Ideas are like snowflakes on a cold Winter day. Their whimsical decent concludes with a delicate landing upon a pile of previous brainstorms. In a creative blizzard, ideas clutter on the frozen ground in a thick blanket of inspiration. This layer continues to build, reaching your window pane, climbing your door and eventually trapping you within the walls of your studio.

Equipped with a color slinging shovel, you begin digging through the layered blanket of ideas. Each foot of creativity corresponds to a new collection of projects. Your studio walls begin to fill with freshly splattered canvases and the barricade that once trapped you begins to wither. Your roof becomes exposed, followed by the top of your front door. A recently stretched canvas glows as a ray of sunshine fits its way through a newly exposed section of window.

A squinted glimpse towards the clear sky results in a frenzy of work. Like a forgotten avocado, your ideas struggle to remain fresh. The sun’s rays pierce your blanket of creativity. One by one, your ideas melt and dribble down your front lawn and into the street. You work in a feverish torment. For every two completed projects, you lose one. Your fingertips are sore and your nose burns over a sea of drying paint. The balls of your feet feel as if they are filled with sand and your back ages with every move. Your stomach cries for attention and your eyes are the color of a late night shopping spree.

After months of preparation and dozens of projects, the seal of your studio door breaks. The rusty hinges swing wide and your eyes meet the Spring colors of a new season. A lush green lawn overgrows the front sidewalk and stretched white clouds smear across a royal blue sky. Birds churp and bees buzz as neighborhood kids chase the jingles of a local ice cream truck.

Weak and weathered, you stand feeble. You sweep the short path through your yard with a wide smile. You invite the community into your studio with nods and hearty handshakes. Your paintings hang on the walls as trophies of another Winter survival and are marveled at by family and friends. Your battered mind and feeble stature is a small consolation for the the smiles your work attracts; the sleepless months prior is nothing more than a dream when you learn that you have inspired and the work you endured is a fading memory when you have found your labor of love…

Happy Labor Day!

Click HERE for Labor of Love by bryan snyder!

What labors do you love?

An empty bottle crashes upon the sidewalk sending shimmering shards into the dark street. Swerving cars sway through the glass as a feeble corner house sends midnight serenades into the early hours. Doors slam and hiccups echo under the swollen moon. Windows rattle and a neighboring dog yelps. The front lawn, moist with late night mildew, is scattered with long faced silhouettes in sleep or drunken stupor. Night prowlers and hoodlums creep from the shadows as possums and raccoons scurry. The houses facade reflects the colors of humanity’s terrible passions from the neighboring traffic signals and a siren screeches in the distance.

The moon falls victim to cheap liquor and the sun awakens to a lawn littered with cans and half eaten burritos. Articles of clothing hang from the overhead wires and tipsy doodles scribble the face of a snoring teen. A mid morning breeze whips relics from overflowing ashtrays and a smirking neighbor washes the black marker from his fingertips.

Was the disgruntled neighbor’s retaliation justified?

A sandy toed boy sniffles as his favorite beach ball rolls into the distance. It tumbles along the sandy asphalt as a boy sulks on the porch of his beach side bungalow. Barefoot kicks launch the ball into the air and gusts send it bouncing off roadside debris.

The ball yearns for the delicate hands of his boy. His colors begin to fade and his healthy stature begins to sag. Nagging thorns prick and the ball winces with a slow hiss.

The ball is lost and his boy is lonely. Help them reunite…

Have you seen me?

I first met Don “Same ‘Ol” Hocza in the back of Rite Aid, formally known as Thrifty’s, in the early 90s. I was a young skateboarding kid who used the village streets as my training ground. At this time skateboarding became illegal in the Carlsbad village and the local group of skateboarders instantly became rebels, outcasts and viewed by some as a plague contaminating the carefully manicured streets of the village.

At this time Same ‘Ol and I began frequenting the same spots. He used these locations to drink and live without hassle and I used them to continue skateboarding while avoiding citation. He used ledges to sleep on and I used them to grind. There was a homeless group that also frequented the same alleys, back side of grocery stores and empty parking lots, but Same ‘Ol always stood out. His scruffy beard whipped in the wind and round belly jiggled upon his rickety bike. A plastic bag of cans dripped along the asphalt and a wide smile greeted all.

Same ‘Ol and I soon developed a friendship and with each story and conversation, I realized the close ties between society’s view of the homeless and their view of the local skateboarders. The homeless and I felt the same way, forced into feeling sub human when all we wanted was to continue the lifestyle we had chosen. I wanted to skateboard without possible citation and Same ‘Ol wanted to continue living simply.

Same ‘Ol did continue living simply. He was void of all stresses and responsibilities, lived on the beach and was loved by many. I began to skateboard less over the years, but I think about the common ground we once shared every time I pick up a board.

In memory of Don “Same ‘Ol” Hocza 1954-2007

Some artists prefer to create behind closed doors where they meticulously work from photographs or from within the imaginative walls of their mind. Their creative process is rarely seen and their finished product is unveiled weeks, months or years after completion. Others prefer to capture their subject in its natural environment, under natural light and in view of the public.

En Plein Air is a French term which means “In the Open Air” and is used to describe the act of painting outdoors. Plein Air painting became popular during the late 19th century when the French Impressionists began emphasizing loose imagery based on capturing the variations of light at differing times throughout the day rather than finely delineated pictures.

The popularity of plein air painting increased drastically around 1870 with the invent of paint in tubes. Prior to these tubes, painters made their own paints by grinding pigments with linseed oil. The “French Box Easel” with telescopic legs and a built in paint box and palette was also invented at this time making treks into the forests and along rocky coastlines less onerous.

Have you seen plein air painters lately? Where?

Click HERE for info on the Carlsbad Village Art Academy!

WHAT: Stencil Demo by Snyder Art
WHEN: Sunday Aug. 22nd 2PM
WHERE: Beech St. (on the beach)
WHY: Live Art and a remembrance of Same ‘Ol

Snyder Art will be recreating a mural that was done years ago and has since weathered to nonrecognition.

Come out and observe the multi layer stencil demo, enjoy the sun and share a Same ‘Ol story!

“The heads of bats remained intact this night, but the crowd made up for Prince of Darkness’s professionalism with their own array of animalistic behaviors as Ozzfest swaggered and swayed through another barbaric weekend.”

Click HERE for the FULL STORY, PHOTOS and VIDEO!

WHAT: Eight Ply Sk8 Deck Art Show
WHEN: Friday August 13th
WHERE: ASR during day/Syrah Wine Parlor during night (map)

Show organized by We Love Creativity and Sk8ology

Carlsbadcrawl.com is proud to announce that The Art Street Journal, created by those at Carmichael Gallery, will now be available FREE at Snyder Art. TASJ covers exciting emerging and established artists who are exhibiting in museums and galleries or participating in public events and completing personal projects of note.

The Art Street Journal also covers shows, events, art fairs, auctions, interviews artists and collectives and reviews publications and films.

Visit Snyder Art to pick up your copy!

For journal inquiries, contact elisa@theartstreetjournal.com

Drunkin’ Jack Daniel ‘O Lantern has been squatting on the sidewalk in front of Snyder Art for the past week. He has been seen haggling locals and making frequent visits to Fiesta Liquor. After his week of village shenanigans, he has developed a swollen belly.

Guess Drunkin’ Jack Daniel ‘O Lantern’s weight and win a original Snyder Art painting!

Visit Snyder Art and Design during the Art in the Village on Sunday to submit your guess. The winner will be contacted at the conclusion of the day (5PM).

WHAT: Art in the Village
WHEN: Sunday August 8th, 2009 9AM-5PM
WHERE: State Street and Grand Avenue in Carlsbad
WHO: Art and Carlsbad village enthusiasts
WHY: An artistic culture is growing… be part of it!

Click HERE for a map to Snyder Art and Design!