I have been feeling ill so I laid off the bike ride on Friday. That freed up some time at lunch to work on a sketch I have had in my mind. I started off thinking about something to the effect of “Ride your Bike – It’s good for America”. But I soon settled on something at least a tad more subversive with a pop culture tinge to it. I finished with the drawing above. It’s a clear homage to the Woody Guthrie guitar seen in this famous picture:

I was thinking it would make a great cover for a pocket sized bike journal. To the bike riders in the crowd – what information would you like to see inside a bike journal? Obviously date and mileage spots, then maybe the rest of each page for a brief summation of the ride?

Tim suggested maybe a shirt as well, I still have screen printing equipment in the basement. I might be inclined to make a screen if there was interest. It would mostly hinge on getting a colleague to take care of the actual screen making part. I’m gonna look into that.

This was also my first sketch into this beautiful book my friend Dave brought me back from St Louis:

It came from a letterpress shop called The Firecracker Press. It’s a beaut’.

I first became interested in Woody Guthrie as a result of the Wilco/Billy Bragg collaboration called Mermaid Avenue. I suspect I am not the only one. Here are two tracks off of the album – one upbeat, one a little slower. It is Americana at its finest.

California Stars

Sad and Lonely
[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/28/2070901/07%20At%20My%20Window%20Sad%20And%20Lonely%202.mp3]

I listed a new book for sale on Etsy. I didn’t have any luck before but I am hoping this one catches someones eye. The listing can be found at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17002798

The picture is one that I took in my work town of New Albany. This statue is outside of the public library. It is clearly the best piece of public art in town. I think the book turned out really good and we’ll see if draws any interest.

I used the time to work up some book designs to print on the Indigo. On Friday night I stitched up two books and made my first posting to Etsy.

The first design is one my friend Dave drew for t-shirt purposes. It is an interpretation of the Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

If you don’t own it – get it immediately.
If you are listening and you don’t like it – turn it up some.
[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/28/2070901/03%20In%20The%20Aeroplane%20Over%20The%20Sea.mp3]
Here is the link to my Etsy Store

Here are the two books I made:

regards..