While I was in New York, my band and I put together a two-week Southeastern tour. Our dates backed into early July and I had to fly back to Tallahassee, drive to my parents house 3 hours away, and practice the set with the band on the same day- one day before our first show of the tour. All of it worked out, but it was an abrupt end for NYC and an abrupt beginning of a two week tour.
Our tour was a success. We traveled from my parents house in central Florida to Jacksonville, where we played two shows. From there we went to Boone, Asheville, Greenville, Chattanooga, Nashville, New Orleans, Pensacola before returning to Tallahassee and playing two final shows. We made a ton of new friends and saw a lot of beautiful country. In Greenville we played a porch show for 3 people, in Chattanooga, we played in an old brothel. I had an intense session of eye contact with house cat at 6 in the morning in high elevation Appalachian Mountains amongst heavy fog. I craved alone time. And I drew often. The trip was surreal, and I had the time of my life.
After tour, I visited my parents house to sleep in and to prepare for more traveling.
Back to Tallahassee for a few nights, I made plans to paint a piece of graffiti on the roof spot of Capitol City Tattoos, a commission. We worked on the wall over the course of two days and finished within minutes of be having to board a greyhound bus to Jacksonville to stay with Aaron Levi Garvey for a night before driving to New Orleans for a Tameka Norris opening at the CAC. I made a drawing on the bus ride and talked to my seat mate about my art. I began a pencil drawing in a cafe upon arriving in Jacksonville, then met up with Aaron for accommodations. The next morning, Aaron, Stevie and I drove to New Orleans together. We met up with Milagros, with whom I stayed for three nights.
Tameka's opening was a part of a large art event called White Linen. The streets were filled with art lovers and there were many open galleries. After the opening, the aforementioned Jacksonville crew, Milagros, were hanging out and I mentioned that I'd like to stay in NOLA for a few more days. She offered me her studio space for a few days while she went out of town. It was an incredible opportunity to make work in a creative space. I finished the pencil drawing I'd started in Jacksonville, then began a gouache painting inspired by the work of Will Henry Stevens, a southern modernist who's work I saw at the Ogden. The Gouache painting took me two days to complete. In this time I also managed to make a gouache and watercolor painting of the word four9 in graffiti lettering via Tameka's suggestion. Both paintings were fun to do and one provided a nice mental break to the other. I gave the graffiti painting to Tameka when I left her studio the next day.
I took a greyhound bus back to Tallahassee, where I am currently residing until I travel to New York in three days. From New York, I will board a plane to Amsterdam, where I will stay in the Netherlands Dennis Residence through late August and September. The plan will unfold organically from my time in Amsterdam. I plan on staying in Europe until at least December. I would like to stay as long as 8 months.
