The belated blog. Well.....here we go, my first blog, EVER !
If you're here, then you’ve probably been to the 10,000 things web page, and you're curious about what the hell I'm up to. So a quick recap is in order.
I have my 21 ft. aRt-V, loaded with tools, and supplies, ready to go, hopefully. I'm starting out minus a hot water heater, and propane powered fridge. , don't know if the propane heater, or entire propane system for that mater is working. But I've got the fresh water system up, new house batteries, house lights, all my tools on board, and warm weather ahead.
My first stop will be the D.L. Blake Museum of Contemporary Art. The collection consisting of my body of work, piled in the corner of a storage space in my friends’ house, (thanks Joie and Ivan!). Located in beautiful Haysville, NC. Viewing by invitation, and appointment only.
I’ll probably spend the summer and fall in my old musical stomping grounds of the Blue Ridge Mnts., and Southern Calf. for winter.


Now, on to the “Glitch Section”.
After my son and I went through the house, cleaning top to bottom. It became apparent after conversations with my landlord, (a lawyer, moan….) that I’m “eligible” (her word) to receive my deposit back, 30 days after I move out. Yeaaa, I’m also “eligible” to receive Publishers Clearing House grand prize!
I had forgotten that I had given here 2 months rent up front ,to get the rent lowered. There was also some miscommunication about when I notified her about my moving. Obla dee, obla daa, I moved out the middle of the month, got a months rent + half of the deposit. Check in hand I said sneeze ya later, and hit the road.




Shortly after leaving Jacksonville FL. On 4-6-10, with all of my worldly belongings, I made it all the way to Macon, GA before blowing, not one, but both head gaskets. (For the non-car speakers out there, my engine had a major boo – boo).
Given the option of being stranded in Macon, or limping, crawling, and cajoling the aRt-Vee to lake Chatuge on the GA. NC. Border, where a free use lake front apartment awaited me, the choice seemed obvious.
So for the next two days I traveled the back roads of Ga. at the leisurely pace of, 25 – 30 miles an hour. Using an obscene amount of gas in my 11,000 lb, 10 mpg on its best day, motor home.
On further inspection I found other problems, which required either a replacement engine, or a rebuild. Not being able to find a suitable engine, I opted for the re-build. Though I’m capable of doing the said re-build, and had most of the tools needed with me. I had no place to pull the engine, and do what the Engine Elf’s wouldn't’t do for me. So I made a deal with a little Hot Rod shop/garage, to use their lot, they would do the old in and out on the engine, doing the rebuild myself. A major hit to my already meager finances.
During my down time I was having trouble finding my Artist switch to turn on the creative flow. I did finally manage to reach it and did about 130 paintings, bringing the total to 951. I set up one day each, in Hayesville NC, Murphy NC, and Clayton Ga. Placing about 150 painting between the 3 small towns.
By mid July, all was said and done, and I was on my way. Headed up to Fairview NC. (Just S.E. of Asheville). Where my friends who own the lakefront house had their home, (A special thanks to my saviors, Joie and Ivan).
So here I am in A Wal-Mart parking lot for the night in Ashville (thanks Wally). I’ll scope out A’ville for potential set up spots tomorrow.
Interesting mix here at Wal-Mart, for those not in the know, most Wally’s allow over night parking for travelers. The Corporate thought being, that the travelers, mostly assumed to be R.V.ers will buy their road needs from the store, and for the most part, this works out well.
But I’m finding most over nighters, (at least here) are homeless van and car dwellers. Some, notably the van folks, live this way by choice. Others living in cars, some of which barely run, are obviously homeless by circumstance. It gives the whole scene a bit of a “Grapes of Wrath” over tone. One wonders what the future of our economy, and country will lead to. I may find myself in an enviable position, with a self contained, 21 ft., 10 mpg place to call “home”.
Aug. 23, 2010.

7-24
While checking out places to set up In Asheville, I noticed the dread smell of gasoline in the aRt-Vee, so I grabbed the fire extinguisher, and pulled the engine cover of the hot engine as fast as I could. Hoping to avoid the horrific mishap of a fire, and possible explosion, in the large box containing everything I own, including some 600 Paintings. There was a gas pond on top of the hot engine, the carburetor had flooded big time, and the heat pressurized gas line was about to ruin my day, week, month, etc, etc. but I was able to vent the explosive fumes from the coach by opening all of the doors and windows. For a few moments there I was a rolling bomb!
After letting every thing cool for a while, I took the carburetor apart to find the problem. It was loaded with dirt, and crud. Which was surprising since I had rebuilt it only six weeks ago.
Turns out that there was no fuel filter! At some point someone had taken it off and replaced it with just a rubber line, what were they thinking? (Shucks these here motor homes got all kinds of extra stuff on em)?
To make matters worse, I noticed that I was in, “the hood” across the street from the beer, wine, and cigarette store. It was getting late and this was no place for a white boy in a broken down motor home. So I slapped it back together with a quick fix and got someplace where I could do a permanent repair.

7-25
Spent the morning making that permanent repair, and adding a fuel filter. This seams to be more of an adventure in auto repair, than an artistic endeavor.
I didn’t get a good vibe the whole time I was in A’ville. Not the Asheville I knew from ten years ago at all. It seems to have become Too main stream, lacking the Bohemian spirit, sanitized if you will.. Gone are the free spirits that used to roam the streets drumming, dancing, and displaying themselves with unabashed pride. Not the “freakville of the S.E.”, as it was known some ten years ago. Replaced by commercial upscale eateries, and a little park, conveniently located between the police dept, and city hall, (yes, the laser eyed silver peeping monkeys ARE watching!)
Imposable parking, especially for a22 ft. M.H. All spaces are 2-hour time limits, at $0.25 for 15 minutes.
What’s a visitor to do with that kind of time limitation? Dodge traffic to spend a few stolen moments at an over priced Bistro, watching other tourist dodge traffic, to grab a look in an equally over priced boutique? Then share in the race to beat the omni present meter readers in their over priced Golf carts, as they look to generate funds for the “New Asheville”?
The cities hopes of becoming a Mecca for the arts seems to have been miss directed. The “River Arts District” is stalled in the state of development of ten years ago. When you either try to corral free spirited people, off chase them off, I guess the new A’ville is what you get.
By chance I needed more protective sleeves that I put the paintings in (no, not art condoms!). No sports card shops were to found in Asheville, so I had to journey 25 miles to Hendersonville for them. To my surprise H’ville had changed in those 10 years also. What was once primarily an antiques town was now full of coffee shops, art galleries small theaters and excited young people. On a Thurs, afternoon the streets were alive with people. Enjoying comfortable walks on main St. With very few parking meters, only signs suggesting a 3 hour limit. The energy of the community seemed quite different from A’ville. There had always been a bit of a competition between the two for the tourist dollar. Hendersonville being a much smaller, and pedestrian friendly downtown.
So here I sit, boondocking behind K Mart, planning to explore downtown tomorrow for good setup spots.

7 – 26
I had forgotten about the H’ville Apple festival, very big deal in these parts. Back in the day, I set up with my Jug Band, “Hoot & Holler” on a street corner for the fest, one year. And hey, it’s next weekend!
Think I’ll scope a spot just outside the paying vendors aria, and come back then, to share my art with H’ville.
I’m heading back over to Fairview, hoping to get 60 or so pieces done this week.
The Alien cartoons have really started to take over a lot of my creative time. Pretty strange, considering I hadn’t drawn a cartoon in my life, until about two months ago! But hey, what’a ya gonn’a do? Art goes where it goes; I’m just trying to keep up.

8-2
Well the Apple Fest starts tomorrow (Fri.), think I’ll head over today, so I can set up first thing in the morning. It’s supposed to kick off with a breakfast, but Fridays at an in-town fest. are usually pretty slow until early afternoon.
And my first big mile stone, the art count now stands at 1003 !!

8-3
Grabbed a bit of breakfast, (the BK breakfast muffin, full size, sausage, egg, and cheese for $1.00, is THE deal by the way!)
Miss guessed the start time, got here at 9:00 and the lot I was hoping to park in, and set up next to the art-v was full! As were all of the street spaces. After about 20 min. of driving around I got a spot in a metered lot. Cheap enough, .25 for 30 min. no time limit. So I popped in 4 hours worth, and set up in front of the federal bldg. a block from the main festivities.
Very, very, slow start! A fair number of people were going by, from the parking lot to the fest. But by 1:00 PM I had only placed 1, that’s ONE piece of art! It’s like I had set up at a cultural cretins festival, very discouraging!
My time was almost up on the meter, so I ran over to feed it, and had a ticket for over time, with time still on the meter!
I happen to see the meter maid on her little Segway scooter, and confronted her. She said confidently that the meter showed expired when she wrote the ticket 40 min. after I had dropped 4 hrs. in it’s thirsty little mouth. And when I pointed out that I still showed 5 min. time at that point? She just shrugged her shoulders and went about her business. No doubt looking for other out of state motor homes, that wouldn’t bother to come back to town to fight a bogus $10.00 ticket, what a scam!
Total for the day, 15 pieces, and $11.00 in donations. But hey it’s only Fri. I’ll be here 2 more days. I’m not sure how I feel about that, at this point.

8-4


Arrived at 7:30, yes AM. I had forgotten that such a time existed; my world doesn’t even START until 8:30, at the earliest!
I did luck out and get a premo parking spot next to my set up for $5.00, and I can stay over night, ready for Sunday, Sundayyyy……
(vague reference to old radio racing commercial).
A perfect day for the fest., to perfect in fact. The crowds are over the top, mooooving down Main st. like a bunch of cattle. So crowded, that some people make it to the main though affair, turn around and leave. I feel for the vendors set up there, sales are almost non-existent in that situation.
Even with the massive number of people, I have, MAYBE 1-2% interaction with those I try to engage. (Would you like a piece of free Art, would you like an original work of Art, donations accepted. Hey you! Culturally un aware, back woods cretin, open your mind to Art and live a little! Donations accepted, but not expected.) He said with a smooth southern voice, and charming smile.
After 10 hours, and 4627 forced smiles, I managed to provide 25 works, with an average $.75 donation.
While donations have nothing to do with my motivation for the project, the economic reality is, that I gott’a eat folks! And at 6’ 1”, 190lbs, the starving Artist is not my path of choice.
So much for Sat. at the Hendersonville Apple Festival, there’s always Sun., groan………

8-5
Sun. morning, in the Bible belt, is as expected a little slow.
Another perfect day though, the crowed is smaller, much nicer for everyone.
I’m getting a little better interaction rate, but the donations are about the same.
One highlight that salvaged the weekend though; a young woman with her two little nieces came by. The older of the two, about 7, eyes widened when she saw the art, as she exclaimed “ I LOVE ART!” As she was storming through the pages, she commented how much she liked abstracts, asking, “That is what they call it abstract, right?” “I like it because you can see all kinds of things in it!” At the same time she was pointing out pieces to her little sister, ones she knew she would like, the comic Aliens, Grandma Suse landscapes, (kind of a Grandma Moses/ Dr. Suse line of “ Where the hell did that come from?”) She was most articulate, like talking to a teenager, well an intelligent teenager, (they DO exist, I’ve seen them).
Placed 30, same average donation. I’m thinking of changing my approach from “Free Art, donations accepted”. To, “Be part of the 10,000 things project, donations accepted”. Total placement is about 400.
Back to Fairview, that was all the fun I could stand.

8-20
The count is up to 1072.
I went to Asheville today, to set up at the “1000 Easels” project. 200 artists were supposed to be set up around downtown, engaged in their respective mediums. The Idea being to create a painting, drawing etc. in 3 hours, demonstrating to Joe Public and his lovely wife Re, the diversity and number of artist in A’ville. About 100 showed up, and were dispersed so far apart, that the whole concept got lost, as did the group of artist. The turn out was low, not surprising, considering the advertising consisted mainly of e-mailing members of the arts council and a mention on Yahoo groups. At this point I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves, “ So why would they call it, “The 1000 easels project”? I know why I call it, “The 10,000 things project”.

8-23
I put together a pretty good flea market load for this weekend, between the weighty stuff on the art-v that I wont use (stove oven combo, over sized propane furnace, and huge propane tank to supply them. And a bunch of un-wanted odds and ends that friends had lying around. With the low donation rate I’m seeing, I need to start looking at income sources just to survive. I had hoped that the average would run about $2 - 2.25. Setting up 2 – 3 days at a time every couple of weeks, placing between 40 and 50 a day, would keep me going, if I did a minimal amount of driving (getting about 8 mpg in the mountains).
At any rate, there won’t be much going on around here until the leaves start changing, and it brings the fall tourist up into the Mountains. Looking forward to the explosion of sensory wonders, the smell of colors, the sound of musical leafs under foot. I really enjoy this time of year, and haven’t had the pleasure for some time.
Looks like my plans for a balmy winter in southern Az / Calf. are in the wind. I’ll probably do a remodel on the lake house Apt. while living there over the winter. Also thinking about doing Christmas, wreaths, laurels, etc. out of high country, Spruce Pine and Holly. There are ample supplies of both in these parts, even some Mistletoe.

01/02/11

Well the whole holiday, "let's make some money so we can move on" thing, didn't quite work out! No seasonable jobs in Asheville, the wreaths I made, might as well have been decorated with pustules of bubonic plague. After selling only two, I decided my work would be better served as gifts to who ever I meet on the 24th.
But come spring I'll have the money from the re-model, to at least get me down the road.
And I have some art sold to cover my engine, and room & board debts.
My Mom (79 years young) who has moved around the country as much, if not more than I have, has decided that she wants to move back out west from NC.
I told her that considering her age, (and mine) that this would be her last big move, so make it count!
She wants to move to Benson, AZ. NOW! But I convinced her to wait awhile until I could get my finances in order. So come April or May, it'll be westward HO!
05/10/11
well here it is mid - May, I'm up to 1500 pieces, I've made a little money doing / teaching body work (auto).
Moms plans have been held up, so it looks like early June for our departure west. Yea boy, southern AZ in the summer, fryin eggs on the pathway of my twisted travel plans!
I've found that there isn't much in Benson, including low cost housing. So I've convinced mom to consider Tucson, more opportunities for her, and me, should I have to stay close to her at some point.
The remodel has been done, and I'm anxious to roll on down the road !

Is anyone else tired of no love? I’d much rather know love, than to have known love. Known love, is forgotten love, I want to remember love.

I think I knew love, but then I think, “ if I truly knew love, or if I knew true love, would I have forgotten love?”

Has the softness of its’ discovery been eroded by the coarseness of its’ loss? Is mine the only poets soul trampled by its’ leaving, or scared by its’ visit?

Has love changed its’ color, its’ tempo? Can I not see it, or feel its’ passing?
Was I blinded by it, so as to never see it again?

Welcome to Eigmaville
land of leaf blowers and lawn vac's.
Where we buy our water in jugs
and dirt in sacks.

We give last years clothes to those
who live out'a bags.
And stop by wally world
to pick up a bag'o'rags.

We get down on our knees
to pull the flowering weeds.
And spend our saturday hours
plant'n wild flowers.

D.L. Blake

Those who seek bigger gardens often end with weeds
Those who seek better gardens start with better seeds


If guns are outlawed,
only outlaws will shoot
themselfs in the foot


In a village of idiots
the smartest man is still an idiot


Hit the stock market
and play the odds.
Here's to the corporate christ
and all the plastic pocket gods.


We're surrounded by
laser eyed silver peeping monkeys !


Life; controlled chaos,
or cosmic conspiracy ?


Inner jurnies
have the highest hurdles


Growing up is a childhood
of new freedoms


It's only hard to find
what you're looking for.


A cold wind blows through
the torn fabric of my soul.


Hollywood, D.C.


You can plant your seeds on fertil soil.
Nourish them with sweat and toil.
Throw in everything but the kitchen sink.
You can lead a whore-to-culture
but you can't make her think.


The unmistakable rattle of rat shit
as it dances up the vacuum hose of life.


Smiles above the clouds of life


Life's a dance if you listed to the music.


How great a gift to have good friends
that are good people.


Some people are so busy looking for
the silver lining
That they just don't see the rain


Reason jumps out the window
when the lawyers walk through the door.


Beware the naked ape
he wears no shoes
he gives no clues
he pays no dues
his hart has tattoos
he sings the blues.


Demons hide behind their own walls


People seldom fall forward when they make a mistake


High achievements based on low expectations


Cosmic pinball


Frog fast and rat dog ready


While there is no doubt, that God made flies,
I am of equal confidence that the devil
tells them what to do.


Sometimes your day job is a nightmare


It's not that I don't want to do the right thing
I just don't want to do it right now.


NO DAY LACKS LEARNING


Ain't nuthing wrong with Nascar
that a couple of right turns can't fix


Anything can be true in the mind of a fool


The spirtual suffocation of religious supplication


religion is organized, spirituality is realized


Don't need no Caddy with leather seats
just a good old hat, and shoes on my feet


Internet wash and werewolfs hunt with
candy flavored condoms


Unbutton your eyes and see the surprise
when dark becomes light and truth becomes lies.


The less I stay the more I go
The more I learn the less I know


Sushi fondue and other brain slaps


Grab your favorite Isum, do it without delay
there's lots of roads to travel
and lots of tunes to play

all of the above, D.L. Blake

In the time of the ancients
There were no galleries
No juried shows
No mandated corporate expenditures for public art
No “wear your best black” wine and cheese openings

No monkeys rolled in paint post-modern simian expressionist
No hyper-syllabic art reviewers spouting esoteric excrement
No outsider art
No insider art
Just art

Now we have pigeon holes
Genres
Schools
Boxes for all occasions
Outsider
Is more than a name
More than a box built by the corporate art world
It
Is
A sense of being
We’re people that are
Because we are
Not because of the vocation or avocation we’ve chosen
Or by virtue of our training

Rather
Because we’ve given ourselves to the creation of things
Things that have beckoned to us to share their form with this
Physical world

These words, these works
Are dedicated to the spirit of those who
Share this universal breath

D.L.Blake