Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

The Secret…

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

…to a good life is to give more than you take…

This drawing came to me while thinking of the Rev. Larry Bryant(1912-2009), who served in South America as a missionary for 35 years, giving selflessly of himself to those in need. He worked with local indian tribes, and in seminaries in Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru.

He was a father of five, a district superintendent, a teacher, a preacher, and had a quiet humility that drew many to him.

He supported his wife Eunice in becoming a Rev. and Dr. herself who in turn wrote many books on ethics, in spanish.

He was also my Grandpa, and he died in February. I was lucky to spend an afternoon with him before he passed on- coming directly to the hospital from my flight home from Argentina.

Grandpa, thank you for teaching us how to give, however poor our attempts to follow in your soft and humble steps.

Windy Sketchin’

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Every Day I didn’t climb in patagonia, I was out in the wind drawing or painting…
The sketchbook was made from a 1935 childrens’ book I found at a garage sale before I left.

Sitting and drawing in the wind and light rain didn’t make a whole lot of sense at the time, but when I try to recreate the experience– drawing similar images here in the studio, it’s not the same. My linework may be better do to a controlled situation; my reference may be more constant- using a photo instead of evolving, rolling clouds and shadows, but the onsite reality of drawing in the chaotic environment is what connects me to the moment.

I can vividly remember sitting across from an Austral Pygmy Owl the size of a orange, and the deafening water rushing under my feet in the glacier runoff beneath the Torres Del Paine.

Also, when I returned I printed various photos into the pages. The photos of me drawing are by climber and photographer Mike Schaefer.
The music? What else? Sigur Ros.

Windy Sketchin’ from Jeremy Collins on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Leopold!

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Today is hectic.

But… I must post.

Tomorrow night are two exciting things-

My assistants Kevin and Kristen are getting married Saturday, so it’s the dress rehearsal.

Here’s Kevins hard working feet while we set up the reception hall-

Kev, I’m so proud of how far these feet have walked this year… and the year ahead looks like more than just a stroll. Keep on walkin the walk, buddy.

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Also, if you are in town tomorrow evening, try to swing by Leopold Gallery on 63rd and Brookside in KC.

It is their 15th anniversary/birthday in business.  Gallery Owner Paul Dorrel has done so much behind the scenes, and IN FRONT of the scene work in KC for artists in that time span.  He also penned a book I read before I met him after my wife highly encouraged me to.  Living the Artists Life walks the uninitiated and seasoned artist through the pitfalls, joys, darkness, and total madness of being an artist and how to sell your work should you ever figure out who you are.  It has been a wildly succesfull book for Paul and has sent him all over the country on book tours and lectures.  Paul showed up at a slideshow of mine in 2002, where I talked about climbing El Capitan in a day.  He had done a fair ammount of climbing at our local gym and he was curious.

We connected. Some day soon, buddy, I will get you in a harness and on some big wild wall of rock.

Today I showed up with a few paintings for tomorrows show, and Paul was on his hands and knees, doing the dirty work- planing a door, washing windows, and laying floor.  It’s not all pretty work owning a gallery, and Paul knows how to get it done.  I appreciated seeing him taking care of biz.

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Leopold employee Brandon prepping my tree paintings for hanging. Thanks man!
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Rossignol Re-Art

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Summer 2008 I was involved with the Re-Art program at the Teva Mountain Games. My buddy Ben and I gathered items from the Denver dump, the side of the road, crags, and more than one friends garage to created a recycled art mural. People were digging on this experience and we had a great time interacting with the public as we grinded, cut, blow-torched, and fused our masterpiece together. It was then auctioned in chunks to raise funds for The Alpine Conservation Partnership.

Afterwards I received many calls for fun, similar projects. People were PSYCHED! Rossignol Ski company had me do two pieces based on their logo, the rooster, and their history as a 100 year old company.

There is a lot of freedom in the process of recycled pieces- working with what you have, and reclaiming what was considered trash. Beyond the statement of recycling the discarded, there is the process interaction with the medium which causes moments of pause. When I am cutting a discarded piece of wood, or steel, ski poles, or climbing rope, I try to think of the life this material has had thus far, and how it’s end-story could have been different if I hadn’t rescued it. By becoming “art” it has life anew, and is now hanging on someones wall, being enjoyed daily. It has new purpose.

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Mason Birch Lives! (in Seattle)

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Mason Birch, the character whose fictional story I wrote, appeared in Alpinist 25, their Silver Issue; and was simultaneously my first piece highlighted on the cover, as well as the last issue before the magazine succumbed to current economic circumstances. Goes to show- never put me on the cover of your magazine!
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(above) Mason Birch Sketch

Mason was very well received, however; and was the product of much writing, observation, and reflection on my own life, and the lives of those around me. I put a lot of effort, soul, and thought into the few words chosen to tell his story. Kudos to Editor Beckwith and staff for pushing the story into the public eye. It’s certainly…different. The week before the investors abandoned ship, Alpinist had sent me mockups for the first Mason Birch t-shirts, which until further notice is now… a dead project. Who knows, maybe I’ll print some here at the studio.

Recently, an inspired fella named “Jay” from Seattle, sent an email requesting permission to put Mason onto his body permanently. Of course!
Here it is in progress.

Thanks Jay! Looking forward to the final piece.

Here’s to Mason’s passion, conviction, and obsession living BOTH inside and out.
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Patagonia-Bound

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

Some of you may know I am headed down south to Argentina- to climb in Patagonia in a few weeks.

I have been training fervently, and imagining the possibilities… but the truth is I really don’t know what to expect.
I don’t even really have a committed partner yet. As for what I hope to climb- at this point it is ANYTHING! Anything dry, anything beautiful, anything inspiring to me. The dream is Fitz Roy… but I don’t plan to hold too strong of a grip on this, being my first trip. Sometimes when I am open to anything happening, the more spontaneous and adventurous the results are.

This last weekend, I hit the Wichita Wildlife Refuge in southern Oklahoma for a great session of granite crack climbing with the crew from Oklahoma City. I love the beautiful, lichen-covered rock and golden plains down there. I have recently seen an influence from my visits south in my tree paintings. Oftentimes you see a lone, pale Juniper tree accenting a horizon of golden prarie grasses with nothing but blue sky all around. These lone trees are so inspiring to me— symbolically testifying to endurance, strength, as well as the immense beauty and quality found in solitude.

The Bison(not “buffalo”, I asked) roam free on the refuge and may appear randomly, alone or in herds, as you are hiking in. Sadly, I did not see any in the back-country on this trip as I usually do.
Here are some shots taken by my good friend Ben Rodda of me training on Crab Eyes Dome. The routes are “Power Series”, a fantastic 5.10 flared handcrack, and “Moby Dick” a steep 5.12b face climb. Ben and his talented wife Kym just moved their photography business from Evergreen Colorado, to Fayetteville, Arkansas.

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Party Party

Monday, December 22nd, 2008

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Thanks to all who came from near and far for my pre-release book party and show opening. There were friends who showed from Oklahoma, Omaha, Topeka, Branson, and Arkansas! We ended up partying all weekend.

Thanks to Roger Strong and Jeff Larison for the sweet tunes on the upright bass and Dobro. Thanks to GouldEvans for the hosting and wine+desserts! Thanks to Kristen for manning the register. Thanks to all who bought books and those lucky devils who bought paintings.

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I hope you enjoy the originals located inside each box.