Hello from Sweden

Well, we landed safely in Copenhagen, Denmark and made our way to the train that would cross us into Sweden. The trip takes only 20 minutes, and is across the Oresund Strait via the Oresund Bridge, the longest border crossing bridge in the world. The weather was exactly as we had left it in Seattle, wet and foggy. Still a hypnotizing train ride nonetheless. Here's a short clip of it:

Upon our arrival in Lund, Monika's cousin Tommy picked us up and we drove the short distance to Lund. After settling in, having a beer and crashing out on account of the wicked jetlag, we were ready to explore the town the next day. So, we boarded an incredibly clean and punctual public bus (a Mercedes-Benz) and were transported to the city center in less than 10 minutes.

The streets are all cobblestoned, and cars aren't allowed in the town center, excepting business owners and residents. The above picture shows a typical street. I asked cousin Tommy if what we were seeing was the "tourist" section of town; it sort of had that appearance to me, what with all the people shopping, sitting outside in the square, bicycling to and fro, etc. He assured me that no, the entire town was like this, and what we were seeing was the everyday business of the town's residents, which number about 100,000.

Thus assured I would not stick out like a sore thumb (until I opened my mouth, I soon learned), it was time for some fast food. Cousin Tommy and I bought Swedish hot dogs from a Danish hot dog cart (go figure). As you can see, the bun has a hole into which the hot dog is placed. After some wonderfully raunchy jokes about how those buns are made, we ate our dogs and moved on.

Lund has been around since about 900 AD, and as such there are many artifacts to be glimpsed both in its museums and public places. Here's a picture of Monika with a runic stone on the grounds of Lund University:

After quite a bit of walking, it was time to sit a spell and have lunch in one of the many outdoor beer gardens. A couple or beers and a smoke later, and we were on our way for some more exploring.

Next up, the region of Skåne, and the Baltic Sea. Until then, remember: smoking kills!

The Cat and The Rickenbacker Bass

Our latest foster cat now has a lovely new home. I took this picture of Zorro and my Rickenbacker 4003 bass a few days before he moved on to bigger and better things. Good luck, buddy!

Hillary Clinton v. Barack Obama

I don't know about you, but I will vote for whichever Democrat earns the nomination; I like both of them. Which got me thinking - what would it look like to have the best of both worlds?

Stuck in a meeting?

All you need is pen and paper to combat sleep when you're in a long, long, long meeting. And it will look like you are a very diligent note-taker.

Work with what ya got - 100% recycled art

Monika's been making art with a clean conscience.

It's (more) hip to be square

Now for your viewing pleasure - all the small square paintings are finally up. Enjoy!

Everything's coming up stringballs

What's your favorite month?

It's Monika's Menstrual Calendar Girls.

New Rock Sticker Pix

New pictures of the Rock Sticker are up. Get 'em while they're hot.

Friends and Neighbors

Whenever people come over to the studio, I stand them up in front of the soft box and photograph them as they are: friends and neighbors.

Pink Think

What happens when you can't get a color out of your head? Pink Think, that's what...

Giant Sock Monkey

Have you ever seen a giant, anatomically correct sock monkey? Meet Mr. Johnson

JEMA comes to Tacoma

The John Erickson Museum of Art (JEMA) has come to Ice Box Contemporary Art in Tacoma, traveling its current show, Emissions and Remissions, by Bethany Taylor. The opening was last night, and as JEMA's Chief of Security, I was on hand to provide safety and illumination.

Find out more about JEMA here.

Recovery Room by Monika Lidman is now online

Sooner or later every person experiences some kind of unforeseeable event that reveals the vulnerability of humanity.

Natural Wonder

Why is there a putting green in the middle of the woods? Have a look.

More Monika Lidman work now online at Verkstad

Now, for your viewing pleasure, two bodies of work.

Light Industry deals with repetitive stress injury.

Chernobyl Stomps Lapland addresses the tragedy of a vanishing culture.

Enjoy!

Cats and Guitars

Recently I finished a series of photographs of two of my favorite things: cats and guitars. Have a look.

New Regular song

Dan Tharp is at it again. This time he's produced a short film about a guy who makes soup. It's called...Soup. Dan asked me if I would write a song for a scene in the movie, so I did. Hope you enjoy The Volunteers