Saturday in the Studio – 11.30.24
From holiday hangover to making myself feel productive again
It’s the day after the day after Thanksgiving. After cooking for 16 people on the 17th, celebrating a birthday, and hosting my soon to be in-laws for a week, it’s good to have some time working on art again.
Working on
Arches National Park
This print has been in the works for a few weeks—and you’ll see it for at least a few more. The drawing is based on a photo from a trip that you read about in Photos from the road: Canyonlands NP and Arches NP, but it took some time to get the layers right. And also, like, life is busy.
I finally decided on a two block reduction print. Here’s to hoping the registration comes together 🤞
Listening to
Manning Fireworks from MJ Lenderman
MJ Lenderman’s third studio album, Boat Songs, did not get the praise it deserved. I mean, it hit some music blog lists and paved the way for Jake to finally start taking his solo career seriously—but most of the album’s reviews mention how the songwriting feels like a big joke on its listeners. At least we’re here now.
Manning Fireworks is the maturing come up of an Asheville, NC twenty-something year old who survived a pandemic by playing music with his Wednesday bandmates on a couch. It’s fantastic. It’s raw and reminiscent of the late 80’s Dinosaur Jr. tone. And it’s just western and twangy like someone handed a hardcore guitarist his first slide guitar. Give it a good through and through listen.
Drinking
Sojourn Cellar’s 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
The worst thing California ever did to wine was to crank the dial up on malolactic fermentation and convince American housewives that chardonnay is meant to be “creamy” and “buttery” and all that nonsense. Turns out, chardonnay grapes don’t taste like you just licked a dinner roll. We were just lied to.
Thankfully, California is getting back to the true expressions of their grapes. Chardonnay from Sonoma and Sta. Rita Hills is starting to resemble Burgundy again. And Americans can finally drink local chardonnay without being embarrassed.
Sojourn Cellars has my absolute favorite vintage of this revival. It’s still got the body to pair with your creamy pasta or [in our home’s case] a homemade pesto and chicken pizza topped with arugula, but it’s also fresh and oaky and drinks like an old world wine.