New Record Label: Slowspace

http://slowspace.net/

There's a new label some friends and I have started.  A collaboration with Brahm Fetterman and Jesse Prager of Bunk and Dave Seator the drummer in Texas Mercy.  One day after posting an album on a popular music website I needed a change.  This site allows you to post your own music and sell it for a hefty fee.  In the end the band only makes about 5-10% off of the sale of the album.  Now I know when I started to play music it wasn't to get rich or make any money at all.  But I'm certainly not here working my ass off for some other corporation with my music.  So we assembled some good minds and along with Seator's technical prowess we brought the digital distribution back into our own hands.  We invited along a handful of bands that have been loosely working together and sharing a common practice space and recording studio in Mt. Airy called Sharpnack.  An old barn built in the 1700's and only finding it's true purpose in life in the early 21st century.  Lo Power Plane, Bunk, Beyonder, The Matter, and Texas Mercy are on the roster so far.  
I'm sure there will be more to update on in the future.  This is only the seed the idea is wild and full of potential right now.
See you all soon.

L.A.

I feel like this is sort of turning into a vacation blog.  I have been doing a lot of other stuff that's worth documenting but for now I've been having fun updating this blog with photos from a few trips Beth and I have been taking recently.  Most recently we had an opportunity to visit Los Angeles, California.  We attended an opening at La Luz de Jesus where Beth was showing some new pieces.  I loved L.A. the people were so positive, the light through the smog and mountains was so warm in color, the air was dry, cold was 50 degrees, and hot was 75.  I'll share some images of our time there that are worth getting into.

Check out more shots from L.A. here.

Questionable Water

Last week I took a side job with my wife Beth.  The trip took us to Cape Canaveral Florida, Nassau Bahamas, Freeport, back to Nassau and to Key West.

Here's a few highlights.

Found a few old storm casualties in Nassau

 A hidden corner with the only stencils around

 Fire

 Side of a bus

 Maya Hayuk mural

 Kino's

 Showin his stuff as we started sweet talkin him

More pictures from the trip here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimcoughlin/sets/72157629063848202/

Ocean Wish

In the world of photo's sometimes I wish I had a high quality motion camera to film some images in a row.  For now we'll all appreciate photoshop .gif's.

Waiting In Tubes

When I first started this painting 12 years ago I thought it was the best thing that ever happened to paint and, "weren't all those little pigment particles so lucky to be a part of this moment."  Then I woke up the next morning after the paint dried, the turpentine I used evaporated, and the magic left, I hated it.  I felt like a dope to make such a horrible painting.  I hung on to the moment I felt with it for years. I tried to go back and fiddle around with it but the moment I originally had with it was to be lost forever.  Recently after staring at it in my unfinished pile I decided to come to terms with it and rectify this sad painting in my studio.  Turkey Umber and Zinc White came crashing in.   
Maybe the moment I originally had with it wasn't technically executed well with my novice abilities.  It's ok.  Nature is still there.  Paint is still waiting in the tubes wanting to be mastered and realized in great moments.

Live Free or Die

Ventured up north with a couple of good friends to visit another. New Hampshire is an interesting slice of humanity and nature. Up there you have some very liberal, anti-fed, friendly folks. Couple that with amazing landscape and some of the largest mountains on the east coast. Away from the South Philly smog and oil refineries. Away from the midnight shout fight on our street. They never have to lock their doors or look at a menu at the diner down the street. They know what they want and its hardly anything at all. Its simple unadulterated life without anyone elses hand in their pot.

Follow this link for more of the trip http://www.flickr.com//photos/jimcoughlin/sets/72157627944522828/show/

If you're in the area:

http://tamworthlyceum.com/


Katie's Kitchen

And just about any peak you can find a trail head at!

September Lately

Painting on a Tuesday

Still Lives Appreciated

South Philly Handlettering

These guys just took the Irene Plywood off their windows. I love how someone is taking such good care of this empty bakery. Its kinda like a monument of what they had.


Is this address still some sort of foundery building? Grate is at 18th and Passyunk.
Photo shoot interlude

Photo shoot interlude #2


Love, Jim

A Cross Section From the Summer

I finished a few more paintings the other day.

Outside This Summer

Spending more time outside doing artwork this summer. I figure if I toss in a bit of outdoor pieces that makes that much less time making more artwork that just sits in my basement studio. This one is at Frankford between Girard and Delaware Ave. on what is called Bookspace. With their permission the good people in Bookspace allowed me to do whatever I wanted.
I love working outside. People come by to talk, just watch, offer coconut water and other pleasantries. Bookspace's neighbors "The Lighting Emporium" proposed a piece outside their space. More on that soon I hope.

Paintings Together at Last

At last I have all my paintings organized a little better together on my flickr account as follows:
Oil Paintings
Watercolors
Puddle Paintings
Stencils
I'll be adding more to these folders and reposting these links as I go.

4/7/11

More moments not caught on camera in order to share those moments. It was well worth it.

Handletterer's Crafts

I have been obsessed with the sign painter lately. At work I stare at the lettering brushes everyday. They call out to me and whisper potential everytime I walk past them. This is the first of many projects I expect of myself this summer.

Art Energy

Father's Day got me thinking of responsibility to my new daughter Jonesy. Helping her on her way to realization of the universe. To feel and be a vessel of creativity just like Daddy does but in her own special way. This takes a lot of energy.

Cowtown-Often Imitated Never Equaled

Qualifier, Lav and I cruised to Cowtown New Jersey. This is what we found.

Bibiloni->Morales

One day Andrea Bibiloni ceased to exist and was born into a Morales. Here are the pictures to prove it.

SplitRed/MissingMen

Last week I had a chance to see some friends play the North Star Bar. They opened for Mike Watt and the Missing Men. Thanks again everyone for a good time!

Space Muffins

While shooting last minute shots for my wife. Frankie came by to have some fun.

PPS pole spotted again

In reference to my previous post here's that other Philadelphia Public School relic from days past. This fence is located at what is now a Buddhist Temple at Mckean and Mole St. in South Philly. I have no idea what the history is of this building and if it is the original school house.
Share your PPS fence post story if you got one! Just kidding, who else really cares about these other than me?