ART SKOOL DAMAGE : Christian Montone

The Fall Also Rises

2026-10-17T09:05:00.855-07:00

Everything is colorful.

Everything is shifting.

That sunrise gets later each day.

Fall rises so quickly that a two week old photo feels old.

Here we are as usual...

Student palette that operates as an artwork.

The leaves are lit like so much stained glass.

Paul Newman and Geraldine Page... always great.

Happy 60th birthday to my brother from another mother.

Here's my mother serving us some pizza for Steve's big day.

Florentine Lace is the king of cookies.

Rob is a 2020 alum who is studying to be a teacher.

He came by to observe history classes and I'm always happy to see him.

Items painted and brought in by a student named Soren...

Valley Of The Dolls...

Somebody had surgery and yes, they are just fine.

Steve's guest bathroom is a riot.

Some off-site professional development...

Attended a conference with my colleagues and ran into Emily, who I taught at Parsons in 20205. She told me I was instrumental in getting her into art school and in her decision to become a high school art educator. As luck would have it, she teaches a few miles from my home. What a beautiful convergence!

Jessie Ware Live In NYC - 8 October 2026

2026-10-09T14:05:46.959-07:00

This was my first Jessie Ware show and I am pleased to

have finally seen here. What a thrill it was to watch her in a state

of pure joy at her sold out Radio City Music Hall show.

Jessie pulled Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters onto the stage, much to the delight of the entire audience last night. I had the pleasure of saying hello to Jake and meeting him after the show. What a nice guy! I told him I was going to come see in The Rocky Horror Show and he said "Please do! Thank you!"

WHAT A NIGHT!

It was great to see my friends Gariel and Greg

and it was a nice surprise to meet Jake Shears.

THANK YOU JESSIE! You're an absolute gem.

The Sweep Of It All

2026-09-28T17:07:57.172-07:00

Early Autumn Greets Us

Some things get ready to drop.

Others keep their slow crawl of growth.

And eight days later...

What can be said about one of the most illuminated, intelligent and spirited alumni to have ever graced my classroom or our school community? What can be said about a young woman who spends her 32nd birthday coming back to RHS to speak to a journalism class about her life and career? You can say she is one of the best people I’ve had the privilege of working with when she was a teen and I’m grateful to watch her adult story continue to unfold beautifully. Happy Birthday Melissa! Thanks for being you!

Swept up in September

As October gets ready to emerge.

So much going on behind the scenes.

Cheers to all. XO - CDM

Town & Country: Septembering

2026-09-15T14:44:42.743-07:00

NYC Stuff...

Here’s the NPR piece I was interviewed for outside of

the Harry Styles concert at MSG. It’s more narrowly focused

than the broader conversation we had but still interesting.

LINK HERE

Happy 55th Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Ran into Shoshona... Alum from 2011.

Always great to see the alumni doing fantastic things!

Back To School Night...

Yes, your children are EXCEPTIONALLY talented.

Visited Weil Antiques' new location and

Wind Gap Flea Market. Lots of taxidermy on this visit.

Bought this cool 1960s Philco radio from Bobby.

Also got this 45 of "Islands In The Stream" from 1983.

Bobby is my favorite record vendor and one of my

favorite people. Always great to see him and his store.

eBay Score: A 1960 copy of Teen Digest.

Kenny & Dolly 7" single (1983)

Teen Magazine (1968)

Another box of Wisk Off (1960s)

This one will be cut up (labels and all) for

a new fine art collage diptych for my living room.

A fully intact and unused 1958

Sargent Wash Off Crayon Kit...

and yes, it's going to stay preserved.

A rogue reflective rainbow finds a home in my home.

Cheers to all as we head into autumn splendor.

Stay illuminated. XO - CDM

Late Summer Magic

2026-09-02T13:32:37.650-07:00

Summer has come to a close yet again.

The greenery remains as the season starts to shift.

Checked into my IKEA Swedish dorm room.

WOW, Dollar Tree... REALLY? What's the safe word?

Huge thanks to my friend Steve for helping me install

two light fixtures in my home. This one was a nightmare.

eBay Scores:

The Candymen -

The Candymen Bring You Candy Power (1968)

A Brad Steiger paperback from 1967

Plasticville Frosty Bar (1954)

Update the picture. Upgrade your life.

TIMOTHY JAMES CURRY • 1946 - 2026 

“Don’t dream it. Be it.” • Rest In Peace, Dr. Frank-N-Furter

DOLLY PARTON FOREVER

That thing when you’re casually lying on the floor in the hallway outside your classroom having a TOTALLY professional conversation with your colleagues about classroom protocols and a colleague rolls up and snaps your picture. I’m gonna use this for my professional practices documentation log. Also, I’m so glad I’ve reached a point in my life and career where I can lie on the floor mid conversation and nobody seems to care. My parents would be SO proud if they saw this.

YEAR 27… LET’S DO THIS!

There was a roll of caution tape among the boxes of new art supplies when I walked in to set up my classroom today. Should I be concerned? Also: This is my 27th year at RHS, during which I will turn 54 (in January). This means that one half of my time on Earth has been spent working here with all of my awesome colleagues (past and present) and amazing kids, whose numbers (at this point) have reached well into the thousands. Here’s to another year of magic. BRING IT!

Box Truck Blues - 23rd and 5th NYC

Harry Styles - Live In NYC (28 August 2026)

2026-08-29T10:24:28.796-07:00

I’m very impressed by what I witnessed last night. Harry Styles' Together Together tour exceeded my expectations. Mr. Styles and his band delivered on every level. Harry was upbeat, demonstrating solid vocals, unique dance moves and diverse musicianship. He showed a deep connection to his audience and exhibited gratitude, self awareness and insight when speaking to the ecstatic crowd. Last night was also the first time I ever felt Madison Square Garden shake. Those of you with tickets to the remaining 28 shows of his 30 night MSG residency are in for a treat. Cheers, Harry. Well done, sir!

Also... I got interviewed by NPR about

pop music and pop culture before the show.

That was a fun moment!

Links To Videos...

Dance No More

Kiwi

Are You Listening Yet?

Aperture

Home Refresh (And Stops Along The Way)

2026-08-14T08:52:20.904-07:00

Several years ago my friend Kelly gave me this 1960s Mimi Sherle museum print which bears an uncanny resemblance to childhood photos of me. Having refreshed the walls of my dining area I’m finally able to bring it out of the record and tape closet where it was hanging and display it in a space where it will be seen. Thanks, Kelly! PS: The thought of me being in ANY kind of closet is hilarious and that goat smelled absolutely putrid.

From The Archives • New York Daily News (1969) 

It was 57 years ago today that Sharon Tate, her unborn son Paul Richard Polanski, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowski and Steven Parent died at the hands of The Manson Cult (aka The Family) at 10050 Cielo Drive in the hills of Benedict Canyon in Los Angeles. This artifact from my archives is interesting because it represents one of the many erroneous narratives spread by casual gossip and the media about that horrific night. There was no party. The list of people who claim to have been asked to attend this non-event is something of an urban legend which has since become a meme in certain circles. Whether or not you believe the motives for this crime put forth in Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry’s book Helter Skelter (which I have read countless times and presents an investigation into some of the events, the characters involved and the trial that followed) or Tom O’Neill and Dan Pipenbring’s riveting and exhaustively researched book Chaos (follow @chaoscharlesmanson on Instagram for more) one thing is certain. The effects of the Tate-LaBianca murders continue to resonate throughout the culture with questions about their interrelatedness and the real possibility of these events being part of a much larger government plot that went off the rails, involving a much broader network of interconnected characters. I’ve spent 40 years trying to make sense of it all since my first reading of Helter Skelter and yes, I still have that dog-eared 1975 yellow paperback hand me down from my Aunt Karen in my library. Today, I’m thinking of those who were lost on this night (and at the LaBianca residence in Los Feliz the next night) in 1969. Maybe I’ll watch Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood to revel in what should have happened instead. PS: If you haven’t read Tom O’Neill’s CHAOS, I highly recommend it. Word on the street is he is working on CHAOS II and I can’t wait to read that.

Super fun dinner at The Ugly Dumpling (which was fantastic) with Keira, Benny and Steve because I’m not allowed out in public without him and nobody wants to see me unless I bring him with me but that’s okay because everyone needs a purple haired chaperone with a handlebar mustache. PS: To my fellow Gen Xers… The kids are alright and the future is secure in the hands of Gen Z.

8 August 2026

Earlier this afternoon I noticed a beautiful Polyphemus moth on the stairs to my condo. I had only seen one once before on a street lamp outside my building several years ago. As before, I was bemused by its eye spot patterns and large wingspan, which is about 5 inches. I looked up the totemic symbology of the Polyphemus moth and it totally tracks for me. It reads as follows… 

As a totem or spirit animal, the Polyphemus moth represents profound inner transformation, spiritual awakening, and trusting the unseen path. Named after the one-eyed Cyclops from Greek mythology due to the large, striking eyespots on its wings, this creature carries deep medicine centered on expanding your perception beyond the physical. 

﻿﻿Awakening Your "Third Eye": The most distinguishing features of this moth are the large, translucent eyespots on its hindwings. As a totem, it serves as a powerful reminder to open your spiritual sight, rely on your intuition and look past illusions to see the deeper truth of a situation. 

﻿﻿Trusting Metamorphosis: Moths undergo a dramatic transformation inside a dark, confined cocoon before emerging into total liberation. If this totem appears to you, it suggests that you are navigating a major life transition. It encourages you to trust the dark, uncomfortable stages of growth, knowing that personal freedom is on the other side. 

﻿﻿Messengers from the Ancestors: In many Indigenous and global folklore traditions, encountering a large, rare giant silk moth like this is believed to be a gentle visit or sign from a deceased loved one or spirit guide, signaling that you are protected and on the correct path. 

I had the privilege of having dinner and spending quality time with The Moran Family. I am truly blessed to have known these wonderful people for so long and to be able to share in the bright spirit that surrounds them. Thank you Eileen, Katie and Rob for a wonderful evening and for being who you are.

X-Ray-Ted pic at the dentist

While executing the pink / red segment of my living room refresh (which is gonna SLAY when finished) I looked at one of my blotter boards and realized that it’s a nice defacto art piece. It’s also a fun memento of the home refresh process so I’m going to slice it up and incorporate the splatters and swipes into a collage.

14 August 2026

Living room is resettled and feels fresh yet familiar.

The home energy reset feels complete.

I am going to paint the bathroom but will likely not shoot pics.

It's more of a footnote to all of this.

The biggest part of the job is done.

Thanks to all who watched the timeline as I worked it out.

Cheers. XO - CDM

Colorama: Home Refresh In Progress (With Side Quests)

2026-07-31T11:58:08.173-07:00

Before things can be pretty, they oftentimes

get messy. You gotta break an egg to make an omelet.

Still working at it. Some surprising things are about to go down. Stay tuned! - CDM

Confessions And Sacred Spaces

2026-07-17T11:16:50.421-07:00

At The Feet Of Saints

In this sacred space

People leave offerings

At the feet of saints

Like the ones we placed

Many years ago

I was reckless then

And we both knew better

But we never knew when

We would meet again

Or how to make it so

So we used this place

To trade sacred hearts

And ask for grace

In lieu of the embrace

That we had to forego

I see beads of glass

Left here by the faithful

After Novenas and Mass

And though time has passed

Memory casts a faint glow

I forgive us both now

And my life has evolved

But I remember how

What we could not allow

Made us both let go

---

Thanks for the cool bag, Kelly!

3 July 2026

Last night I stayed up until 3 AM listening to Confessions 2 by Madonna on repeat. I have NEVER witnessed an artistic rebirth like this before. 44 years into her career, Madonna has delivered a definitive pop masterpiece. Confessions 2 will go down in music history as her magnum opus. Start to finish, this arc of songs carries all of the depth, edge and insight that many of us always knew she was capable of delivering… and she’s doing this at age 67. Ageists, misogynists and haters can have a seat. Several seats, in fact. All expectations have been surpassed and crushed. The entire timeline has just shifted. THIS is the Madonna (and the sound) the world needs now. Everybody go back to the dance floor. Nature is healing. Madonna has worked it all out for us.

Can you name the movie being quoted here?

The deluxe formats were worth the extra few days' wait.

4th Of July 1976 / 2026 

At left is a photo of me (age 3) at my grandparents’ backyard Bicentennial party. Though I was very young, I have vivid memories of celebrating America’s 200th birthday. I was surrounded by family as we spent the day eating grilled hot dogs, fruit salad from a watermelon bowl and Flying Saucer ice cream sandwiches from Carvel. We enjoyed night swimming and games of Marco Polo (with me squeezed into a vinyl Wacky Packages innertube). I watched neighborhood fireworks (totally illegal) from the protective lap of one of the older kids from across the street (Tina? Camille?) next to a freshly painted red, white and blue fire hydrant… the work of my Aunt Susan and cousin Lizzy (who were double trouble and tons of fun). Many people did this to hydrants and telephone poles in Staten Island as well as other boroughs of NYC (and that paint was visible for decades). The Bicentennial spirit was alive. There was music, laughter, pride and a sense of merriment that day. All of the aforementioned would permeate all of my grandparents’ 4th of July parties for many years to come and I loved every one of them. 

I’m grateful to have been born into a loving family and I’m proud to be the product of two distinctly different spaces (New York City and suburban New Jersey) that informed my identity and career. I can also say that I have benefited from the educational and cultural advantages that The American Experience has offered me. However, as of late, this sentiment is also layered with considerable conflict. Simultaneously, the unifying spirit that fueled the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976 seems conspicuously absent from the landscape in 2026. 

At right is a photo of me 50 years later. While approaching a shop window yesterday, I found myself reflected in (and dwarfed by) a giant American flag. The dynamics and scale of this view activated some complex feelings as I saw myself unwittingly superimposed upon a symbol that (in its ubiquity throughout my early life) carried a simple message. It represented freedom, liberty and opportunity. Sadly, in recent years, a certain faction has co-opted, coded and (at times) weaponized it against people from other cultures, people who are here seeking asylum and even people who are engaged in the naturalization process for U.S. citizenship. 

Here’s the other wrinkle in the star spangled fabric… It has also become weaponized against Americans themselves. This includes people who don’t identify as Christian, people of color, people who value multicultural representation in education and the arts and, yes… the LGBTQIA+ community (which I am a member of). 

Fifty years on, that boy in the photo at left is a 53 year old man who, on America’s 250th birthday, is saddened by the violations of basic human rights that are present in his country today. I am saddened by how our country is perceived (due to actions at home and abroad) by other nations. Though I am disheartened and disgusted, I do not despair. I STILL believe that a more peaceful and prosperous America is possible for all of us. To be clear, I would like for others to be able to (if they so choose) share in the advantages and opportunities that this country has afforded myself, my family and many of my friends. 

I would also like to add the following… No matter who you are or how you identify, remember that NOBODY has the right to marginalize you. NOBODY has the right to put you at the back of the bus. NOBODY has the right to gatekeep opportunity from you. NOBODY has the right to claim your body as their property. NOBODY has the right to invalidate your identity. Independence is a state of mind and on this, America’s Semiquincentennial, I wish everyone peace, freedom and prosperity. Despite the volatility of the current climate and its many challenges, I truly believe that a better world awaits us. Stay hopeful, stay illuminated and keep shining your light. Oh… and PLEASE be careful with the fireworks, folks. 
Love, CDM

When it's 101 degrees, Depeche Mode's 101 is the ONLY album to play.

Opening line of dialogue in Blue Film. 
Intense, disturbing at points and very well acted. 

Shallow River

Another Shallow River

It’s been a while since my friend Steve and I had matzoh ball soup 
so I asked him to go out to lunch but the real reason I did this was 
so I could take him for a drive and make him listen to Confessions 2 
by Madonna in my car. He’ll thank me later. 

EVERYBODY GET UP AND DANCE!

I don't resonate with this palette at all, but it's an interesting concept.

I’m doing a thing. I want to share it because it feels important and also positive. Today I decided to activate a color makeover on my home. I’m still working on illustrations for my next book (and that is continuing to take considerable time, focus and diligence - as some of you have seen) but I’m taking a short break to invest in this… for myself. Recently, something magical happened to me. While ineffable to me and perhaps imperceptible to others, I feel as though I’ve had a personal rebirth. Something in my soul, my spirit and my core essence that felt absent, malnourished or perhaps mismanaged for quite some time was returned to me. 
A year ago, without saying much about it to anyone, I quietly returned to the daily practice of meditation… a practice that I had begun (and one which changed the entire course of my life) in the late 1990s with a wonderful teacher I was introduced to on the Upper West Side of Manhattan named Matthew. Quick Backstory… I was working in the admissions office at Parsons School Of Design, traveling a lot for work and doing artwork. I was living in Brooklyn and doing all the things a guy like me did at age 25 in 1990s NYC. I was immersed in that life, but hadn’t quite taken my most empowered form and at times my aura reflected that. Matthew was a no nonsense, straight shooting, lumberjack looking meditation teacher, energy healer and a psychic. Strange combination, I know. No white robes, no flowery jargon and no psychobabble. 
When we had our introductory meeting prior to the meditation course, he looked right into (and through) me and said, “Your last lifetime was during the 1950s. That’s why you love the 1950s so much. You missed the 1960s and you’re reclaiming it with your tastes and tendencies. You’ve had a lot of sadness, survived abuse and as a result, you lack confidence. To overcompensate, you work 50 percent harder than you need to on everything. You deserve more. You were put here to be a good person. Your home is important to you and you will have a beautiful home someday that you worked hard for. You are a great artist and you are going to be a great teacher someday.” That’s when my jaw met the floor and that’s also how I started meditating. 
Within two years, the bridge of incidence that meditation layed out for me directed me to my current job as a high school art teacher, led me to many new and fulfilling relationships, uncovered a world of rich experiences, unlocked the creativity that would inform my best artwork and shortly thereafter place me in the home which I love and am about to repaint. As I reengaged in my meditation journey over the last year, I remembered not only the mechanics of Matthew’s teachings and put those practices to use but also that shockingly perceptive (and prescient) reading that tunneled right into the cellular fabric of my 25 year old self. A few weeks ago, somebody asked me “How did you become yourself?” I told them I decided who I wanted to be, meditated on it and went out and did the work. In truth, I had to pick “the work” back up again, but I’m still doing the work. It took about a year, as I said, but an energetic cord that had faltered within me has definitely found its direct current again. I’ve still got more work ahead of me, but for now I’m going to work in brilliant living color… for myself. I think I earned it.

This is a series of 25 images that I scanned from the 
original negatives (purchased on eBay) of Andy Williams on set 
and behind the scenes of The Andy Williams Show in 1962.
I like the candid, unstudied nature of the BTS shots and the 
small details in the office, such as the rack of 7" 45 RPM singles. 

8 July 2026

Today revealed yet another unexpected gift for me. I had an afternoon of errands and booked a haircut. I was met by Iris and Alanys, two delightful young ladies that I always enjoy talking to about our families and current events as I get fresh fades and cuts. Today, for some reason, when I sat down for my haircut, the energy in the salon felt brighter and more elevated than usual and I pointed this out to them. They both looked at me and said “It’s you! You brought it! You always bring it!” To say I was honored and humbled would be an understatement and I told them so, adding “I always love seeing you two and I’m just grateful. I remember how it was six years ago when we couldn’t get haircuts for five months and I decided I would never take a haircut for granted again.” The rest of the conversation was about gratitude. Each of these ladies told me a list of things they were grateful for… everything from the ability to see, walk, hear and taste food to having a job, a home, a car, and a family. I told them I was grateful to simply be alive, adding this: “If anyone ever tries to make me feel old I just tell them that I know a lot of people who never made it to my age and would have liked to. I don’t feel guilty and I definitely don’t feel ashamed about it. I’m grateful.” I asked these two beauties to take a photo with me to mark this moment of shared conversation, collective energies, gratitude and light and they kindly obliged. I’m grateful that I stopped into the salon today, grateful to have had such wonderful conversation and sentiments shared with me and (in keeping with what has become a recurring theme) absolutely humbled by the beautiful and unexpected gifts and experiences that somehow keep appearing along my day to day pathways. Experiences like these aren’t limited to temples, churches, ashrams or shrines. They can indeed reveal themselves to you at a Supercuts in the suburbs. Today was a nice reminder that if you keep shining your light, in time, those glimmers from the universe will be reflected back at you. I’m wishing everyone out there all of this and more. Stay illuminated. 

This is a special moment. On June 17, 1950 my grandparents (Nanny and Pop, who helped raise me) exchanged rings and vows. They are pictured above with my Mom in 1952. Pop’s wedding ring stayed on his left ring finger every day from that date until one day in 1999 and I witnessed this. At the time, Pop was in the end stages of liver cancer. My family and I spent his final months with him as he prepared to transition. Ever the brave soul, he understood the gravity of the situation but never complained. One afternoon I made soup for he and I and handed him a box of Oysterette crackers. He reached his hand in, dumped some of the tiny hexagonal crackers into his soup and handed the box back to me. I did the same and sat down to eat. With my first spoonful of soup, I noticed something shiny in the mix. His wedding ring had slipped off his finger into the cracker box due to weight loss and I had unwittingly retrieved it. When I picked the ring out of my soup, he looked downward and exhaled slowly. Without a word, I could see his sadness, so I joked “Pop, look! It’s like Cracker Jack! I won the grand prize!” This made him laugh and I quickly washed the ring and slipped it back on his finger. Lunch proceeded as normal. After Pop died in October 1999, the ring was worn on a chain around Nanny’s neck until her passing in 2007. Shortly thereafter, it was given to me by my Mom and her siblings. I kept the ring in a jewelry box for nearly 19 years. Last week, all in a moment, I finally decided to have it resized to fit my right ring finger because it’s the hand I draw, paint and write with. It serves as a talisman imbibed with the love and collective energies of both Nanny and Pop that can be with me as I do my work. Many thanks to the wonderfully kind and professional staff at Henry’s Fine Jewelry for treating this small but precious artifact (and me) with such care. Thank you as always to Nanny and Pop for the love you gave ALL of us (and specifically to me). Thank you both for continuing to be present in my life, my awareness and all I do from across the universe. Say hello to everyone else in The Light for me. Love you all. XO - CDM (aka Skeezix or Squeedunk).

And now into the paint... 

Pop is with me as I work...

Artwork will go onto walls once all rooms are painted. I am taking the time to reconsider what will go where and measure out each screw, drywall anchor or nail. Onto the hallways next! That should be job and a half. More to follow. Can you smell the paint fumes through these photos?

Stepping Out Of June

2026-07-01T10:37:16.757-07:00

eBay Scores: Craftint Soft Pastels (Circa 1970)

I went through a few boxes of these as a kid. In fact, several years ago I used the lid from one of my original childhood boxes from the 1970s in a large format collage for my living room walls. The pastels that were inside ended up in my classroom for students to use (and they certainly did). I’m very glad to have two complete 

boxes in good shape for my vintage art supply collection.

Two more eBay scores: Times Square

postcards - 1972 above and 1973 below

Record Mirror Magazine with Boy George cover story

and flexidisc with a back cover RIP for The Smiths (1987)

David Bowie & Prince Pins (1970s & 1980s)

40 Years Ago Today • 30 June 1986

Revenge by Eurythmics was released. This is one of a handful of new albums that 13 year old me was feverishly anticipating in 1986 and it fulfilled its promise on every level. Every song. Every line. Every last note. MAGIC… then and now. A few weeks ago I was driving through some lush countryside while listening to When Tomorrow Comes at high volume with the sunroof open and windows down. It brought me right back to the excitement of hearing my freshly unwrapped original copy of Revenge (seen here) on my parents’ Fisher turntable with large leathery headphones on my ears. This LP is also notable because it is enshrined in one of my favorite album covers of all time. Recently, I was lucky to find a very rare large format promotional poster with an expanded view of the album’s cover art by British painter Eric Scott and I plan to have it framed soon. Fun Fact: Anyone who was as transfixed as I was by Annie Lennox's appearance with the cranial brackets and dials on her head in the Missionary Man video should check out the 1962 sci-fi movie The Brain That Wouldn’t Die to see what was being referenced there. Thank you, Ms. Lennox and Mr. Dave Stewart for this and everything else. Cheers! 

40 Years Ago Today • 30 June 1986 
True Blue by Madonna was released. This album and its attendant videos marked a very exciting pop culture era for me at age 13. In addition to the other great album released on this day, I drank in every last second of this LP’s sleek, layered sophistication. True Blue ushered in Madonna’s first major transformation from flirtatious and funky urban gadfly into empowered and meticulously tailored adult woman. The songs on this album reflect that evolution with their mature themes and lushness. La Isla Bonita remains a favorite song to this day and I distinctly recall hearing it for the first time and thinking “This is grown up music. This is ABBA level pop.” True Blue also contains one of my favorite album covers of all time, shot by the brilliant Herb Ritts, with whom Madonna would continue to collaborate. It remains one of my favorite images of any pop star because whenever I see it, I see not only Madonna but also Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. In this moment, it seems Ms. Ciccone became singularly iconic while referencing two other pop culture icons, male and female. In four days, Madonna will be releasing her hotly anticipated Confessions II album. At age 53, I await that new release with the exact same excitement that I had holding this one in my hands for the first time. Some artists grab our attention when we are very young and hold onto us for a time. Others never let us go. If you are very lucky, you get to watch them evolve and mature through the decades as your own life journey takes its shape. If you know me, you know what I mean. Thank you, Madonna. I’ll see you again on the dance floor soon.

By the way, I am still hard at work on something

very big and very involved but it is going very well.

Some good vintage reads.

Happy 81st Birthday to Debbie Harry

Now Spinning: Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

This Is A Sign

Hit And Run

Happy Father's Day To The OG

WHAT A DUMP

More Pleasant Valley Park as always...

Southard Park.

Don't tell the Pleasant Valley Park geese that

I was hanging out with their neighbors across town.

Drive-by silo...

Honestly, Home Goods, that tracks.

Post-Pride Denoument

See ya sometime. Perhaps in the sunset. - CDM

Handprints & Honeysuckle

2026-06-11T11:23:31.571-07:00

End of the school year... alumni visits...

Hey Riley!

JUDY! JUDY! JUDY!

1966 Andy Willams Tour Program

1968 Andy Williams Tour Program

New eBay Score: This is a VERY rare scalloped 1960s postcard of the lobby of The Cosmic Age Lodge in Anaheim, California. It was dubbed “the motel of tomorrow” and overlooked Disneyland and The Magic Kingdom. Zoom in and you’ll see flying elephants with space helmets and a row of Kit Kat clocks behind the front desk indicating the time in various cities of the world. One of the most striking features of the lobby is seen at left near the stairs: the first commercial video game called Computer Space. I couldn’t imagine hoteliers (or in this case, “moteliers”) curating what is essentially a whimsically unhinged art installation in their establishments today. Two more postcards from this magical spot below...

A James Dean scrapbook magazine (1956)

New eBay Score: Asbury Casino Photos (1978)

These two photos of the Asbury Park boardwalk and Casino (which was a ballroom / concert venue and not a gambling hall) just arrived at my house. The ballroom (seen at left) was demolished in 2006 however I was able to secure a number of pieces of the structure (some stone, some with copper flashing and some glass) before the wrecking ball hit. Over the years I’ve collected photos and postcards of the building, some showing the grand interior and its ornate chandeliers. These fixtures were visible in all their ragged glory through the Casino’s broken windows up until demolition time. Full trees had sprouted up through the disused ballroom floor and the light and rain that entered through the collapsed roof provided the perfect ecosystem for them to grow through the cracked tiles. After the site was razed, I was able to “walk the floor” of what was once the ballroom and grab some tiles as well. These artifacts and photos are all that remain of the original Warren and Wetmore design of the late 1920s.

Tikiyaki & The Hawaiiana Brass - Weekend In Waikiki (2026) • This beautiful album with pink swirl vinyl and illustrations by Shag was a surprise gift from my friend Kelly and is very much appreciated. Also appreciated is the last line in the album’s liner notes, which reads: No Aloha for fascists. I couldn’t agree more. Mahalo, Kelly!

For what it's worth

That thing when your car ceiling is leaking water for the second time in two months and you take it back to the dealer to get it repaired again and arrange for yet another rental vehicle and the place has either a brand new bright green Jeep Rubicon with 1000 miles on it or a white minivan and you take the green machine even though it’s like driving a tool shed with windows and then take a selfie in front of said Jeep and realize that you’re a 53 year old gay guy taking a Jeep selfie in your workplace parking lot and oh yeah, by the way HAPPY PRIDE MONTH AND I LOVE YOU ALL. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

All this and the scent of honeysuckle...

I had a nice visit with these two bright lights who came back from their first year in college to participate in an alumni panel. Keep making us proud, Yolanda and Dustin! Thanks to both of you for being who you are in the world.

Fireworks have been legal in New Jersey for quite a while

but I'm still not used to seeing them in ShopRite. By the way, if

anyone dropped a match that fire extinguisher would be shrapnel.

And that's a wrap on school year 26...

Happy summer to ALL.

Time for a break. XO - CDM

The Verdant Expanse Of It All

2026-05-23T10:08:40.303-07:00

As all the plants and flowers come alive,

many more things are taking shape...

Everything leading up to the spring art shows is a blur now.

Doing prep for the art shows… A 9th grader starts reciting the lyrics to “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” by The Smiths and I DID NOT have that on my Monday bingo card. So, I did what any self respecting Gen X art teacher would do… I sang it for the class (and you know I SLAYED those high notes).

Home Goods can be SUCH weird fun.

Spring continues to bring its colors and forms...

eBay Score: Asbury Park Casino Postcard (1960s)

The late 1920s iteration of The Asbury Park Casino (seen here) was a stone structure designed by Warren & Wetmore. It was a replacement for the turn of the century wooden Casino structure that burned on January 12th 1928. Oddly enough, I would be born on that EXACT day 45 years later in 1973. I had been collecting Asbury Casino ephemera for a couple of years before I knew the date of that fire and I was even able to find a dated photo of that disastrous event for my collection. The ballroom portion of The Casino was excised in 2006 but luckily I was able to take many photos of it (including interiors shot through holes in the walls and doors) and gather a number of pieces of the building before it was demolished. The walkway to Ocean Grove and the carousel house still stand. If you zoom in and look to the right of Wesley Lake, you can see the red roof and ferris wheel of Palace Amusements. The mural of Tillie is faintly visible as well.

A Cracked magazine from 1966

Recently I completed my collection of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In Magazine (October 1968 - October 1969). As some of you may know, I started collecting memorabilia from this TV show (which ran from 1968 - 1973) quite a few years ago. My collection of souvenirs, which includes games, a lunchbox, a waste paper basket, an electric drawing set, a paper doll set, pins, books, LPs and cover features on the cast in an array of news and entertainment magazines continues to grow. I even have a framed cinema lobby poster from the Laugh-In film The Maltese Bippy in my kitchen. Have I thought of ways to incorporate a psychedelic joke wall (complete with swinging doors) into the design of my next home? You bet your sweet bippy I have! SOCK IT TO ME!

TV Radio Mirror Magazine (1970)

Three issues of TV Guide with Andy Williams 
on the cover, one with his ex-wife Claudine Longet, 
who recently passed away. (1963 - 1965)

Recently acquired items from the 1960s
and 1970s: Pencils, crayons and oil pastels

Two 1980s pop music books from the UK.  
Both of these are recent eBay purchases. 
The top one is from 1983 and the bottom one is from 1985.
It's amazing how certain genres of artists or bands dominated the 
music scene in the first half of the 1980s in the US, UK and abroad. 
Though these aren't periodicals, these two books have a pop
 magazine feel to them. In fact, they function like school yearbooks in a 
sense and make for fascinating time capsules. The fashions 
and stylings alone are worth the cover price. 

Harry Styles - Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally (2026) Smoke Machine Vinyl, Silver Glitter Cassette & Casebook CD. Really enjoying this album and the graphic design team NAILED  the deluxe packaging and presentation of this project. (PS: If you ask me, I say DISCO FOREVER)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM! XOXO

Day one of set up for the art shows...

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Underclassmen Art Show was a lot of fun.

Always great to see alumni at our events.

And a week later, many alumni, family

and friends joined us for the senior art show.

Congratulations to all of our seniors.

I think we nailed this.

Only 13 more school days.

Completion of a cycle always feels good.

Off into the sunset now...

Drawing, Daydreaming, Etcetera...

2026-05-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

If you can't go to Rome, bring Rome to you.

Deinstalling a student exhibit: Morristown, NJ

So great to see the park coming alive again!

Everything is in bloom and I am so happy...

I am sure my feathered friends are pleased.

I hope I get to see the blue heron again this year.

Take Our Kids To Work Day was a success!

All of the young kids and the high school kids

who were present interacted perfectly.

Happy 77th Birthday To The OG.

Jessie Ware - Superbloom (2026)

What a delightful spring soundtrack!

Below are four 1960s postcards that I purchased on eBay

of The Chris Town Shopping Center in Phoenix, Airzona.

I wish we still had public gathering spaces that looked like this.

Another recent eBay score:

Ann Margret and Andy Williams in a marked up 1963

press photo that was altered for publication in a newspaper

to promote Ann's appearance on The Andy Williams Show.

My friend Steve scored this1969 8-track tape at an estate sale for me.

He's good like that. He's always got his radar running for cool items.

Two more recent eBay scores:

Schenk's Hotel in Fallsburg, New York above

and Woods Campus Bookstore in Delaware, Ohio below.

Both postcards are from the early 1960s and showcase

visually engaging geometric design flourishes.

Another recently acquired pop culture artifact, this one decidedly

more trashy... I do have quite a few 1970s and 1980s tabloids in

my magazine archives and this Enquirer form 1986 is chock full

of scandal. Before the parasocial internet era, this was pretty much

the main vehicle for gossip, hearsay and dirt dishing done dirt cheap.

The main difference is now the "news" travels a lot faster

and millions of people can comment publicly on anything from

behind the partition of a screen name and a masked identity.

The feeding frenzy erupts more quickly now and burns itself out,

only to be supplanted by another and another and another

in alarmingly rapid succession.

The Rebirth Of All Things

2026-04-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Spring colors, spring things, spring art show prep...

My colleague Steve Coleman and I dropped off 32 works of art at

The Blackwell Street art exhibit and got voted Teachers

Most Likely To Have A Side Gig As A Stand-Up Comedian

by students and staff within the same week!

Black Celebration by

Depcehe Mode was released in March 1986.

Happy 40th Birthday to an absolute masterpiece.

Duran Duran - Nite Romantics EP (1981)
Every time I hear remixes, alternate takes, B-sides and demos from Duran Duran’s first two album eras I’m mesmerized by how fresh and modern they sound 45 years later. I’ve followed them since Rio in 1982 and while I continue to enjoy their work (the last three albums in particular) I’m awestruck by the very unique place they claimed for themselves with their first bold sonic statements. Having said that, they have yet to be given credit for their influence on contemporary pop of all subgenres. DD FOREVER.

I’ve got some great reads ahead of me. Many thanks to my friend Steve for preordering these two long awaited memoirs for me, the Christina Applegate one signed on one of the opening pages and the Liza Minnelli one with a signed bookplate. Steve had the rare privilege of being seated next to Liza in a bar one evening long ago as she and a companion had some cocktails. Steve and I both met Christina after a performance of Sweet Charity in NYC. I asked her to autograph my DVD of the film Wonderland (which I enjoyed her in) and she signed it across Val Kilmer’s crotch. What a very cool and nice lady she is. I’m looking forward to reading about the life journeys of both of these talented humans.

31 March 1986 • 40 Years Ago…

Prince And The Revolution’s Parade LP was released. 

My first dose of Prince’s Parade era came in January 1986 when a Z-100 New York DJ announced that he would be playing an exclusive track from Prince’s upcoming album. The song was a sparse, altogether baffling mixture of electronic drums, synth, playful guitar licks and falsetto vocals called “Kiss”. It sounded like it had been recorded fast and furious… altogether unlike the ornate arrangements of “Purple Rain” and “Raspberry Beret”. It was wildly different, a bit edgy and I LOVED IT. When the Parade album was released and I got to experience it in full, everything that puzzled me about “Kiss” made sense in context with the rest of the album. “Mountains”, “AnotherLoverHoleInYoHead” and “Girls & Boys” (which contains what is to this day one of my favorite Prince lyrics: “Meet me in another world, space and joy / Vous êtes très belle, mama, girls and boys”) sounded like next level adult sophistication to my 13 year old ears. It felt classic, yet modern. Hip, yet elegant. 40 years on I’m still moved by “Sometimes It Snows In April” in ways that my younger self was only coming to understand when it stopped me in my tracks for the first time. This wasn’t merely R&B, pop or funk. It was Grown Up Music. Many thanks as always to Prince And The Revolution for being a huge part of my musical education.

And I am back in the park again...

Happy Easter from The Montone Family and

my adopted brother Steve who is STILL my parents'

favorite child. I ain't even fighting it anymore.

Deviled eggs and Peeps cake are only two of the 4,856

reasons why my parents prefer Steve to me and frankly,

I get it. I totally get it. Yup... They're right.

So much work happening behind the scenes.

I'm still very much engaged in new artwork.

It may not look like I'm doing more than the usual

but trust me, I am doing MUCH more than the usual.

More about that later.

Happy Spring Rebirth and remember...

MAGIC IS REAL

XO - CDM

I've Been Busy...

2026-03-16T12:56:00.000-07:00

MEMORY UNLOCKED: Pop Shots Card (1985)

I had one of these when I was a kid and I remember buying it on a snowy night when I went for a long Christmastime walk in the city at age 12. My grandparents, aunt and uncle and I had taken the ferry from Staten Island to meet my parents at their offices in Lower Manhattan and we spent the evening taking in the very quiet (almost empty) wintry streets. With the city filtered through a gauze of snowfall we watched New York become a mystical snow globe from atop the World Trade Center and trekked over to South Street Seaport for dinner, where I bought one of these pop up cards. It was displayed on my dresser throughout middle school and high school. Somehow it got lost in the shuffle of adolescence but recently I was lucky to score a couple of them fully intact. I have them stored in my postcard albums: one stretched flat and one still folded within its cellophane packaging and square envelope. Only now do I see how instrumental this chaotic arrangement of urban elements was on my adult aesthetic. Time is indeed a flat circle, or if you’re someone like me, a pop up diorama card which mirrors my younger self from decades ago.

40 Years of Pretty In Pink...

And we STILL need to talk about that prom dress.

Albums That Turn 40 This Year • Notorious by Duran Duran is one of them. 1986 was a stellar year for music. I was 13 years old and an avid reader of Star Hits as well as its UK companion magazine Smash Hits (and yes, I have many issues archived). DD was all over those monthly publications and had just come off a run of three successful LPs, a catalog of impressively cinematic videos and a Bond theme for the film View To A Kill (which still ranks as one of the greatest). With original members Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor absent for the completion of this album, they enlisted Warren Cuccurullo on guitar and Steve Ferrone on drums as well as genius and all around musical mastermind Nile Rodgers as producer. The results were stylish, funky and sophisticated. The vibration of their unique brand of pop music had been elevated for the fans that were growing up with them, signaling their own growth as artists. I will always have a special place in my heart for Duran Duran Mark 2 (as I call it) and the Notorious era. Those of you that only know the title track and singles Skin Trade and Meet El Presidente (both of which should have been bigger hits but Capitol Records flubbed the promotion during a change in leadership) should give this LP a listen. Some deeper cuts from Notorious that deserve more attention are American Science, Vertigo, So Misled, Hold Me and the emotionally stirring and timeless Winter Marches On. In addition, many live performances from the 1987-88 Strange Behaviour Tour are available on YouTube to feast upon including the concert film Working For The Skin Trade which boasts a KILLER rendition of the Rio-era gem New Religion. PS: Duran Duran STILL kills it live and their last few albums don’t disappoint either.

Happy 80th Birthday to Liza Minnelli!

Prints are being made at all times

and in a number of colorful ways...

Okay, so we had a blizzard...

TRUE STORY: One afternoon on a bright, clear post-blizzard day I went to clear the rock salt off my windshield and my wipers malfunctioned. I dropped my car off at a dealership thinking it could be fixed by the end of today and got a ride home. This morning I got a call that not only did the motor for the wipers need to be replaced but I also need new front and rear brakes and rotors. Apparently they were very weak and I hadn’t noticed. Had the windshield issue not occurred I wouldn’t have known how weak the brakes were. Upon hearing this I immediately knew I’d been cosmically protected by what at first appeared to be a nuisance. With my car at the dealership until Friday, I arranged for a rental car this afternoon and guess what… in a lot full of basic black and white cars the one waiting for me was Prince And The Revolution Purple. Thank you Universe… YOU GET ME. It’s quite simple. The “glimmers” that The Universe gives us are always there. We just need to identify them.

And then the blizzard melted...

Day one of matting for the Spring Art Shows.

Much more is happening behind the scenes.

Evidence of that stuff may appear soon. Cheers! - CDM

Checking In

2026-02-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

Quietly and in small increments, the days lengthen.

A weeks-long deep freeze is starting to subside.

Hello Folks. It’s Monday the 9th of February and I’m at work, helping students with their projects. Last night’s Bad Bunny performance is on everyone’s mind. My high school art students keep asking me how I felt about it and have been sharing their perspectives. Some kids are watching it on their phones for the first time or rewatching it. A few kids thought it was “mid” (and I definitely disagree as there was nothing “mid” about that Halftime Show) but what’s interesting is for the most part, kids who loved it or are even perplexed by it keep going back to rewatch key moments so they can discuss them or understand what they meant. They’re willing to look at it cinematically, which is very encouraging and shows a lot of intelligence on their part. Two different students separately said “People could study this like a movie.” Another said “This was Broadway at The Super Bowl.” Even students who couldn’t understand the lyrics seemed to understand the overall message (how could you not?) and those that have said this to me have reacted to it very positively. One kid said “It was all about unity and diversity and I loved that.” I keep telling them this: “What you just witnessed was a cultural reset. You may not know it now, but later you’ll realize that last night was one of those moments in pop culture history akin to Elvis or The Beatles on Ed Sullivan.” Yes, I told them to look those moments up and have been giving them cultural context. I’m still shaken up (in the best way) by Bad Bunny handing the Grammy to the child representing his younger self. The kids clocked that too and they all seemed to appreciate the message on the screens which read “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Guess what, folks… The kids are alright and I’m beginning to think we’re all gonna be okay. I, for one, have NOT been this hopeful in a long time. Thank you, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. We ALL needed that. Congratulations on a truly historic performance.

eBay Score: Kreskin's Krystal Game (1971)

Another Laugh-In magazine for my collection (1969)

Janet Jackson's Control LP is 40 years old this month.

Vibe Check... Quick Park Visit

New Jersey... Keepin' it classy.

Winter can be over now. No, really.

I don't care what that groundhog said.

Stay warm, folks. XO - CDM

Single Digits And Surprises

2026-02-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

A surprise arrived at my door.

Below is a social media post I wrote about that...

Unsealed: A 104 Year Old Unmailed Letter 

My friend Lorie is amazingly thoughtful and will send me vintage ephemera (which she knows I collect or use as collage material) on occasion. Yesterday a thick silver bubble envelope from Lorie surprised me at the mailbox. Inside was a gold mine of vintage photos and paper items (maps, pamphlets and the like) dating from the 1900s to the 1990s. Among the lot was a piece of sealed correspondence dated 1922. It was stamped but unmailed. Inside was a form letter to traveling sales ladies (addressed to “Madam”) from The Goodrich Drug Company. Goodrich sold cosmetics and toiletries and its employees likely went door to do or hosted sales parties on the order of Avon or Mary Kay. At the bottom it stated “You are going to make a mistake if you do not travel for us in 1923.” The hand written reply on the back of the letter is from one Mrs. Adams, having been addressed to “Sirs”. She basically said she’s been busy with “quite a little business to attend to” and will send the “vanity case”, which was likely a sales and demo kit, back to them if they want it returned. Mrs. Adams sealed her reply with a 2 cent stamp and never mailed it. I don’t know the full provenance of this artifact but somehow it ended up in a place where Lorie could retrieve it and send it to me. I opened it and now it’s being shared with all of you in 2026. Here’s hoping the statute of limitations on mail theft (which is a federal offense) have lapsed. Many thanks to Lorie for continuing to generously supply me with collage fodder and specifically this fascinating look into professional correspondence from 104 years ago. PS: I’m not cutting this up. The letter and envelope are safely archived in one of my postcard photo albums.

And then we got another foot of snow...

A few nice recent eBay scores above:

1963, 1970 and 1985 respectively.

Paul Lynde was everywhere in the 1960s and 1970s.

No matter what sitcom of the past I'm watching, he

manages to show up somewhere. Here he is in a

1967 episode of That Girl starring Marlo Thomas.

Back to the unrelenting deep freeze...

Winter can be over now. I'm done with it.

5IFTY T3REE: Present And Past

2026-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

Back at work, post holiday and moving

through the new year... It's my birthday season.

EVERYTHING IS CANCELLED I'M BUSY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID BOWIE

The newest Saint Etienne album has arrived at my door from the UK on colored vinyl, cassette and double CD formats. As a thank you to fans who were patient with shipping delays, a limited edition 7” single with two unreleased demo tracks was included in the package. This will be the band’s final album but they leave behind a solid catalog which spans 35 years of pop perfection. Thank you, Bob, Pete & Sarah!

5IFTY T3REE

I purchased some more vintage photos on eBay.

The one below was posted in a prior blog post.

I'm repeating it because I returned to the same

seller's page and found three more images from

that stationery store holiday party...

According to the back of this Polaroid

(dated 22 May 1971) this man is Chuck.

I couldn't get over his outfit... mainly the cufflinks

and white leather shoes. I bet Chuck got around.

It snowed on a Sunday...

Blast From The Past • Age 17 • 1990 

Last weekend my friend Malika surprised me with “a cache of old photos and invitations to teenage parties” to quote a favorite song by Pet Shop Boys. Among the many images that she shared of us with our friends (many of whom remain a text message or FaceTime call away to this very day) were several snapshots she took at a Host A Murder Party that was hosted by our classmate Chris D’Alessandro. Sadly, Chris passed away unexpectedly last year and will always be remembered as a kind, funny and all around likable individual. Looking at this particular image of me in character (script in hand) as an aviator whose name was Spinner, I was immediately transported back to that evening. All of us were costumed appropriate to the characters we were assigned with our invites. Chris’ family home in Tewksbury was opulent and we dined, following the script, in the family dining room where we ate on china and drank from antique goblets. We retired to the finished basement after the game was done and “the murderer” was revealed (spoiler: it was Malika). I also remember taking a late night walk with some people on a silent wooded road before falling asleep on a leather banquette in my costume with my leather jacket (which was from either Oaktree or Cignal) draped over me. That’s quite a “character scowl” on that young man’s face. If you knew me then, as some of you did, you could say I was a complicated and moody kid. When I come across photos of myself from the late 1980s and early 90s, the 53 year old version of me can’t help but look at that kid and say, “Its gonna be okay, kid. You’re gonna make art and you’re gonna teach others to make art. You’re gonna write and illustrate. You’re gonna do well. You’re gonna meet amazing new friends. You’re gonna fall in love and be loved. You’re gonna experience some heartbreak and loss, but you’ll get back up and do it again. You’re gonna get to meet and shake hands with some of your idols. Most of all, you’re going to be AUTHENTICALLY yourself. Don’t worry, kid. Just keep your heart open and you’re gonna have a REALLY nice life… JUST. YOU. WAIT.” Many thanks to Malika for this cosmic mind trip. Here are some more images that she shared...

Fun people and memories.

Though I'm firmly planted in the present, the

past always seems to reach out to me in some form.

And then...

I woke up to this on a Monday...

That peach light made me very happy.

From a narrow river bridge...

I am grateful to be here for another year

however winter can crawl in a hole and die.

Anyway... I hope everyone is staying warm!

Cheers to all. XO - CDM

Welcome 2026

2026-01-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here we go, folks...

This way a new year lies...

The Shining was released in IMAX for one weekend.

There was no poster outside the theatre so I stood in the lobby

in my David Hicks sweater (given to me by my friend Steve) to

let everyone know where to go. I was very happy to see it on a

big screen for the first time. The performances were

hypermagnified in IMAX: Histrionics and madness writ large.

Dunkin' spared NO expense with holiday decor.

My friend Sam described this aesthetic as

"Divorced Dad trying his best"... and he NAILED it.

Classroom still life setups

Late afternoons and early mornings

Opening gifts takes a few hours

and it's always lots of fun. We don't rush.

Merry Christmas from The Montone Family

and my parents' favorite child Steve. It was nice

of them to let me hang out with them for the holiday.

Steve's cookies are ALWAYS on point.

Thank you, once again, to my friend Steve

for adding the perfect touch to ANOTHER holiday.

Disco Countdown Bouquet is the energy I'm bringing into 2026.

Many thanks to my friend Steve for

ONCE AGAIN making a wonderful birthday

cake for my Mom (aka his Basking Ridge Mom).

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy 2026 to ALL.

Stay illuminated. XO - CDM

Collectomundo: Kodachrome Slides And Prints (1940s - 1960s)

2025-12-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

Here we have an assorted collection of 35 MM Kodachrome

slides that I scanned. The originals are archived in plastic

slide sheets. Many of these slides were given to me by my

friend Kelly. I added some others that I purchased somewhere

along the way. The images date from the mid-1950s to the late

1960s. All people depicted in these images are anonymous to me

however I would like to send them all good wishes across space

and time. Thanks for your contribution to the archives, Kelly!

Simpler times... They all had each other.

We should all be so lucky in any decade or century.

Two eBay purchases: 1940s men on film.

A beautiful square vernacular print from the 1960s

that was a surprise gift from my friend Noreen.

What is it about midcentury basement rec rooms?

They're just SO much fun in terms of their informality.

Happy Birthday to this guy (1968)

Another duet of kitchen images (also from 1968).

I love the range top oven and the design of the cereal boxes.

This guy was VERY popular with the ladies.

The three prints appear to have been taken

during the same evening and are dated 1962.

Three 1960s Christmas living room shots.

The third was a free gift from a very nice eBay seller.

And one more... Here's a 1969 Christmastime photo

which appears to show a festive gathering in a stationery shop.

This was perhaps a small holiday party for store employees.

Somehow I was given two prints of this image so one

is in one of my archival albums and another is in a photo cube.

Sketchbook No. 163 (2025)

2025-12-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Pages from a 2025 sketchbook.

Drawing, painting and collage.

Records, Tapes, Tickets, Etc...

2025-12-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

I've been busy... Let's play catch up.

Goldfrapp Supernature

20th Anniversary Splatter Vinyl Edition (2025)

Depeche Mode

Memento Mori Live In Mexico City

Dual Cassette Package (2025)

Catching up with the sky and the season...

That Douglas Sirk lighting!

Happy Thanksgiving from my parents and their favorite child Steve

(who brought stuffing and two desserts because he's Steve).

My Mom sets the best table EVER.

Thanks to my friend Sean for the Pedro Pascal ornaments.

Saturday Night Fever

Original 1977 Japanese Movie Tickets

Japanese mail is so pretty.

A student's giant butt vase

Meanwhile, that Netflix Diddy documentary...

My ride is here, gotta go.

I'll check back in with all of you soon.

XO - CDM

Novembering And Remembering

2025-11-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Shorter days and longer nights...

Somewhere on The Dead River

Blondie - No Exit

2025 reissue of 1999 album on clear vinyl

A co-worker made this little seating vignette

at the back of the art department office closet

and it's a nice little reflection spot.

Rest In Peace Dave Bell Of Soft Cell (1959 - 2025)

The Springsteen movie was pretty good.

Jeremy Allen White was better than the screenplay.

I replaced my original copy of Prince's 1999

album with a fresh copy... vintage and in great shape.

Can you believe I found an 8 track cartridge

of Waking Up With The House On Fire by Culture Club

sealed in its original box? Yes, they were still manufacturing

8 track tapes in 1984. I do remember seeing them in stores.

My copy of The Absence by Budgie (aka Peter Clarke)

arrived with a signed book plate. It's quite a wild ride.

No spoilers, but prepare yourselves to see the dynamic

between Siouxsie and Budgie in a whole new way.

Before the leaves leave. Happy to be here.

Misfire... and it stays.

When it gets colder, I'm not outside as much.

However, when I am outside, it's interesting

to see how things look and feel. Many other creative

things happening behind the scenes. More about that

another time. For now, as always, I wish everyone well.

Stay illuminated. XO - CDM

We Live In Colorful Times

2025-10-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Colorful days. The season moves on.

WHAT A DUMP

Happy Birthday to my brother from another mother

and my parents' favorite child. Cheers Steve!

Dinner with alum Keira and my friend Steve

because I am not allowed out in public without him.

Been a while since I saw Kristen..

and the art department had a professional development day.

"Unmarried Husbands"

Collage - 24" X 36" - 2025

"It's Keen"

Collage - 30" X 40" - 2025

ALWAYS meet your idols...

When Annie Lennox comments on your Instagram post.

Clouds & Crosswalk

Two cool cats and a cool cat. Broadway NYC.

I hope October has been good to everyone.

XO - CDM

The Rapture And The Capture And You Don't Stop Sure Shot

2025-09-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

The Rapture didn't happen but I still

brought out Siouxsie And The Banshees'

1995 album The Rapture to mark the occasion.

I was wondering if this backstage pass from

Debbie Harry's 1989 Def Dumb & Blonde Tour

would get me a fast track for ascension in case of

Rapture but it was all for naught.

Hullabaloo (2025)

Collage Diptych - Framed And Installed

I hope September was good to all of you.

Here's to a beautiful October. XO - CDM