To Catch Some Sleep

February 20, 2015

To Catch Some Sleep | Fairy Tales Reimagined brings two "firsts" to dearantler: the show brings screen printing to our gallery for the first time, and it's the first-ever collaboration between E+J to be shown at dearantler.

The artists split everything about To Catch Some Sleep down the middle: selecting which fairy tales would make the cut, designing the prints, cutting the stencils, blending the inks, and finally, printing. This differs from E+J's usual creative process, where they each run with their individual ideas and pursue them alone, occasionally checking in with each other for critique or to ask for assistance along the way. I enjoy seeing what those two come up with individually for each show, but I must say that this collaboration was great fun to watch. For days and days, the dearantler studio was filled with a rainbow of ink jars, ink-stained aprons and half-finished prints rotating endlessly between the printing table and the drying rack.

Arch Rock, a short walk from White Tank campground.

Hooves on the Ground: Joshua Tree National Park and High Desert Test Sites

December 10, 2014

After what seemed like a never-ending summer, which started in mid-May and lingered into November, autumn finally arrived in mid-November. In Southern California, this means that desert-exploration season is finally upon us.

For the Birds

November 10, 2014

This month we shift our focus skyward, paying homage to our winged brethren. Our fine-feathered friends are the first to greet us with song in the morning, the first to warn us when a storm approaches, and the first to mark the changing of the seasons. Whether migratory or resident, raptor or forager, social or solitary, birds observe the cadences of life closely. It has been my experience that they have much to teach us.

That must be why birds figure so prominently in art and lore. After all, what would the night sky be without Cygnus the swan flying over the Northern Hemisphere? Can we imagine Edgar Allan Poe casting a weasel as the ever-present creature responding "Nevermore"? What would Sesame Street be without Big Bird?

We'll let you, our esteemed Jedheads, ponder these thought-provoking questions.

Hooves on the Ground: Mount Whitney

October 23, 2014

I'm a buck who believes in the ability of members of different species to transcend their differences. But there are some impulses that are present in other species that I just cannot wrap my furry head around. One of these is the human desire to undertake perfectly irrational pursuits for some intangible psychological reward, and along the way risk one's tail. I thought Homo sapiens were supposed to be a knowing species. But after witnessing E+J's latest harebrained outing (and here I apologize to all hares and members of the genus Lepus), I'm beginning to think that all the knowledge collectively held in this bossy, 7-billion-strong bunch doesn't amount to much.

The idea seemed simple: dayhike up the highest mountain in the contiguous US. But let's break that sentence down.

Hooves on the Ground: San Gorgonio Mountain

October 2, 2014

With summer winding down and higher elevations soon becoming inhospitable and inaccessible, we set out for an impromptu trip to Southern California's tallest peak, San Gorgonio Mountain. "Old Grayback," as it's nicknamed, is in the San Bernardino Mountains and is part of an expansive wilderness (home to many of my deer relatives) about 10 miles southeast of Big Bear Lake and 20 miles northwest of Palm Springs.

There are many different trails to the summit, which is a popular destination with hikers training their legs and lungs for Mt. Whitney. E+J and I did an overnighter and decided the shortest but steepest route was the way to go. But enough of this buck's prose. Following is how E experienced the mountain (as recorded in her travel journal), and how J saw it (in photographs).

Hooves on the Ground: Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra

August 13, 2014

Summer is the perfect season to visit the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The famous Range of Light, as John Muir called it, is 400 miles long -- from Tehachapi Pass in Kern County to the south, to Fredonyer Pass in Lassen County to the north. The Sierra is home to three national parks (Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon), 20 wilderness areas, and many notable features, including Lake Tahoe and Mount Whitney (highest point in the contiguous US).

For a buck like me, exploring the Sierra is like going home. Much of the range is mule deer habitat, so traveling around the mountains with E+J didn't turn any heads -- though I did have to pack away my smoking jacket for this trip.

Hellbound

July 23, 2014

TS Eliot wrote his epic masterpiece The Waste Land in 1922 as a eulogy over the death of Old Europe in the wake of the Great War. To Eliot, there was no greater loss than the loss of what gives life meaning -- the collective cultural consciousness of humanity, evidenced in literature, music, art, mythology and history. With the First World War, humanity had undergone a rite of passage from innocence to experience, crossing the point of no return.

If the challenge of Eliot's time was that of a fundamental and irreversible societal metamorphosis evidenced by devolving culture, today we find ourselves at a similar crossroads -- only the stakes are higher. Ours is a battle of existential proportions, where the very survival of our species, and that of the myriad species we rely upon, is no longer a foregone conclusion.

How to Make a Brown Derby

June 14, 2014

Here's a cocktail recipe to help you enjoy the latest dearantler show. Save this image to your virtual recipe box or print out and post on your fridge. Cheers!

Hooves on the Ground: Mecca Hills Wilderness, Salton Sea & Slab City

June 13, 2014

Though I'm a mule deer by birth, at heart I'm a desert rat. That is to say that, while I would never trade the life-sustaining bounty that the oak woodlands and chaparral-covered mountains of my home provide, if given the chance to saunter off to an unknown place for a few days, I will gladly choose a desert landscape. What is it about these arid lands that draws me in? In part, it's the elegant simplicity of the landscape -- no towering trees, no verdant, superfluous overgrowth under every fallen log, no view obscured by heavy fog. In the desert, an invisible hand seems responsible for placing each rock and plant just exactly where it belongs, like a sparsely choreographed dance forever fixed in place. But what calls me to the desert even more is the simple fact that every living thing there has an innate will to live that's stronger than anywhere else.

Lucky for me, E+J share a similar curiosity for the desert. And so we found ourselves exploring a few less-traveled corners of the Colorado Desert of Southern California over Memorial Day weekend.

Facing Vertigo

May 23, 2014

This month's show brings two variations in different media on the theme of "Grand Canyon," ranging from the literal to the abstract.

Virgin River

The classic view of Zion - looking downstream along the Virgin River toward the Watchman formation.

Canyon Overlook

View to the south from Canyon Overlook. State Highway 9 can be seen meandering up the incline.

East Zion

One of the many side trails in the less crowded east side of Zion.

Ephemeral Stream

Rain in Zion means streams and waterfalls come to life, sometimes for just a few minutes.

Emerald Pools

The waterfall after rain.

Hooves on the Ground: Zion and Grand Canyon National Park

May 18, 2014

Edith, Jolly and I found ourselves visiting two Southwest canyons in the Colorado Plateau this time: Zion National Park, in southwestern Utah, and Grand Canyon, in northern Arizona. In Zion, one looks up the canyon walls, while at the Grand Canyon one looks down into the landscape. I absolutely love traveling in this part of the country, because no one ever gives a second look when they see a buck roaming around. There are plenty of other native mule deer around to distract the bipeds.

Rare Window

April 4, 2014

I'm thrilled that Rare Window - Three Views Into Los Angeles is introducing dearantler's first guest artist, Diana Kohne, whose artistic style and name I really like. Why name, you ask? Jolly. Edith. Diana. JED. It's meant to be. Yes, I am a buck who appreciates a nod of acknowledgment every now and then.

Rare Window is a collection of disparate insights into one of the world's most alluring cities, an iconic destination that has been mythologized endlessly in film and literature, a metropolis with a climate so desirable that it thrives year-round day and night, a place where world-class beaches are a half-day's drive from the driest deserts and the tallest mountains. Los Angeles is also one of the most ethnically diverse places on the planet, a city where wealth and poverty are separated by a few short miles, where imagination and dreams are juxtaposed against life's realities.

Los Angeles is a tough nut to crack. Many have tried - Raymond Chandler, John Fante, Ed Ruscha, David Hockney and Paul Thomas Anderson to name a few - and many more will use their creativity to try to interpret what makes it tick. This month's show adds to this discourse in its own small way.

Rebus Puzzle Contest Winner Announced

March 18, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

Thank you for your enthusiastic entries to the Dial D for Drought rebus puzzle contest!

Without further ado, the winner is...

Rebus Puzzle Contest from e & j on Vimeo.

Water-Themed Haiku Contest Winner Announced

March 9, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

Oh boy, did we get some wonderful entries to the Dial D for Drought: A Call for Water Awareness water-themed haiku contest! All told, we got more than 60 submissions, each evocative in its own way -- which made it difficult to pick just one winner. Very. Very. Difficult.

But I'm a buck who likes a challenge. So when Edith and Jolly couldn't make up their minds, I took matters into my own hooves and made an executive decision.

Dial D for Drought - Contest #2

March 6, 2014

There is nothing like a thirst-quenching rain like the one Los Angeles received last week to give us a small reprieve from the drought. My 'hood in the Santa Monica Mountains received more than 5 inches of rain -- more than we've seen in the past year combined. While we got a little break and nice drink, California is still very much in drought. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be thinking of proactive ways to do our part.

Dial D for Drought

February 23, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

We’ve all heard the news. California is in a severe drought, the worst in recorded history and possibly in 500 years. As of the week of February 18th, 91 percent of the state was experiencing severe to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. California’s “Golden State” moniker is gaining new meaning as hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland go fallow and our state’s role as the nation’s breadbasket is threatened.

Couldn’t we just pick up the phone and “dial D for drought” to alert government agencies to do something about it? In the face of a problem of such epic proportions, can individual action really amount to anything meaningful?

Hooves on the Ground: Mojave National Preserve

February 17, 2014

Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks are two of California's best-known desert parks. But there is a third lesser-known destination that blends much of the beauty of the two and provides vast open spaces with far fewer people. Welcome to Mojave National Preserve, where 1.6 million acres of other-worldly rock formations, singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones and the world's densest Joshua tree woodland await.

Contest winners announced

February 2, 2014

We're pleased to announce the two winners of the It Takes 39 Steps contest to win a free print. Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry, and stay tuned for more chances to win!

It Takes 39 Steps

January 17, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

As a buck who lives close to the land, I’m accustomed to being still and observing the scene. Is that the distant rattling of a rattlesnake? Is the screeching of that red-tailed hawk hovering above meant as a warning to us ground-dwellers? This kind of astute observation is necessary for the survival of us wild animals, but it is not a characteristic I generally see in humans.

This is why I’m particularly excited about this month’s show.

Thank you for a successful launch!

January 11, 2014

Dear Readers,

Edith, Jolly and I are very pleased with the encouraging response we received following the launch of dearantler.com. Thank you for making it a success!

We had numerous inquiries about purchasing our artwork. The work you see in the gallery this month is licensed on Society6, where it’s available as framed or unframed prints on high-quality paper, or on merchandise (adult and children’s t-shirts, sweatshirt hoodies, baby onesies, smartphone and tablet cases and skins, tote bags, notecards and pillows). We were happy to hear from our art patrons that they were impressed by the workmanship quality of Society6 products.

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