Some friends and I carved pumpkins last night. This is what I came up with, using an exacto knife and a steak knife.



And the group shot:



Don't know if you can tell but it's supposed to be Anton Chigurh from "No Country For Old Men," the best movie in years and years and years.

I think Cormac McCarthy is the best writer alive. Don't know if it's because I grew up in Southern New Mexico and his books take place in the country I know so well, but I'd say it's because he's the only guy right now who can write poetry and make it relevant. In his world, there's bursts of violence and constant intimidation, a ceaseless quiet undercurrent of our stone old reptile brains, and ghostlike encounters with other people, and brief camaraderie and mostly just being alone. That's pretty apt, I think. But in "No Country For Old Men," gone are the old fears. Ghosts, to a world that can examine to the molecule, don't hold the same terror. So what's scary now? Among them, a man ingenious with tools, a man of weapons, who holds absolutely no remorse. A flood-like force of brutality you'd have to "put your soul at hazard" to even face. That's the artsy reason I made it I guess.

But actually, I just wanted to carve a badass character into a pumpkin for Halloween.

Well, there's no going back now. I glued a bunch of maple onto the bookshelf I've been working on for way too long. If I can pull this off, I think it'll look really cool. If not, well, then I just ruined a bookshelf. That's still better to me than having some mediocre piece in my room. Here it is now:



I figure I have at least 10-15 hours with just me, a gouge, and a mallet ahead of me. If I can add some Stevie Ray Vaughn and Otis Redding to that, well, that doesn't sound too bad.

I'm working on a million things right now and am more scattered than I'd like to be. But expect pictures soon of:

-- The concrete sign for "The Little Chihuahua" restaurant
-- The plywood end table
-- The chair with a heart... the surgeon's chair
-- Wine Labels
-- Portrait wire work

Lots to do. Lots to do.

Good times last week. Went on "The Painting Gourmet," had a great time... got to talk about myself for a half hour, which is always fun. The Divisadero Art Walk was Thursday and I couldn't have asked for a nicer night. It was warm and the whole neighborhood was out. The Sidewalk Sale on Sunday, despite being bitterly cold out, went well and I ended up selling a painting.

Right now, I have an exciting opportunity to design two wine labels... one for a Cabernet and the other for a Sauvignon Blanc. I've been toying around with different ideas, but right now I'm focusing mostly on a simple red/white theme. I did these sketches the other night:






Here's them with a quick run-through on Photoshop:






Don't think it's quite right. More to come soon. I'm also going to make an A-frame sign for the Little Chihuahua mexican restaurant. It's going to be made out of two concrete panels and stenciled. I think it'll look awesome. Images as soon as I make them.

Tonight, I'm going to be a guest on "The Painting Gourmet," a TV show out of San Jose that features local artists. She wanted me to do some kind of demo with my cardboard paintings, so I painted this last night so I could show how I cut away the layers:



It's a prospect that sounds like a lot of fun, but I was actually on a talk show once before. When I was 16, I was visiting Bulawayo, the city where I was born, in Zimbabwe, Africa, and I went to see the TV Station where my dad used to work. I talked to the General Manager for a while, and out of nowhere, he asked me if I wanted to be on a talk show the next day, "Teen Scene" or something. A talk show for teens living in Zimbabwe. I figured it couldn't hurt, so I decided to do it. One of the strangest events in my life. I met with the two hosts the next day and we went over a few things, and next thing I know I was in a TV studio with the cameras rolling. I think the idea was that I was a "typical American teenager." The interview went roughly like this:

Host: So we're talking to Gavin Worth today, a teenager from America! Thanks for coming Gavin. So, just how many guns do you see in school every day?

(pause)

Me: Guns?

Host: Yeah. How many guns would you say you see on an average day?

Me: Uh... well, I don't think I've ever seen a gun at school.

(pause)

Host: Oh.

(Host shuffles through about three or four cards)

Host: So. .... How's the weather in America?

Gavin: It's good. Good weather there.

Host: Nice.

(pause)

Host: Well thank you for coming, Gavin! We'll be right back after this.

Worst. Interview. Ever. I wasn't around to see how the audience at large in Zimbabwe reacted to my star-breaking turn, but I'm pretty sure I'm huge there now.

Anyway, there's the Divisadero Art Walk tomorrow, and Sunday, I'll be at the Trunk Sale at Swankety Swank at McAllister and Baker. Here's the info they sent me:

Join us on the "porch" for a sidewalk trunk sale in our sunny corner of
San Francisco. We'll have refreshments and artists vending their hand made
and indie produced wares.
5 Reasons to Check us out!
1.. See live art in action.
2.. Enjoy Neighborhood Camaraderie.
3.. Christmas Budget Solution: Think EARLY this year- small and special
gifts bought over time.
4.. Think Globally, Act Locally.
5.. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse.
Check out our website for more about the artists involved.
http://www.SwanketySwank.com
Regards,
Yabette

"Honoring Beauty, Earth, and Age"
SWANKETY SWANK
1808 Mcallister St. (at Baker St.)
San Francisco, CA 94115
415 440 6996

OPEN Hours: Tuesday 10am-3pm, Wednesday to Sunday: 11am to 6pm

MFinity Wine Sign

Lately, I've been working on a sign for MFinity Wines, a wine company featuring winemaker Ron Mura, the recipient of the 2006 Best of Show in the San Francisco Bay Wine Competition. They do lots of events and wanted a really versatile and eye-catching sign similar to my wire sculptures. I thought it would be great if we could have it back-lit and give off a glowing look, so I doubled the width of the base, installed a panel of frosted acrylic in the middle, and attached a light behind it. Here's pictures of it in normal light, and with the sculpture light on:





Mr. Mura's going to be pouring at the Playboy Mansion later this fall, so if you happen to be there (looking at the art of course), maybe you'll see my sign.

I'm meeting with the owner of the Little Chihuahua Mexican Restaurant tomorrow to discuss making a sign for him too. What we've talked about so far sounds awesome and I really hope I get a chance to make it. More on that later.

Divisadero Art Walk this Thursday

NOPNA (the North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association) is putting on an art walk this Thursday to showcase all of the great businesses along Divisadero Street that show the work of local artists. There's going to be lots of great food and drink specials all night, including the Little Chihuahua Mexican restaurant, which is currently showing four of my paintings.

I've lived in this neighborhood for about 5 years now, and it makes me really happy to see all these new small businesses opening, doing well, and having enthusiasm for showing the work of local artists.

I hope you can come. And if I know this neighborhood at all, it should be a blast.

Wire sculptures in the Stone Griffin Gallery

Hey, just a quick note to say that I have several wire sculptures on display at the Stone Griffin Gallery in Campbell, CA... near San Jose. It's a really cool space with some really cool work. Campbell has an art walk the third Friday of every month with live music and lots of art. You should go check it out.

Besides that, I've been working on a wire sign for MFinity Wines. I think it'll turn out good and it's sparked me on to a few new ideas. For this sign I'm attaching a frosted acrylic panel as a backing and illuminating it from the back. Pictures soon.