I'm on my waaay... A clearance sale!

One of the defining moments of my life would have to be when I decided, at the age of thirteen, to sell my Motley Crue ticket two days before their "Theater of Pain" tour came through town. It's not that I didn't love the Crue. In fact, I had decorated my bedroom with a pentagram of Christmas lights that very year. But in the midst of my adolescent soul-searching, I developed an odd sense of self-sufficiency and responsibility. The week before the concert, the anticipated highlight of the school year, the rear brake broke on my bike. Not only was it my sole mode of transportation, but freestylin' was my other love at the time. The cost of the replacement brake was $16. The ticket was $18.

At the time, I comforted myself with the smug satisfaction of martyrdom. Unlike my irresponsible head-banging friends, I felt that I understood the necessity of suffering and that, in a sense, my sacrifice made me more responsible and mature than they were. Yes, they all experienced that amazing tour where Tommy Lee and his entire drum kit spun completely upside down, but I lived by my own means. Kind of like Rambo.

me, Billings, Montana, 1986

Today, when I look back, I can recognize the arrogance in my thinking and how really, what I should have done, was just figured out a way to do both. I don't remember the going rate for shoveling snow or mowing lawns (primarily because I never pursued them), but I bet I could have covered all my expenses over the course of a weekend or two. Truth is, while I don't necessarily feel the same passion for the Crue today, I do wish that I would have seen that show. Money comes along regularly, but an opportunity like that...

So here I am, 23 years later and I can't help but recognize that I'm in a similar situation. This week, the registration's past-due on one car, the gate latch and the transmission are broken on the other, the heating oil gets delivered tomorrow, and the property tax bill just came a couple days ago. But what also came in the midst of this financial turmoil, was the most significant Crue-like temptation I could possibly imagine: an email notifying me of this: an opportunity to have a day long portfolio review session with 11 other people and Alec Soth for $135. Well, the other complication of course is that it's in San Francisco.

Long story short, I didn't think, I just pulled out the Visa and signed up. Now I just need to figure out a way to pay for/justify the trip. Yesterday, while cleaning out the shop, I couldn't help but think that maybe I need to have a clearance sale.

Impressed with the direct online sales of folks like Will and Liz, I'm going to follow their lead. Ultimately, my goal is simply to make enough to justify this trip that I'm determined to make anyway.

So, here's the deal, and really, please share with whomever:


print sale update: hmm... I had to suspend the print sale. Thanks for those who expressed interest and/or support, but it ends up that the art market's a little more complicated than I'd like. I'll just have to stick with making pictures and stay out of the business of selling them myself...


hey wait, yet another print sale update: if you want to buy something, just contact me directly and we'll figure it out. There are many options. I heart my gallerist.