dan abernathy - contributing to the chaos

November Fourteen, 2007

Monthly Rant #2
There is no such thing as planned spontaneity. It is a contradiction in terms. We all have some type of plan that we are going through life with, but it is important to veer off it from time to time. Life is ever changing and we have to be flexible to maneuver through it. We all have a beginning, middle and an end, the beginning and the end we have little control of. It's the middle part that we can have fun with. This is the section that we live life large in. There is only one element that is keeping you from doing it. You yourself.
This middle part is so important and short we should not de-value it in any way. One of the most harmful things we can do to our middle time is be negative. I see numerous people every day and so many of them thrive on their obsession of seeing only the bad and holding on to it with a death grip. No matter how beautiful the day may be they won't let their black cloud slip away. Try as you might to put a bit of cheer into your interaction with them they hold tight to their storm cloud. I think they use it as some type of shield to ensure that their cup is always half empty.
This middle section could be so fantastic if they would just let the black cloud rain, fill up their cup and float away.

Here is a another story from Trolling for Coyotes about an afternoon in Soho that I posted on the words Page.

Mugged

After exchanging US Travelers Checks for British pounds, I walked out of the American Express office while at the same time buttoning my front shirt pocket. Not thinking, or realizing I had just made a huge mistake. My father had told me time and time again; never count money at night someone might be looking in the window. It was not night, but here I was in one of the largest cities in the world and I'm finishing up the touches of putting money away as I'm walking into the street. Mistake number one!

I was in Soho, known as an artsy section of London, England. A place that has everything a wondering, traveling mind would want, or need for stimulation, including a lot of unsavory characters. Soho is a trendy place to be, it has fantastic restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, street venders, whores, strip joints and a million people to watch. It is also, as I was to learn first hand, a feeding ground for hustlers, pimps and crooks. Read on.....

November Thirteen, 2007
One of the most unique things about the internet is the opening up of the worlds art. By strolling with your mouse you can view peoples art from around the world. I am obsessed with this viewing and spend a small part of each day looking at new work. Every once in a while I come across a shooter that is shooting from deep within and for reasons that I am not really sure of I will be moved deeply by their work. Such is the case of photographer Vincent L. Smith. His photography and writing makes me look and think. Vincent has allowed me to share his images and words with you. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Baby Shoes
Vincent L. Smith

Reach in my pocket
Where I've kept eyes
It is their dreams you see

Open my shirt
Slit open my chest
A womb beating your name

Take off my shoes
Walk my path
Go twice as far

And when I am no longer
Take my eyes
Put them in your pocket

Envision my hereafter
As your children taking
Their first step

Beyond the reach
of dreams
dreamt for me.

"It was a sentimental photo because it was taken in the house I grew up in. I wrote the poem with that feel of looking back on years gone by, hence my baby shoes."

Vincent L Smith

November Twelve 2007

I know I have been slacking on my updates, but I should be back on a roll now. I have just put some new images in the Images of Flesh Gallery, and in the Bic Drawing Gallery. I have been working hard on more photos as well as some words. Stay tuned!

November Nine 2007
From time to time we all have to deal with the shit that life throws at us. I try to keep the shield up, but try as I might sometimes it slips in. For the last few days my Zen has been attacked, seemingly from the "charge of the light brigade." The list is long and I won't bore anyone with the details, but I am winning. It is called the power of thought. If we could see thought waves I think that they would look like a strong heat wave flowing from your body. Thought waves do have energy and power. I truly feel that if we transmit good thoughts, good things happen. It might not seem to, and it is not instant, but if you keep positive you will see the results. The same goes for negative thoughts. If you wallow in depression, gossip and gloom nothing good will come of it. You will only become a reflection of the dark it creates. No matter how the basterds in life try to get you down, stand up and be who you are. Be strong and be good. It will pay off.

No matter what I do during the day my main commitment is to being me, and working on the person that I am. My number one passion is my art and being creative. I have to spend a few hours each day working on this passion. If I don't I'm not being true to who I am. Being me is a full time job, but I'm getting good at it.
I have also completed another gallery, Images of Flesh. I have some new work posted as will as some of my older stuff that a lot of you have seen. I will be adding more in the very near future and as always I'll let you know here, or in person if I bump into you.

November, 8, 2007
I heard that Buck Frampton was in New Orleans and have been trying to get in touch with him. I wanted to let him know how much I enjoyed Loco Lilly, but try as I might I could not reach him. I just wrote it down to another binge of Jack Daniels, and busty ladies of the night. I know he has a flop in the French District and is out of communication when he is indulging in decadence. What I didn’t know this time was that he was working on a new song, Mama’s Boy. This elusive cat has done it again and clicking on the link below will let you this man has found the sound.

Mamma's Boy

November, 6, 2007

Happy Birthday Erin!!!

I have been keeping a journal for more years then I am willing to admit. They have evolved into something that I'm not even sure of. They are visual, as they are filled with photographs, drawings and many other things that have caught my eye. I write in theem as will and the writing is the part that I have chosen not to share. I am keeping that for when I'm gone. Maybe my kids will want to know more about me. These books track my life and thoughts. I have posted some of the pages in the Journal Gallery. You can see the progression in these images. And in the next set I post you will be able to see even more. (note the young lady in the photo. Thats my daughter Erin.

November, 5, 2007
I made a new friend this summer and she is one of the brightest people I have met. I say she is bright because she shines with an internal light that refuses to fade. She is a survivor and I hope the people you come into contact with might capture a small bit of your spirit. I know I have. Auds’ niece wrote this poem for her and she was kind enough to share it with me.

YOU
my heart is crying
my soul is aching
with the fear
of losing you.
so please don't go,
i love you so!
and i'd cry forever
without you.
you give me life
and fill me with joy.
what would i do
if i lost that AND you?
i'd lose myself, along with you.
you make me whole and make my world go round.
so don't ever leave me!
because my heart is crying
and my soul is aching
with the fear
of losing you, my love.

by: Melissa
xoxo
i wrote this for you; my hero, my guardian, and my love. Be strong, fight and never give up. Then, you can EASILY overcome the battle known as cancer. We both will beat our illnesses and come out on top. All we have to do is have faith, and cherish yesterday, live for today, and dream for tomorrow. (Someone, whom I love very much, told me that in an email after I was diagnosed.) I love you so much and can't wait to see you in a few weeks.
I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!!! TAKE CARE!

Something else that has come out of this chance friendship is rekindling of my memories of my baby sister Robin, who lost to cancer, or the treatment a few years ago and a new look at my daughter. I'm still working around this scene, but I wanted to share a wonderful piece of prose that my daughter, Erin, wrote for school.
When she sent it I went through it at a high speed. Now, I have slowed, but it still rocks the boat.
With this short story I have gotten the chance to look inside Erin and see more than a daughter, but also a loving and caring soul.
She may have written this for a collage course, but I feel it was also part of her grieving process. I know that it touched me in more ways than I wanted it to. This piece of prose made me realize things about myself and also helped in my own grief.

Please click on the link to read this wonderful story.

Little Robin Red Breast
By: Erin Abernathy

November, 4, 2007
I have a new image up in the photomontage gallery. This is the first color image I have done. I like it and I have some more to do, but I

still prefer the black & white work. The modal is Carrie. I met her last summer and we spent a fantastic afternoon together. I exposed a lot of film with her and you will be seeing her show up in a lot more work. I have already started another color piece of her. I am also putting together a large piece that has both color and black & white images in it.

November-1-2007

I have finished posting the gallery of my water work. I call this body of work; Moving Water Standing Still. As I briefly stated on the main page of this gallery I have been working on this project for sometime and plan to do so until I meet a couple of locations, or milestones with What I have posted is just a small selection of this collection.

Moving Water Standing Still

Buck Frampton releases new single!

I am one of the few people in Wyoming that owns one of Buck

Framptons CD's. I'm not sure how many this elusive man has released, but I do know as soon they leave the studio, they are bought by music buyers and shipped to Uruguay. It seems that Uruguay is the epicenter of this mans cult like following.
I met Buck Frampton a few years back when he was traveling through Wyoming. In fact, I did a short road trip with him to Vegas. He needed to get to the, "city of lights" as he was opening in one of the casinos that lay a few blocks off the strip. He had a couple of days to spare so we hit the road on a quick trip that is still a bit blurred. My brightest memory of the whole trip is when I was leaving Vegas. The rest of the trip is pretty hazy with just vague snippets of margaritas and strippers that were a showcase for breast augmentation. No complaints form me though. When we parted company Frampton handed me a CD and said, "Later." I have not seen him sense.
Check out his new single, Loca Lilly, buy hitting the link below. This is a great track, a ballad that has Jimmy Buffet, Johnny Cash and maybe even a little Elvis (although it would be his pre Vegas days) rolled into a tune that only Frampton could carry off.

Loca Lilly