It's been a while since I updated the update blog. Why? Because the flu season coincided with the start of my residency and has sapped me of all my energy. I now am in the habit of going to bed at 8 PM, it's really sad.

But! I have many great things going on. My print residency at Kala is in full swing. I am selling screen prints of various sizes through my Hatchfund fundraiser, which ends on my birthday December 16th. So you can give me $10 dollars, and in exchange you can get a screen printed postcard. If things go as planned you may even get it in time for Christmas!

UMAMI as four screens, prepared to print.

I have also begun tabling in order to gather information from the public. My first session at Mills was a great success - my little ballot boxes got filled and I almost ran out of paper thanks to students' enthusiasm. I can now announce some OFFICIAL UPL glyphs. They are almost a sentence: 'the universe takes love', perhaps?

This weekend I will also be arranging to set-up my drawing table in front of the Downtown Berkeley BART Station, at 2160 Shattuck Ave. on Black Friday. And maybe even more places, who knows? Many things are in the works. Come to the Mills Tea Shop steps during lunch this Monday and Tuesday and draw a few words, won't you?

Oh, and my nails are itchy because ink dries the skin around my already severely damaged nails.

First, a lovely email:

My name is Sam and this email concerns pieces of art that I have found.

A couple of months ago, I was parking in a parking lot at the trailhead to Skunk Cabbage when I saw what appeared to be an art canvas. I did a double take and walked over to it. It was number 15 of 42 titled "Thee." I looked at it, a plastic covered piece of art and looked around...no one in the parking lot...a quiet afternoon. I put it down and took my walk, then came back to the parking lot and saw it still sitting there. This time I examined the back and read your message about the piece. I decided to take it.

Two or Three weeks later a strange thing happened. I was walking down the same trail and what did I see but another piece of art from this series. This time I knew what it was and I really liked it. But I couldn't take two. So I did the walk, thinking about the piece of art in the plastic by the side of the trail and the more I thought about it the more I wanted to keep it too. They would look very good together. A duo. So, they now hang together. #15 with #41.

I hope you don't mind that I took them both. But I do like them and they compliment each other nicely.

#24, "Me." Cow field adjacent to Mad River Footbridge.

My last two abandonments before I leave to Berkeley / Oakland for two months.:

#29, "As I." Hammond Trail, McKinleyville.

And now, yes! My abandonment is taking a break. I will be spending the next two months at Kala Art Institute in residency working on a UPL dictionary. I cannot afford this residency out of pocket, so please check out my promo video and fundraising page. If you donate you can get screen prints and drawings, who doesn't love those? Plus, this fundraiser ends on my birthday, so your donation is basically a present exchange <3

http://www.hatchfund.org/project/universal_pictorial_language_phase_1_kala_residency

Thank you all for reading, and I'll see y'all next when I report back from Oakland First Friday!

Updates

Screen Printing; Or Why My Nails Are So Itchy

Pausing Abandonment, Starting Fundraising