Skate Rats 101

Skate Rat Vault Files 01, circa '92 from Quinn Davis on Vimeo.

Skate Rock(s)

Early shot of Matt Pailes (pre-rasta-affliction) at a Think demo on Bainbridge Island circa '95. Backside 180 over ramp-to-ramp, it's a make. I think this is probably my first skate photo ever taken, on my old trusty Pentax Asahi. (RIP) I need to find the negative so I can get an un-scrapbooked version up. I always liked this foto.

This is back in the day where you would actually skate with guys at a demo, not the sidelined spectacles they do nowadays. I made a frontside 180 over that thing, happy at the time, only to be chagrined at having shinsplints for the month following. Adrenaline is bliss.

EMBRACE THE CHAOS

I am sometimes told I focus too much on violence in my art. I can't help it. It's like dreams, in that it comes from somewhere inside and yet presents itself to me.

I depict it in order to address it, to process it, to understand it, and to never forget or become numb to it. It's my therapy while living in a mad world. I just hope that ultimately it's not seen as negative. I actually have a lot of optimism, for a cynic...

Pop Rally

Falling behind with material. 

From the Rally To Restore Sanity, in Seattle at Westlake.
Kinda weird going there to watch a mega-flatscreen in the rain.
Always good to see McDermott.

AS LONG AS YOU DON'T SELL IT, IT'S OKAY.

Every once in a while, it pays to steal ideas, copying them as close as possible, to learn technique or form or whatever. I'm just lucky I don't have to replicate out The Great Gatsby or For Whom The Bell Tolls to feel the work of my fellow craftsmen.

Drawn proudly from Kyle MacNaughton's concept sketch work for Out of Picture 2.

Vermicious Knid??

Drawing can get weird when you lack a reference. 

Marriage of Figaro

"The suspense is terrible... I hope it'll last."

Pretty hyped on this right now.

Trentmoller live featuring Ane Trolle

"Moan"

STILL HANGIN' ON

Been building back up my Photoshop Skillz lately, it's such a powerful program...good opportunity to fix up old work that needs it. Will be posting some more here soon.

SLOWLY GETTING MY GROOVE BACK

On the way to Ozette...

One Leaf

CLICK BELOW FOR CHANGE...

(WARM)

IT JUST GOT STUCK IN MY HEAD LAST NIGHT, DUNNO WHY....

Pop music is soooooo infectious!!!

Efficiency and progress is ours once more
Now that we have the Neutron bomb
It's nice and quick and clean and gets things done
Away with excess enemy
But no less value to property
No sense in war but perfect sense at home:

The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight

Gonna
Kill kill kill kill Kill the poor: Tonight

Behold the sparkle of champagne
The crime rate's gone
Feel free again
O' life's a dream with you, Miss Lily White
Jane Fonda on the screen today
Convinced the liberals it's okay
So let's get dressed and dance away the night

While they:
Kill kill kill kill Kill the poor: Tonight

Happy Nov. 2nd

I drew this around the time I almost got flunked out of art class in high school for refusing to salute the flag every morning. I still feel like this watching the election results, some many years later.

Gabba Gabba Halloween

It was a (mostly*) candyless night, but still managed to get spooky. (My face in the mirror later that night...) The Rawmones put on a fun little show. *Thanks for the Bazooka Bubblegum.

VERT-I-GO

 

I once considered trying out for the Blue Man Group. That lasted for about a day and then I was normal again.

"Hell does not last forever"

"I have more faith in Hitler than anyone else. He alone has kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people."

This book never gets easier, and it sure took me longer to finish this round. But it's a necessary road.

"I remember: it happened yesterday, or eternities ago. A young Jewish boy discovered the Kingdom of Night....and now the boy is turning to me. "Tell me," he asks, "what have you done with my future, what have you done with your life?" And I tell him that I have tried. That I have tried to keep the memory alive, that I have tried to fight those who would forget. Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.

And then I explain to him how naive we were, that the world did know and remained silent. And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.....when human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant."

~Excerpt from Elie Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, 1986 

And a point goes to the Obama Administration...

Gotta give credit where it is due.

Settlement is Reached in Keepseagle Case

USDA, DOJ settle case brought by Native American farmers alleging racial discrimination.

Compiled by staff 

Published: Oct 20, 2010

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder have settled another class action lawsuit filed against USDA. This suit, the Keepseagle case, was filed by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by USDA. The settlement generally covers the period 1981-1999. Under the settlement agreement, $680 million will be made available to eligible class members to compensate them for their discrimination claims. President Obama called the agreement an important step forward in remedying USDA's unfortunate civil rights history.

Two payment "tracks" are available. Under the first track, persons who meet the class definition and provide substantial evidence of discrimination to an impartial adjudicator will receive a uniform settlement of up to $50,000. The second track is for those persons who meet the class definition and believe they have stronger evidence of economic losses caused by discrimination. This track requires a higher evidentiary standard and damage awards are capped at a maximum of up to $250,000 per individual.

In addition, the agreement provides up to $80 million in debt forgiveness to successful claimants with outstanding USDA Farm Loan program debt. The settlement also provides a broad range of programmatic relief for Native American farmers, including creation of a new Federal Advisory Council for Native American farmers and ranchers.

President Obama says this settlement underscores the federal government's commitment to treat all citizens fairly. In light of that he urged Congress to implement the settlements of the Pigford II lawsuit*, brought by African American farmers, and the Cobell lawsuit, brought by Native Americans over the management of Indian trust accounts and resources. The President says his administration is also working toward a resolution of claims made by women and Hispanic farmers against USDA.


*Note: A similar settlement was reached for African American farmers earlier this year, but Republicans have blocked the funds.

I left the girl there...

A daily remembrance...daily lesson.

 

 

Muddy Road

 

Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling together down a muddy road. A heavy rain was still falling.
Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.
"Come on, girl" said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"