Monday, March 02, 2009

moving day!



I did it folks! I've moved my dear blog over to my website and am now exploring all of the ins and outs of managing a Wordpress blog. So gone are the days of having to register to post a comment (hooray!), so now you have no excuses to respond to my posts if you so desire. Comments are a little sneaky, though, you can either open up the post and scroll to the bottom OR there is a little curly symbol at the top of each post that you can click on. In addition to this, it will be much easier to subscribe via RSS to my posts and search throughout the site. I am still smoothing out the rough spots (hehe) but as of today will not be using blogger any more (please, no tears, folks....) so be sure to change your bookmarks/links accordingly.

Join all the
rough hewn fun HERE.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Ms. Neko Case



Almost a month ago now, I was delighted to run across a little film (below) on KEXP’s blog showing Ms. Neko Case as she recorded her upcoming album, Middle Cyclone – out this coming Tuesday, March 3rd.


While I am busy gathering up profiles for the coming weeks, I thought this would be a good first mini-profile. Plus, if I were to envision a video version of rough hewn | PROFILE it would be exactly like this. You will hear about her influences and inspirations as well as the methods she uses to create her unique sound and vision. Not to mention how the environment in which a person creates always has a way of sneaking into the work – as it clearly has here! Neko is ever the storyteller, and I have always found her music both delightfully whimsical and haunting. It’s the kind of stuff that blows you over like a gust of wind. I have had a chance to listen to some of her new stuff, and am pretty stoked for Tuesday (where you will find me at Easy Street shelling out my twelve or so dollars to not only stoke our blah economy, but also to support one of my favorite artists).
Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

and so it begins...again.



So, I gave up excuses for Lent.

It was one of those things that you suggest “humbly” in the first person to another person, wondering if it will convict them, but instead it does the exact opposite and convicts you.
As it should
.


I’ve already in the short 24 hours of this Lenten season had my fair share of opportunities to make good on my sacrifice and have now come to yet another…this blog. I have spent the better part of the last couple of months thinking a lot about this site. Asking myself questions like, “Am I really posting and discussing what I want to post, what is being laid on my heart to say? Or am I just posting what I think I should? Am I being consistent? Am I posting regularly? Am I actively pursuing the original theme and intention for this space?” ANSWER TO ALL: Not, really.

It has been fun the past 9 months or so creating/finding new content – the ever necessary “learning curve” (that I’m pretty sure I’m not quite through, yet). But I have realized, much to my chagrin, that rough hewn has been suffering from a rather acute identity crisis – having as it’s editor (moi) a person that would love it to be the next best and greatest of ALL blogs - simultaneously. But it won’t – at least not with that goal.

With that in mind – rough hewn begins anew. I renew my desire and commitment to this space being a place that explores and celebrates those in between spaces - the journeys from home to work, solitude to companionship, disbelief to faith, hungry to full, oblivious to aware, idea to object, thought to feeling… Our inhabiting these in between spaces – these processes – is truly what it means to be hewn.

And I will explore this primarily through the lens of art and faith – for those are the eyes I have been given to see with. So I will use them. Along with the eyes of others, older and wiser than I, as well as still others who are, like myself, figuring it all out as we go.

I’m excited for the three posts (for now…) that I will be publishing each week:

MONDAYS “Bus Stories” will explore the spaces we inhabit as we transport ourselves from one place to another – specifically between home and work.

WEDNESDAYS I will continue to share my artwork and projects, my thoughts, the things I see, and what God lays on my heart. Things ordinary, profound, and not much of either.

FRIDAY “Rough Hewn Profiles” I’m really excited about this one! These profiles will piggy back off of Wednesday and share the process and experience of others, primarily artists and creatives. Asking what drives them to create, what their creative process is, the themes that continually pop up in their work – even what their creative space looks like. And ultimately, how they are being changed in the process of creating work.

My hope is that this would always be a dialogue, not just a place to spout what I think is cool or interesting or seemingly wise. But rather a place where we interact with each other in this in between place called life. (I know. That line was totally cheesy, but I had to do it! Watch out, there’s more cheese to come, my friends!) So don’t be shy, tell me what ya think, who ya are, join the gang cause it's rough out there!

Monday, February 02, 2009

shadows.

Friday, January 23, 2009

fffa!


I am constantly saving photos that inspire me when I'm out and about on the web, so...here we have a little thing I'll start calling "Friday Foto Free Association!"(FFFA!)
















{PHOTO CREDITS (if I remember were I found them - eek!) t to b: Marlon Brandon in On The Waterfront from NYTimes Online, don't remember, illustration from Oh My Cavalier!, the Sharks!, painting by Clare Grill, Homes, illustration by Alex Nabaum for the NYT, Jimmy looking up at Lincoln, poster by Poster Offensive, photo by Jehad Nga for the NYT, illustration by Jason, "radar" by Aili Schmeltz, i think this was a pic on a random posting on sfgirlbybay}

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

dinner with friends.


It was a blur. (apparently)

And we are put on earth a little space,
That we may learn to bear the beams of love...
WILLIAM BLAKE
The Little Black Boy, st. 4

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

bloom.

Copyright 2008 Leah Dankertson
Copyright 2008 Leah Dankertson
I have been coaxing my paper whites since I planted my bulb in November. Anxious, breath abated, I waited. And today...finally...a bloom! It might be a bit much, but I like to think of it as evidence of perseverance in the midst harsh conditions. Also, I secretly believe that my bulb sprouted it's first little white flower in honor of my friend Sarah's special day - a lovely flower for a lovely bride. New life is springing up everywhere, today...