SCREAM

 

If you step back and look at street art it’s a pretty basic medium. I enjoy the “in your face” approach and renegade approach the artists take it’s pretty amazing. I am in no way an expert of the form but I like that ballsy approach and not asking for permission to share your ideas. We need random acts of art; it ties us all together and doesn’t force us into galleries or shows to appreciate it.

Cottin Pick'n

Agriculture has always been a huge part of my life and in many ways shaped me. I remember my family using tools and tractors that predated us all to break the land and haul away its bounty’s and waste. One item that I remember fondly but gave little attention to was the cotton trailer. I remember my dad driving to remove it from his uncle’s barn a few hours away as a child and the day it took to bring it home in the hot summer sun. I remember it fondly being there in my childhood and serving its built purpose. I saw it last time I was home and forgotten how something so bulky and tall was actually quite the opposite. The wood has rotten the metal has lost its paint and given way to rust and grime but the beast still shows its able to carry its burden.

Flatlander

Flatheads Forever

I spy

Growing up with “do it yourselfer” parents I seem to have developed a sixth sense for spotting the beauty in discarded relics of Americana. I love old cars, homes, and a Sunday at the antique mall is pretty relaxing even if I can’t afford to buy all the neat things I come across. It’s fun to see how far we’ve come and what has and hasn’t changed to make our lives easier.  These are “unpicked” items in their natural environment and like most really great things this sight is slowly fading away.

Boy on Fire

Summer time always makes me want to eat BBQ. Something about the heat and smoke this time of year always draws me in. In addition to those tasty smoked meats I always like to see what advertising is out there to bring in the hungry travelers. Ruthie’s in Navasota, Texas always catches my eye when I’m passing through. I can only recall eating there once in my life and I couldn’t say it was the best or even good it’s been about twenty years so my opinion would be skewed. But the fact that the building, the business, and the signage are still up and running may indicate that it in fact is pretty damn good.  If you’re heading down Highway 105 stop in and see what’s going on at Ruthie’s it’s the season.

Home

If it’s true you can never go back and if it’s true that home is where the heart is then how does a nomad find his or her place in this world? We live in the gilded age of travel and connection and access; it’s no stretch for anyone to have multiple “homes” in their life these days. I recently decided to cast the wheels off my traveling road show and settle for a moment in my beloved Austin and I bought myself a home. It’s a bit of a project but as  am I and it’s fitting for who and what I see myself to be so I signed the papers spent the cash and I’m now a homeowner. Once I found myself knee deep in paperwork, emails, faxes, and phone calls I made a dash to my hometown for holiday and decided to stop at the very first home I lived in. My memory was unjust to the gables and stones the tin and wood  and warmth that home represented to my parents young family. I see my recent purchase and know that I may have left home but home never really left me.

Lucky

 

All things considered 2013 is shaping up to be a great year. I looked back at this little blog and realized I’ve been working on it for year now. In the beginning my goal was never to have a million followers or set the world on fire with my writing skills. I started this to share what I see and how I see the things that shape my life. I hope the folks who stumble upon my offerings appreciate what I do and I hope to be able to keep this up for another year.

The Devil is in the details.....

I’ve seen enough old cars to last anyone a lifetime. Yes my curiosity and unbridled obsession with automobiles has evolved past the basic appreciation into a weird neurotic hybrid of love and hate. I really don’t need to see the whole car at this point I’ve created my own game of “what personal touch” has this builder/owner done to their car. Its proven quite fun and pointing out the details is always a touching notion to the guy who had to lay awake in bed for weeks debating if this part or piece would work and if it would even be noticed. Recently Austin own Mark Ford added this fog light to his amazingly simple yet perfect deuce supported HEMI motivated Model A. At first glance it’s just a fog light but take note of the hand formed and hammered bracket the angle of the light matching the grill shell and Marks namesake factory etched in the housing and its soon apparent this wasn’t a basic add on for function. No sir this was well thought out and would go unnoticed unless you positioned yourself within eye shot of this basic illuminator; clean design and flawless layout is a complicated art.

The Blues

Lately I’ve been taking some inventory of places here in Austin that I’ve haunted since I’ve moved here in 2009. The alarming trend is that my favorite venues, bars, and restaurants seem to either be disappearing or moving. Now I don’t want to sound like I can’t accommodate change but one of my favorite musical venues has moved after the last SXSW.  Antone’s was one of 5^th streets last musical strongholds against the ever present threat of “bottle service” and Sports bars which have been launching covert attacks on the west side. No Antone’s place was all about the music and only time will tell if the new Eastside location will have such a regal presence as the downtown location once did.  

Roundup

I’m a pretty lucky guy…I live in one of the greatest cities in the world and it also happens to be ground zero for all things hot rod and kustom. I was going through some old photos and ran across some old LSRU pictures tonight.  One thing I do enjoy is watching cars go from barely legal (if at all) to fully blown pieces of rolling art. The little five window model A pictured here is a prime example of what persistence and dedication can accomplish. You can see where it is now here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275112&highlight=dreddybear and where it came from.

Go East youngman!

 

I’m a total sucker for East Austin; admittedly it’s something I wouldn’t argue even If I wanted to. Buy hey what’s not to like?  So this year during SXSW I spent the majority of my time bouncing between my regular haunts absorbing as much music as possible and enjoying my own “backyard”. After about the thirty seventh past one of the East 6th venues while attending the festival I noticed the “showrooms” painted façade had been eclipsed by shrubbery and it was hardly noticeable behind the unruly flora. So I dug out this old shot I took a few years after The Eastside Showroom had the wall painted because quit frankly I forgot what it looked like.

The Spoke

 

I know I’ve said it before but I really don’t do neon justice when I shoot it in black and white. Regardless what it does allow you to do is appreciate the design and creativity without being distracted by all the pretty lights. The Broken Spoke is and always will be an Austin landmark. Unfortunately South Lamar is turning into “condo canyon” but the Spoke will remain and hopefully retain some of that old Austin style.  If anything the neon will be a glowing reminder to all the California transplants some things can’t be nudged out.

Nailed

 

 

This looks fun, way too fun.

Uptown

Mark Kellers 1931 Ford RPU

Marble Falls, TX

Pitmaster

Last winter my sister graduated from college and to celebrate her accomplishment my family planned a party and BBQ. I come from a long line of “hands on do; it yourselfers” and this occasion was no exception. The small Hamlet of Washington Texas came out in full force to show their support and the pits were fired up for a country BBQ. Watching the matriarchs of the community move meat and fire may look archaic it’s very much a delicate ballet of skill and knowledge.

The Barn

Every interest or hobby has some starting point and looking back at my life I can say with confidence all my automotive dreams came from this barn. One of my earliest memories growing up in the country was the construction of the barn and watching it evolve. It has housed several projects and parts, antiques and junk. I really couldn’t imagine life without it and all the memories stored inside.

Simple

I hate technology, for the last few weeks I have been at the mercy of my computer. While I was trying to operate my day to day operations from a smartphone I started to ponder the simplicity of yesteryear.  Even advertising was simpler in the past and I do have a soft spot vintage add space and signage. This lovely piece belongs to Jeff from Sugar City Speed Shop and it’s a dead ringer for something hand painted 60 years ago. If you get the chance check out his website www.sugarcityspeedshop.com  you'll be glad you did.

New and Old

It’s a new year again and while everyone’s thinking about their resolutions I find myself thinking about the past. With every passing year the older cars become less and less available or forgotten cars are rediscovered and brought back to life. I think 2013 is going to be an exciting year and I’m anxious to see what pops up and what makes it back on the road. With all the good fortune that 2012 brought for some guys I sure hope 2013 brings a barn find for me, so I’m throwing some cosmic karma out there in hopes a nice 32 coupe lands in my lap this year. I shot this car last fall and to me it’s a perfect example of what a traditional 32 should look like. Happy New Year and hopefully the good graces of car fortune fall upon you all.