anyways. And on the flip side, they have 5-10 free song downloads every Monday with some AMAZING musicians. So don't think too hard about it.) I started shopping online with them for their decent girly clothing sales and realized that they started coming out with free downloadable soundtracks once in a while, with some songs that they play in the stores. There were often a few pretty great songs and new artists that I hadn't heard of on their soundtracks. I discovered a lot of great bands this way and continue to spend many hours dancing alone in my room to these tunes.


"Blessa" by Toro Y Moi came on one of the spring/summer soundtracks and I immediately fell in love. My friend gave me an extra ticket to see the band Caribou with her in San Francisco, during the summer of 2010. I had already seen Caribou before and loved their music, so I was way down to see them again. The day before the show was actually the day I was first exposed to Toro Y Moi and it turns out they were opening for Caribou. I was stoked to say the least.


After seeing both bands, totally blissing out on the radical tunes and dancing my feet to the beats, I stuck around the venue to say hello and thank you to the bands while they were taking their equipment off the stage. I handed out some doreykronick.com stickers and smiled uncontrollably while speaking with the musicians. I love musicians...


Turns out Chadwick is also a Graphic Designer and only 24 years old (errr 23 at the time). The rest of his band is all about the same age. Heyyooo, that's my age too. Sweet. After being inspired and stoked to meet everyone, I went home and bought the album online and blasted it really loudly in my room and on my ipod for months while making art, biking to the beach, riding the Muni, etc. I'm excited that they're gaining some momentum in the industry and really drawing in a solid crowd. Gosh they're so cute... sparks flying all over the place. Too bad they probably get plenty of female attention as it is. I'll just have to enjoy them from a distance.


On a side note, the band of boys that I presently live with in San Francisco is still wonderful, inspirational, and magical:  

BATTLEHOOCH

(From left to right: Grant, Tom, Pat, Ben, Ryan, and AJ. Mmmmhhhmmm, I simultaneously have crushes on all of them.)

They've been compiling and editing all of their favorite footage from their adventures on their epic U.S. desolation tour, blogging, making new music videos, and sharing their written documented experiences all over the web. I've been very excited to see and hear about their travels, the people they met, the crowds they attracted, the places they saw, the things they did, and the overtly whacky, personalized stories that go along with all of their journeys around the states. 


My favorite music video from the tour is from their visit in Florida:


Watch "Honest" by Battlehooch



(((Also, on BATTLEHOOCH.com you can see all the other rad Desolation Videos under "What's New with Battlehooch" --- Desolation Show link --- which several of our close friends helped make, produce, edit, and put together. Thanks friends! Man, we're lucky to have such a talented and genius group of giving friends that support us all and our crazy endeavors. You can also see their other fun hangout videos and read about their tour @ the BATTLEHOOCH blog.)))


Speaking of Battlehooch -- I am so fucking lucky to know these guys. They're some of the best friends I have ever had. The group of eclectically-musically-talented and ridiculously-creative-thinking boys are not only some of the most quirky, entertaining people I know, that constantly make me laugh, smile, and remember the reason for my own existence -- but they're also some of the sweetest, most caring, genuine, thoughtful, humane, kind, and handsome dudes in San Francisco -- hands down. I don't know that I've ever lived in a household as loving and miraculous as this one. Not a single day goes by that I don't think about how incredible it is to have such amazing and true friends. Love seriously exudes out of my pores for these homies. I'm not psychic, but I foresee a very bright and fulfilling future for these guys as a band, and as human beings, as a whole. 


Thank you for being true friends and sources of inspirations to myself, all of our friends, and 20-something year old kids all over the Bay Area (and now the rest of the U.S., and soon, hopefully, Europe) Battlehooch. I mean that from the bottom of my paint-filled heart. 


I'll be a fan until the day I die.


Piecechow for life.


See Battlehooch on Feb. 25th, 2011 @ Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco for Noise Pop.


Heeeyyyoooo, they were even featured on the Upper Playground blog/site, see the photos taken at our house and at the beach, down the street from our house here.

(Ben blowing Grant's gorgeous hair in our living room with my dirty Vornado fan, while 

Ryan sniffs a candle on the couch behind them, and Tombo checks his phone. The artwork behind is by me [left, middle], Ryan [right, top], and then me + Dave Teichner [bottom, right -- appearing next to Grant's head.)

In terms of my own career in art and graphic design, ‎I'll be designing a line of holiday cards for Tiny Prints designs (to see their site, click here). I'll be doing Mother's and Father's Day cards. What would you want to tell your mom on Mother's Day? Or show her in a picture/graphic? Ideas are welcome to help the inspiration process! I'd love to hear your thoughts. 


My friends and I need to start our own Bay Area creative collective.... We all know way too many talented creative people with fabulous skills and knowledge to offer. How can we make this happen? Someone help! I have a plethora of sparkling ideas and I don't know how to get them all out into the physical world by myself.


And finally, a great quote for today, "Music is what feelings sound like," -- Unknown.

boooooooooooom

booooooom is one of my favorite blogs to follow. ever.

several recent reasons why:


“Wore It Deep” by The Tree Ring (a beautiful song with a beautiful heavenly music video to accompany it)

“Howl” by James Delay (a very rad beat that i woke up to this morning and watched the video to)

Drawings by Luca Mantovanelli (crazy epic drawings of male orgasm faces combined with colorful birds)

“Love Lost” by Temper Trap (a great song with a somewhat unexpectedly hilarious music video)

“Appointment in Samarra” by Paul Thomas Saunders (a heart felt acoustic song that'll suit you well if you're alone)

Works by artist Shannon Rankin. Maps, pins, glue. (inspirational and incredible wall art made out of maps)

oh man.... there are so many more. just check out the blog for yourself. it's way better than mine. maybe some day i'll be able to be a part of their blog or create an epic blog myself of equal value. thanks for all the inspiration, art, photos, music, and design booooooom <3 you're one of my reasons for living.

poem time

today, i'm posting poems that i previously wrote on other days.

the first following poem is dedicated to my dream boy. i haven't met him yet, but when i do, i'll let you know. the rest of the poems are random. welcome to my life, my head, and my dreams.

you....

you mellow me out

you make me feel

you make me want to turn to steel

you sing me songs

you write me notes

you feed me cheese that's made from goats

you hold my hand

you kiss my cheek

you stroke my hair

and massage my feet

you make my life

you melt my brain

you love my soul

and stand out in the rain

you go with me

wherever i go

and help me dear

because you just know

you're in it with me

thin or thick

living this life

making time tick

you cry with me

you smile at my face

you manage to make something out of this place

and every time that you are near

i feel there is nothing i need to fear

how is it...

how is it

that all i need

is a cup of tea

and a bowl of weed

a spoon full of honey

a tiny flame

a pinch of cinnamon

and we're in the game

sometimes coffee

sometimes a jog

sometimes a beach walk

or a seat on a log

a notepad

a pen

my thoughts

and the sky

the ocean

the birds

i think i know why

the sand

and the sun

my heart and my soul

with all of these things

fall in the black hole

oh love...

oh love

don't be afraid

be happy

be kind

be well

oh love

don't forget

who you are

who you want to be

who you were

be love

for love is all there is

and love is all there will ever be

i guess i'm floating

(I found this photo on Cozmo Fox Owlsop's facebook page. And love it.)

The title of this blog post was inspired by a rad website that was posted by a previous drawing teacher from SJSU on facebook titled "I guess I'm floating." The point of her post was essentially to watch this killer skateboard video with a new Panda Bear song linked to it. This song pretty much made my day the other day. Plus there is a super amazing playlist on the right side of that page, so check it out if you're lacking musical inspiration and need some new tunes in your life... I've been listening to it now for 2 days. Sweet amazingness. 

(This is what you can expect to see me looking like on a typical day in San Francisco in my bedroom.)

My art was featured in grae's magazine this week by surprise. I don't know the girl who started it/runs it, but she somehow found me and said she's been following my art on the web. What a lovely feeling <3 I'm proud to be a featured artist on their site, and encourage everyone to check it out.


Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), by Arcade Fire, saved me from thinking that I'm the only person on this planet who feels this way lately, and pulled chords on my heart like no other song usually does. I listened to this song on repeat for about 48 hours straight and I'm still obsessed. I can't get over it. At least read the lyrics if you don't care for the band:


They heard me singing and they told me to stop,
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock,
These days, my life, I feel it has no purpose,
But late at night the feelings swim to the surface.
Cause on the surface the city lights shine,
They're calling at me, "come and find your kind."

Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small,
That we can never get away from the sprawl,
Living in the sprawl,
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains,
And there's no end in sight,
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights.

We rode our bikes to the nearest park,
Sat under the swings, we kissed in the dark,
We shield our eyes from the police lights,
We run away, but we don't know why,
And like a mirror these city lights shine,
They're screaming at us, "we don't need your kind."

Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small,
That we can never get away from the sprawl,
Living in the sprawl,
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains,
And there's no end in sight,
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights.

They heard me singing and they told me to stop,
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock.

Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small,
Can we ever get away from the sprawl?
Living in the sprawl,
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains,
And there's no end in sight,
I need the darkness someone please cut the lights.


This song, Helicopter, by Deerhunter, is also insanely beautiful and magical. 

And in case you were wondering what I've been doing lately, other than indulging in amazing music, staring at inspiring SF sunsets, snuggling warm-hearted friends, thinking too hard, sleeping so much, and dreaming my life away... I've recently been asked to create some designs for the new line of No Enemy clothing -- for men's, women's, and kid's sweatshirts, as well as women's t-shirts. The line will be all California inspired, as No Enemy is an all organic, made, produced, dyed, and manufactured in California company. I'll be sure to post links as soon as the designs are finished and the clothes are available for sale on the No Enemy website :) I'm very, very stoked to be a part of No Enemy, and very excited to be sharing my designs with the masses <3


I'm also currently finishing up designs for two separate wine labels, and look forward to sharing those as well, later this year. 


What else?


I posed naked for the semi-famous SF photographer Merkley??? (Google him if you're curious or scared about what I just said, and let me tell you, from the bottom of my heart, not to worry, because it was a very cool experience and a classic artistic endeavor to be involved in.) The tasteful, collaberative and creative final picture will be available for sale as poster size prints, as well as in the upcoming book of his newest series involving 111 girls and dreams on 11.11.11 @ 111 Minna Gallery in SF. 


During November/December 2010, I was working as a Design Associate for a modern print design firm in SF -- Minted.com, and as soon as that ended, I was hired to take a bunch of photos for a new restaurant's website -- Pasion, in SF. For about a week, I was waiting tables there, but thank goodness, that didn't last long, and I'm back in the freelancing creative art/design game. Each and every day of my life I'm finding how much I truly appreciate my personal life style, values, and passions. My individuality is very important to me... possibly even more important than I realize.  


Conclusion to all of this:  I'm basically making it a point to get involved in any and all creative projects that I'm personally asked to be a part of. Why not?! My friends and supporters mean the world to me. The people who appreciate my talents and inspiration are who keep me going. Any projects that I believe in, I will stand up for. 


With that said, unfortunately, I did not make this piece myself, but I stumbled upon it online while googling photos of bears and found this, and LOVE IT: check out this rad street art of a bear and some wolves.


Oh yeah, and finally, one more music video of a band/musician that I was fortunate to see and meet during the summer of 2010: "Still Sound" by Toro y Moi.


Annnndd one more epic quote to finish off this much overdue blog post, thanks to Kelly Hackett:

"Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives... and to the ‘good life,’ whatever it is and wherever it happens to be." 
-- Hunter S. Thompson

there is never one answer

"sometimes we are filled inside with everything that is on the outside of us," i said yesterday.


"our surroundings [environmentally, atmospherically, internationally, universally, spacially, emotionally...] and the people amongst us influence who we are and what fills us as individuals - consciously and subconsciously."


i am constantly putting new and unique puzzles together with pieces and images that would not have necessarily fit or met if i hadn't have introduced them by cutting them out of separate sources [magazines, books, cards, flyers, catalogues, internet print outs... all regarding different subject matters... which can all in some shape or form, be put into one piece of art with paints of different kinds and become a whole, unified, single, solid composition with a varied complex un-entirely agreed upon explanation of sorts. everyone will come up with their own meanings, comprehensions, and verified conclusions for each work of art themselves. 


there is never one answer. 


this is the beauty of art and the beauty of being human.


maybe beauty is the wrong word. but it's something.


we teach monkeys and gorillas how to write. we practice how to understand and study things. do other animals? why is education so focused on narrowed, pre-selected, and often uncreative information and curriculum? no other animal uses written language or numbers to live their life by. [or do they?] the human race seems focused on the wrong things. our feelings, instincts, and natural tendencies are often forced to be repressed. we pretend to "set things in stone" by writing, signing papers, electronically transferring information, numbers, words, laws, rules, regulations, etc. animal "laws" (if you can even call them that) do not have a written, signed constitution. not to say that it's a free for all either - but to some extent - animals just know because of their instincts, and if they don't, they can die, and nature handles it. of course, with human intervention - because we're some kind of crazy breeding, over-populating, possessive, intrusive, invading, convinced, congregational species - we're chemically, and dominatingly taking over and controlling the earth and it's inhabitants. not just the animals -- although they're highly affected -- but also the plants, soul, natural, resources, water, rocks, mountains, oceans, sand, everything. we're an invasive species in so many set up ways. 


i'm a contributor.


why a human? why not another animal? or a bug? or a plant? why a female? why am i a human female?


i'll let you know when i figure it out.

i tell my troubles to the ocean

i tell my troubles to the ocean
i point my chin up to the sky
i tell my problems to the ocean
the ocean never asks me why


i cleanse my soul
i salt my heart
dip my feet into the sand
i try to forget all frustrations
and just enjoy my time on land


i cry to release my sorrows
all my fears and all regret
i tell the ocean everything
for the ocean does not fret


i sail the surface
i flow with the tide
i try to relax and just appreciate the ride
why even try to hide?
when i can just learn to take pride
and allow all of my feelings that are deep inside
to be tried
why not let them be my guide?
and remain in stride
to confide
i just sighed, but i never lied
sometimes i think i just died


i tell my troubles to the ocean

Recognize

"Think more about the Earth every day. Look up, beyond our own creations.
Recognize the beauty that's always around us.
Recognize the beauty of uniqueness.
Recognize that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and that we all have
that ability to behold it no matter our circumstance.

Recognize truth and honor it.

Recognize life and the responsibility that we have to preserve it."

Or, just
"RECOGNIZE."

- Ian Folke Svenonius

Holy-Daze

I'm far behind on blogging. I got a seasonal full-time job as a design associate for minted.com (check it out). I'll be employed there until approx. Dec. 31st, 2010. Until then, there will definitely be a lack of blogging on my part :( 


Regardless, I finished up my holiday gifts & crafts series for my website! (Click on the gifts & crafts text in the previous sentence to view more than just what you see below.)

I started making my first drift wood animal series during last year's holiday season (2009), while I was living in San Gregorio, CA (a tiny, tiny town in the coastal boonies just off of HWY 1, in between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, CA). Living in the "country" for the first time in my life, I was constantly seeing more birds, rodents, and other various animals than ever before. Being pretty strapped for cash, I wasn't really able to go shopping for gifts, or even really buy art supplies to make people things with. 


I resorted to the beach, just a mile away from my house, and collected cool pieces of drift wood to paint on, instead of canvases.


Being an artist, and having way too many broke friends who still want to invest monies in my artwork, I figured making small pieces of art, that cost me virtually no money to make, would be the perfect plan. 


On a crazy drive, on a quiet, cutty, deserted, old stage coach road (Stage Rd), late one night, a barn owl was stopped in the middle of the road by this house that always had a huge rusted metal sculpture of a skeleton holding a massive machine gun in front of it. I always got weird vibes driving by that house, and this particular night, I got the chills. We had to stop the car, in the middle of the road, as the barn owl wasn't even looking at us. After about a minute with it's head turned away from us, it slowly turned it's head to stare us down. We shared a heavy gaze for what seemed like a long time, but was probably only a few second, until it flew a few feet away from the road, letting us pass. 


I went home later, and started looking up barn owl photos online. I had to draw a barn owl. The first owl drawing I did was later pasted on the first piece of painted drift wood that I had done.


The drift wood animal series began.


I started drawing other animals on paper, then taking pictures of them, putting them on my computer, changing the sizes of them, printing them out, making multiple copies, then watercoloring/ink-washing them, and pasting them onto other painted pieces of drift wood. I'd coat the pieces in lacquer, put hanging devices on them, and started adding them to my website and facebook for sale. I sold them all by the end of December.


This year, I did a few new animals. One is an image of a blue whale, with thoughts in mind of the blue whale and it's unborn baby that got washed up on Bean Hollow State Beach a few months ago. I posted them online less than two days ago and have already sold several :) They make great holiday presents, wall hangings, x-mas tree ornaments and toppers, etc.... 


I'll probably be giving some out as gifts <3


In the mean time, John Lennon was shot 30 years ago today. On that note, imagine...

Cosmic Force

i often wonder what i'm doing here

where i am

where i've been

where i'm going

a questionable life this can be at times

especially when you're just being moved by the world

moved by the planets

moved by the stars

by the sky and the moon...

haven't you realized that you have no control over your own life?

Some Poems Written in November 2010

art heart

and sometimes my heart bleeds out of my hands

onto paper

onto canvas

onto wood

blood in different colors

and textures and styles

bright yellows blues and greens

i feel weird

i feel weird

i feel fine

i feel like i've lost my mind

i lose myself in moments and time

i lose myself in songs and rhyme

i forget what i'm doing

i forget who i am

i forget where i'm going

i forgot my plan

am i losing my edge

am i losing my scene

i think i forget what it is to be mean

how do i be who i want to be

how do i figure out exactly how to see

forward motion is what i want

forward motion is what i need

and whatever will be will really be

my mind and heart are what i need to feed