“And we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust”
— Joan Baez

Last night I was dreaming about . . . and this morning I woke up thinking about . . . texture. About how much I am drawn to it. I am always searching out interesting textures when I am out and about, especially when I am photographing. My favorite textures are right here in our apartment in my wife’s paintings (http://suezsmith.us). They seem to have a life of their own, and they draw me into her world. Almost like alchemical symbolism . . . texture as a spiritual path. What would Carl Jung say? Outside of our apartment it’s the unusual, the aging and decaying textures that attract me. Something so familiar about them, almost like memories. And we both know what memories can bring.

Here are some textures I have captured along the way, from Route 66 in Arizona, all the way to New York City.

I will sit right down
Waiting for the gift of sound and vision
— David Bowie

I listen to music every day, and this has a big influence on me. But along with the music comes the art. I am constantly finding inspiration in art created specifically for music. It might be the concept, the typography, the texture, the unexpected simplicity, or the unusual cropping of imagery. No matter what it is, when I see it I am hooked. Here are some samples of recent music art that inspires:

I am starting off the year of the rabbit with a new website and blog. My focus will be on things that inspire me, from art to music to photography to everything under the sun. Having recently completed my Adobe Web Design Certificate, my new focus as a designer is now on the web. It’s been a busy past few months, and I am very excited about all of this. I think XTC puts it best:

And all the world is foot-ball shaped
It’s just for me to kick in space
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I’ve got one, two, three, four, five
Senses working overtime

Even after the new year has started a sense of the holidays seems to linger on, like the smell of cooking long after the meal has been eaten.

I like to walk around and be surprised by hidden gems in unexpected places. On a recent walk in the Lower East Side of Manhattan I came upon this plastic couple having a private moment on a fire escape.