What would anyone possibly want to know about me who is reading this? Well I guess first and foremost, I am a very spiritual person. My home is my sanctuary. I spend most of my free time either trying to perfect my home (which I neurotically wish was spotlessly clean) or working spiritually. The rest of my time is spent at my job where I design an assortment of music and movie items.
I have a nervous habit of pacing when I’m on the phone and I sometimes find it difficult to sit down and relax. I prefer to stay busy, but I do find I love to chatter with like minded people, especially if I have a glass of red wine, my drug of choice. I am truly addicted to Mountain Dew and Carmex which I indulge myself with daily. Nothing would be worse than a dreary non-caffeinated day with dry lips.
If I can find time to do something artistic you will find me chopping up baby doll heads and gluing them to things in the spirit of Barra’s work. I love Haitian art from the stunning sequin covered drapo and boutey to the somewhat kitschy repositories from artists like Richard and the late Pierrot Barra. Of course the ever fascinating paintings and sculptures from Edouard Duval-Carrie really get me going. I love to draw also even though I rarely find time to do it. Some of my computer generated drawings are displayed below and to the left.
I love other artists as well from painters to singers, including my partner in crime Peter Kelsch, Music Saint and my dear friends Carrie Kaplan in Colorado, Steve Hafliger in Chicago and Houngan Erol Josue here in Florida, who are a constant influence on my life and can be found in my friends list below. I should definitely mention Jamison and Viviana as some very important people in my life that I couldn’t live without! and of course my darling Puss and her insane sidekick VelKrow who is undoubtedly biting her.
Map aprann Kreyol, ekri mwen e annou pale! M sevi Ginen! Ayibobo! M rele, Bon Houngan Mache Cheche. My life is spiritually influenced by African and European traditions. I am of course European by ancestry (white as a ghost actually) but have found that Spirit has no race. I am no fluffy do it yourselfer, I am traditionally minded; I stick to what has been passed through the ages and try to do the best I can within the confines of the traditions I have been passed. As everyone who follows traditional paths should. I believe that there are many paths that one could walk in this world and it is Spirit that will lead us where to go!
I love working with plants, I think if I hadn’t gone into art I would be an ethno-botanist working in some Amazonian village learning about the traditional uses of plants. I have a great interest in poisonous plants and their virtues. This came about early in childhood when I had a run-in with an Oleander plant. Ever since then I have been addicted to learning about them. My parents taught me about all the greenery on our property and it wasn’t uncommon to watch them walking through the yard and watching how everything was growing. This must have been instilled in me as a child because even though I no longer live close to my family I still do this in my little corner of the world. If you saw me in May, you would see me at the apex of my Spring fever. Most of my tattoos reflect my love of plants and the personalities I identify them with.
Anyhow, this pretty much explains me, nothing very thrilling but me none the less!
Bon chans zanmi’m
MY ANCESTRY
I am really interested in ancestry. I am pretty much an American mutt; my ancestors come from all over the place! My surname is German but I have Irish, Scottish, English and God knows what else in me. My mother was born and raised in Aruba and my father in Florida.
My ancestors have been in Florida since the 1700’s and were some of the first residents of the peninsula. I descend from the Braddock and Lyford lines who were mariners of note in Colonial and Revolutionary times. Having several generations of mariners in my ancestry there is of course a strong connection to the islands that surround the state. Not only were they responsible for mapping the Florida Keys but also are to blame for the creation of Looe Key LOL (divers will know about this). Several of my ancestors were born in the Bahamas and Jamaica as well as some of the smaller islands that line the Georgia/Florida coastline; I have also found a couple references to Cuba as well.
Some other Florida surnames that I descend from are Christopher, Higginbotham and Houston. I also have some Minorcan blood, a small island off of Spain. They were brought to Florida as indentured servants and have a strong connection to Saint Augustine and a very rich history for anyone who descends from them!
Another interesting ancestor of mine was an attorney and minister named Thomas Bluett, from Maryland who wrote the biography, “Some Memoirs of the Life of Job, the Son of Solomon, the High Priest of Boonda in Africa; Who was a Slave About Two Years in Maryland; and Afterwards Being Brought to England, was Set Free, and Sent to His Native Land in the Year 1734,†(long title huh) which gained considerable note at the time and still gets considerable mention today since it was such a rare occurrence for the time.
One of my Great-Great Grandfathers Mathius fled Germany after the failed revolt of the mid 1800’s. He brought his entire family with him where they lived in the free state of Wisconsin. In true honor of my Great-Great Grandfather’s cause in Germany my Great-Grandfather Philip joined the Civil War to protect his adopted country in what was viewed as a holy war against despotism and slavery, precisely what was so detested in their homelands.
I could go on and on about this so anyone who may recognize these names and want to chat it up let me know…
I edited my profile with Thomas’ Myspace Editor V3.6 !
