Tag Archives: ephemera

Kinfolk + Pals, Post'd (cards + letters)

Ichiro: gift thank-you cards (vol. 1+) / 8.21~9.19

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PS yes i do have 2 Dymo labelers, doesn’t everyone?

Aug. 21: Doing a batch of custom “Ichiro cards“, obsessively handmade of course, to send to folks who sent such lovely gifts from around the world.

Just trying to make a little something extra special special for everyone to brighten up their day in evidently strange times.

Note: Packages are arriving from Canada… Just takes rather long due to limited flights coming across the Pacific these days – Further annotations & postal tips.

Memo: It’s worth noting that with the baby, various big changes in life, postal disruptions etc., I’m a little bit behind in my usual copious correspondence. Please know that every one of your letters is savoured, displayed, properly archived and what not. I will do my best to answer everything eventually. Your anticipated patience is much appreciated.

Update, Sept 3 / Batch one, away! 

Various countries (also Ichi’s Canada Citizenship packet – truly unimpressed with service from Canadian Embassy/ Consular section in Tokyo – ugh rudeness and hassles for a birthright and taxpayer… #stopcomplaining)

Update / Sept 7: Another chance for a session (this sort of project is hard to do in short bursts, doing what we can…) 

Best thanks for all your wonderful notes and thoughts (can’t quite stay up with everything these days).

Note: So glad we are documenting his/this journey. Noting all parents have different feelings about how much to share/ what to share/ permission/ privacy etc. This is all thought through. 

Update / Sept 11

Batch 2 into the wormhole! Stamps carefully chosen naturally (even though the desired designs resulted in overpaying for postage… you are worth it :)). 

Annotation: Pictured (below x2) is the “work stuff” / so many wonderful supplies to play with. Kinda hard to explain but as a project goes on, of course the form evolves and sometimes i worry that the first round isn’t as good as later rounds or maybe the opposite as i am definitely a “maximalist” and don’t do that “design is 99% invisible” flow.

Use all the goodness all the time! My point? I just hope they are enjoyed and care is noticed (so i don’t feel like the family who handmade caramel apples for Halloween just to have them all tossed out when kids return home from trick or treat). Am i making sense? Didn’t think so. #tinybitobsessive  

Even… sometimes include “bonus snaps/items” which simply amuse me for metaphorical reasons and i think recipients will dig – especially “remixd” #meta photos of some kind or another or ones which are the answer to a question never asked (like the significance of a bridge).

Update / Sept 19:

So many treasures arriving for #IchiroOlson / each of course sparks a splendid handcrafted, unique postal treasure in reply. So very grateful.

As such, round 3 of “Ichiro Thank you for gift cards” underway. Changing styles to fit the supplies on hand and a few stationery items recently arrived. Each batch unique, each card… we’ll keep making until whenever. 

Note: the only existing complete analog series of the 43 (so far) Ichiro “#io” cards, cut with dear Mom’s (heavy metal) pinking shears, attached to custom stamped (inky & franked postal) postcards then enveloped with family photo / am I ruining the surprise?

(Redundant note) these are going to the dear folks who have mailed remarkable gift packages, care boxes and cards from around the world in commemoration of the birth of this dude.

Get in on the fun by mailing to:

Ichiro Olson
937-1 Tsuchida, Naka-ku
Okayama-shi, Okayama-ken
703-8217 Japan

Star of the show!

 

Collections of Artifacts

#daveo50 (spectacles, various, vol. 2 / modern collection)

#daveo50 (spectacles, various, vol. 2 / modern collection)

Spectacles (modern collection) / with accessories 

I’ve bought boats for optometrists
Trying to see more clear

Paid for orthodontists
for kids of ophthalmologists

Sent the work of opticians
to unknown recipients

Examined construction of lens
from a bifocals dented nose

Understood refraction more than options
conglomerates of industrial design

Still evidence glinty abounds
enough to make a mobile

##

Personal Archeology – #daveo50 (spectacles, various, vol. 1 / classical collection)
Daily Ephemera, Oddities, Artifacts, Mementos, etc
2020 6.26 ~ 8.16 

Collections of Artifacts

#daveo50 (spectacles, various, vol. 1 / classical collection)

#daveo50 “Personal Archeology Project” (spectacles, various, vol. 1 / classical collection)

I’ve bought boats for optometrists
Trying to see more clear

Paid for orthodontists
for kids of ophthalmologists

Sent the work of opticians
to unknown recipients

Examined construction of lens
from a bifocals dented nose

Understood refraction more than options
conglomerates of industrial design

Still evidence glinty abounds
enough to make a mobile

##

Personal Archeology – #daveo50 (spectacles, various, vol. 1 / classical collection)
Daily Ephemera, Oddities, Artifacts, Mementos, etc
2020 6.26 ~ 8.16 

Notes to Future Self

Evidence: statistical oddities (3)

Image
Japan: 420

I make art, document the art and document, the documenting of the art and I’ve done some of my whole life (as you’ve noticed in this personal archeology project).

Digression: There are paths for an artist – to chase fame or fortune, or personal satisfaction, or admiration from others (there are others). You can choose a couple of these *aims* but to get all at once is probably/possibly a bit much to ask. As for me, i make things for an audience 100 years from now and to amuse myself (and now so son Ichiro has a record of me). 

Anyhow the point is: I make these “things” for my own amusement not for numbers. Fuck Stats, Make Art right. Don’t cheat your audience make what you want.

Ergo: to make sure i am making “things i really wanna make”, I don’t check traffic/view numbers, I don’t make sales funnels, I don’t gather information, and at this point I don’t sell anything aside from paintings and poems on special request… but, in doing “all of this” project, I couldn’t help but notice a few notable numbers popping up, 420 everywhere. This is all, i am amused.

All-time views: 42,040

Oh yeah, a friend in Jamaica was concerned that he wasn’t getting “paid” for a video he appeared in which had more views in a day than all the rest of my little videos put together. He was convinced it was enough to buy a house, I sent him this detailed statistical report. .11 cents. Yeah, i’m a bigtimer on the tubes :). 

11 cents from Youtube
Collections of Artifacts

#daveo50 “Personal Archeology Project” (pocket knives, various)

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#daveo50 “Personal Archeology Project” (pocket knives, various)

Personal Archeology – #daveo50 (pocket knives, various)
Daily Ephemera, Oddities, Artifacts, Mementos, etc
2020 6.26 ~ 8.16

Archeology Records

Duly Noted: SOCAN registration and songs published

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Evidence: SOCAN registration and songs

I made some “spoken word with loops and samples” songs somewhere along the way, released on various channels/media (under Archeology Records), and now making more songs with other people who are recording and releasing.

As such, i duly registered with SOCAN (Society of Composers, Arrangers something something) – the Canadian analogue to BMI or ASCAP in USA (all rather confusing).

Anyhow, i have a few songs published. SOCAN will collect royalties on my behalf for live performance and radio transmission. Mechanical royalties (physical media) are another story, again confusing but duly noted.

Fire em up. Find under “Uncle Weed” on usual streaming channels. 

Collections of Artifacts

#daveo50 “Personal Archeology Project” (lighter + matchbook / with cryptic message)

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#daveo50 “Personal Archeology Project” (lighter & match / with cryptic message)

Personal Archeology – #daveo50 (lighters, various)
Daily Ephemera, Oddities, Artifacts, Mementos, etc
2020 6.26 ~ 8.16

Any guesses on what the string of letters mean? #spygames

Have you hit up the Riverwood Inn in Phillipsville, CA? Its haunted (i stayed the night there). 

Collections of Artifacts, Personal Musings

#daveo50 “Personal Archeology Project” (Fuji panorama camera)

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#daveo50 “Personal Archeology Project” (Fuji panorama camera)

Personal Archeology Exhibit – #daveo50
Pre-scheduled Daily Ephemera
2020 6.26 ~ 8.16

Fuji panorama camera
Purchased 1993, TOPOS discount department store (approx ¥3000), Tottori, Japan.

Used extensively (was first panorama camera i’d ever seen and i was fascinated and amused by function and design).

Still have instruction manual and receipt somewhere (note to self: add for the permanent record).

Note: when loading (35mm) film, had to choose “panorama” or “futsu/regular” for the whole roll. Developing in full-size panorama was expensive and not readily available so often shot panorama and developed “normal” resulting in a letter box style print (as you may have noticed in the personal archeology project).

When possible, chose to develop the full size panorama images which i find so interesting (and take a deliberate mindset to shoot).

Indeed, many snaps from 1993-6 (until the winder crank broke likely from salt water immersion though the camera was ostensibly waterproof) appear as rotating header images in this creative life archive – especially from Japan, Guam, Hawaii etc.