Welles Park original map

visual art

White Oak Festival – Introduction to Nature Journaling

Create a one-of-a-kind keepsake celebrating the natural wonders and easygoing community of the White Oak Savannah and Festival. Your guide, artist, musician and educator Jason McInnes, will open the workshop with simple sketching warm ups to shake off any hesitancy and then we’ll be off to fill our journals with majestic oaks, favorite rocks, boisterous clouds and perhaps the elusive circle of jamming musicians in their natural habitat.   All the while Jason will be there as an encouraging guide for folks that are new to, and experienced in, putting pen to sketchbook. Journals and drawing tools will be provided. In addition, you are very welcome to bring your own favorite journal and supplies.

Banjo

Songwriters’ Exchange with Jason & Jess – Replay from June 18, 2024

Jess Baldissero is not only a good friend, she is one of my favorite songwriters. I was honored that she sat with me earlier in the week to discuss the discoveries and accidents of the creative process. We shared some laughs, talked about good times and hard times and we each played a few songs.     Audio and Video Audio Only Getting to Know Trees knowingtrees.com · Songwriters' Exchange with Jason McInnes and Jess Baldissero Three tracks from The Hermit, my debut solo album are streaming during the pre-order period. The full album will be released June 28, 2024 on Bandcamp. http://joybird.bandcamp.comPick up Jess’s music, featuring her band Joybird, at Bandcamp also. 

The Hermit – June 28 Release Day

“The Hermit chronicles a journey. These instrumentals, played on acoustic guitar, banjo and other acoustic instruments, combined with poetry and accompanying artwork expresses a stepping away from an established, but unstable and consumptive, life path onto the ultimately more stable, yet unknowable trail of accepted impermanence.” Read more about the album and listen to preview tracks now at jasonmcinnes.bandcamp.com.    

World-Wide Listening Party for The Hermit

Jason’s new album, The Hermit, will be released on Friday, June 28. But, you can join in a world-wide listening party to celebrate The Hermit the day before. Come along to listen to the music with the artist and chat about the making of the album. Click to RSVP

Grae McCullough with Lynda Miller holding up their book
Chicago

Grace McCullough Reads for Bosque Press ABQ inPrint #7

It was standing room only at Books on the Bosque yesterday for the launch of Bosque Press‘ ABQ inPrint #7. Grace was one of about 15 writers who read part or all of their piece which is published in this years’ edition. She wrote about meeting famed Chicago muralist Hector Duerte. The piece which she speaks about, Corazón Remendado (Stitched Heart), can be seen here. Thank you to everyone at Bosque Press and Books on the Bosque for creating such a welcoming, inspiring event.

Practicing Greyscales cover
Goals and Education

Revisiting My “Practicing Greyscales” Sketchbook

I stepped up to the paper and realized, almost immediately, that I did not have control of the necessary skills to complete the piece as I wanted. I could understand the process intellectually, but it wasn’t going to come out of my pen without more practice.

'Ukulele

Listening Wide-Eyed: Limited-Sight Contour Drawings of Musical Instruments for Sale

Today, I am honored and humbled to offer for sale pieces from my Listening Wide-Eyed: Limited-Sight Contour Drawings of Musical Instruments series. Between now and early July 10, 2022 you can purchase a piece of one-of-a-kind artwork made specifically for you or a loved one. Jump to the order form. The Listening Wide-Eyed series is an outgrowth of my visual art, musical and mindfulness practices. Each one-of-a-kind piece from Listening Wide-Eyed is created through a limited-sight process, where I make a drawing on a sheet of bristol board without taking my eyes off the subject. I don’t look at the board until I am done drawing. Within the messiness, the structural knowledge and spiritual essence of each instruments expands.  Each drawing is a made-to-order, one-of-a-kind piece of visual art. They are created with wax pencil and bristol board. Each purchaser is invited to customize their piece, in regards to which instrument, the use of color and matting. There are also options specific to gifting one of these drawings to a loved one. This process started as a way to strengthen my visual record abilities. As my practice bloomed, this limited goal fell away and the drawing practice engendered more connections between the parts and the whole of both the instruments and myself. How do we move? Where are we sturdy? Where are we delicate? How do those and other qualities affect our presentation to and relationships with others?  Considering these questions allowed me to hold and play each instrument in a more open, inviting way.  We see and hear ourselves, and others, every day. I hope having these drawings in our living space, practice room, or at a family dining table prompt us to notice moments when we are making assumptions about what we know about both ourselves and others. I hope that they can act as a guide to remain open, curious and to foster connections in musical spaces and all other relationships. This round of sales does end on July 10, 2022. Order form for Listening Wide-Eyed: Limited-Sight Contour Drawings of Musical Instruments

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