Recently, Greg, has been given an art grant that allows him to collect, rummage or what he refers to as “glean’ from the Portland Oregon Metro Transfer Station close to where he lives. You can read more about Greg and the other four artists who were given this grant by popping over to their blog GLEANings where each of the artists is writing about thier experiences “working with trash.”

Another cool thing about Greg is that he openly shares some of his processes on his YouTube channel. He has made quite few videos that take you step by step as he creates his amazing shrines and assemblages. Here is one of my favorite videos that he has created which showcase a few pieces for a “Day Of The Dead” gallery show that he took part in.

Pretty cool, right! Greg is another fine example of an artist who uses the knicks and knacks, which he finds all around his world, that contain sublime meanings and symbolism that inspire and fuel his creativity and imagination. I sure hope you will take a look at more of Greg’s work and find some inspiration to behold the objects that you come across in your wandering in a new and creative light.

April’s song, for my Song-A-Month project, is a tune that I am calling Junkhound and Like Hey Bü it is another tune that centers around my fictional realm of the Lost-Isles and the characters who inhabit them. This song is sung by a nomadic collector of things and is an ode to his passion for creating art from the materials he finds around him. Which is something I can personally relate to being somewhat of a collector of bits and bobs myself as VLOG#16 will demonstrate.

The Junkhound is an enigmatic nomadic traveller who moves through the dilapidated cites located in the Lost-Isle archipelago. He collects discarded things and with them builds shrines and mechanical sculptures wherever he sees fit as he roams from city to city and from island to island. Nobody know much about the mysterious Junkhound or why he makes his haunting and strangely beautiful animated assemblages and intricate shines.His creations are created from the forgotten machinery, electrical appliances and electronic toys which he has gathered from the aftermath of destruction which was brought on by Neocorp when they invaded and seized control of the Lost Island chain so many years ago.

Rumors abound and can be heard throughout villages and cities alike about the bizarre figure who keeps his face covered with an old military gas mask and dresses like an ancient samurai who has been clothed in the findings from a scrap heap. Some say he once was an accomplished inventor who now builds his mechanical contraptions in memory of a love lost when the island locals tried to fight back against the invasion of Neocorp into their once peaceful lands. Others say he just another victim of the sickness that befalls those who remain living in the poisonous fumes that still escape from the now abandoned factories in the polluted toxic cities.

Although stories of origin are argued and vary, all agree the best course of action is to steer clear of and leave the wandering man alone while he goes about his fulfilling his creative impulses. Many stories are told by unlucky antagonists who have foolishly provoked the Junkhound and then learned first hand of his skills at using his metal staff and nun chucks for self defense.

For this song, I wanted to capture a sort of military marching feel to help emphasize the idea behind the Junkhounds endless traveling and wandering. I started off using a snare pattern as the bacic beat for the drum tracks. As the song progressed it began to take on a life of its own and started to take on a somewhat cinematic and dramatic tone. Especially when I got to the chorus and added the booming kettle drums. I also used quite a few percussive sounds to add to the impression of clicking and whirring gadgetry and ratcheting tools that make up the soundtrack to the Junkhound’s world. I used my Roland Handsonic 10 drum pads for all of the drums and percussions.

The Junkbow, which is a two string cigar box diddley bow that I built and will post more on later, was also used to help create a sort of rootsy and oriental sounding background riff that can be heard throughout the song. The bow was ran directly into Garageband 09 where I used some of the effects and amp simulators that garageband has available. I thought it appropriate to use a handmade instrument for this song since it fit in perfectly with the subject of a man who builds functional things from discarded items. The twangy Asiatic sound that I was getting from the diddley bow gave me the idea of giving the Junkhound a samurai inspired appearance.

The final instrument or sound effect was created with the Thumbjam app on my iPad. I used the synth choir voicing which is used throughout the song and is the main lead instrument. Again, this really gave the song a very dramatic feeling and sort of reminded me of a soundtrack for an old japanese monster movie which was not really planned. Although I was using a blues scale in the key of “G” I still think it kind of pulled together as something that sounded like it came from the far east. What do you think?

Well, when I started out with this song I really had a rootsy rustic and bluesy sounding song in mind. But as I went forward with the recording it transformed into something completely different and even help define and develop the character for whom the song was written. Another example of the muse taking the reigns and me giving up trying to control the outcome and letting my imagination and creativity take the lead. For the song for May, which I am now working, I am trying to again keep it simple. However, at this point I don’t know when these spontaneous outbursts are going to engage so I figure I better take advantage when my creativity goes combustible.

Here are my lyrics for Junkhound:

VERSE 1
I pick up tiny pieces, I put them in a jar.
plastic dinosaurs and metallic stars. Foil candy wrappers and marbles that shine.
This what I use to create my shrines.

CHORUS 1
These are the things that I find, when I go walkin’ around town.
I keep my eyes wide open all the time. My attention is always focused on the ground.
People call me “Junkhound.”

VERSE 2
I stuff then in my pockets, I keep them in my coat.
rusty bottle caps, nuts and bolts. Magazine clipping and paper scraps
I glue them to my shoes, I paste them on my hat.

CHORUS 2
I am king of the ground score. A scavenger searchin’ day and night
I’m always lookin’ at the floor. Nothing escapes from my sight.
I am the Magpie Guy.

VERSE 3
I have cigar boxes and woven baskets filled with rocks and shells and tangled fish nets.
My cart is filled with mechanical toys. Making art from scraps is what I enjoy

CHORUS 3
These the things I collect, items that some might call trash
I treat them all with love and respect.
To me they’re worth more than cash.
I’m an artistic Pack Rat

CHORUS OUTRO
Missing pages from musty books, tarnished gauges, cracked nunchucks.
discolored paper, cardboard tubes, action figure arms, unsolved Rubic cubes.
Computer parts and toggled switches. circuit boards, video tapes with glitches.
twisted wire and balls of string. bent up pliers, twangy guitar strings.

In this episode I show off a few items from my vast collection of knick knacks and doodads. I also give a few tips on customizing your own goodies to spice up your altered art projects.

Here is the link to the Amazing Mold Putty I mentioned. If interested in me doing a tutorial on using this Amazing Mold Putty leave me a comment!

Scrapbookingwarehouse.com is where I picked up my Lumiere by Jaquard metallic paint:

OK! Super special treat for today’s post! I am pretty excited about this for several reasons. First being Roni and I have been talking about working on something together for a few months and we finally did it with this blog post! Secondly, I really dig Roni’s art and the different styles and energy she infuse into her art. Thirdly, she is my first guest blogger EVER! And now without anymore delay here is my special guest and friend Roni…

How y’all doin’?! I’m Roni from BadJonesRising and I am honored to being guest posting today on Chongolio’s blog. When he told me about the altered art theme this month I immediately wanted in. I have lots of altered books, discarded boxes turned into sculptures, and weird knick knacks that are now kitschy art. Of course, I wanted to start something new just for you!

I picked an old grant funded curriculum book from 1975 to alter into something new and functional. I like to make art that can be used again and again so this “instruction manual” was well suited for my big ideas. It has a hardcover, and old vintage type inside. I thought the inspiration be a-brewin’ from within the pages itself, word by word, phrase by phrase.

I have taken a couple of lines from each page as a brainstorming starter, or a journal prompt. I plan on taking each page and giving it a theme such as color, pattern, or even an emotion. The first page has an envelope with a notecard inside that says “Lesson #1…the hardest part is just starting” and a big bold mistake of me forgetting the “e” in “acheivement”! I was extremely frustrated and listened to my entire On The Go playlist before I picked my pencil up again!

In the end, I picked a great color and ran with it. I used what I already know to set up things that make my brain start. Seeing the bright pinks and reds, having an envelope hold journal prompts, and even a paper clip to keep fabric and collage pieces handy saved the day. I will leave space on each page, and room to collect more color, collage, journal prompts, and inspirational quotes to use for breaking artist’s block.

Think of this as an “inspiration book” (in a Smash journal style) taken straight from my signature Inspiration Boards I make and keep.

The lesson of the day is you don’t need a fancy book, or to gesso every page, or even have a story or idea set up. Put pencil to paper, and use the book itself as inspiration. This “instructional manual” on teaching children to face their fears as young artists, reminded me today that the hardest part of any new project is actually starting!

So how cool is that? Thanks so much for the post Roni!! I hope you enjoyed reading about Roni’s process and gleaned some ideas and inspiration to carry into your own creations. Be sure to visit her website, say hello and take a look at the wide range of styles she puts into her art. And don’t forget to leave me a comment below if you like having a guest blogger pop in from time to time to share a little somethin-somethin with you.

Today’s Photo Friday image is one that I took at a surf spot I go to when the winds go variable. The spot is called Playgrounds and last week somebody had left this beachcomber sculpture on some of the boulders that surround the parking lot. It was made with bits of corral, driftwood and fishing line. Maybe it was an offering to the fishing gods to help fill a fisherman’s net.

I really like coming across little creative bursts like this when I am out and about. Do you ever find impromptu found art made from the local materials in out of the ordinary places? Next time take a picture and share it, I would sure like to see it!

A quick update on my Tiki mug project as it moves closer to being finalized and sent off for the next step in production. Here is a progression which Holden from Tiki Farm and I have worked on as we developed the design for Ku. This has been the most labor intensive of the three mugs as we wanted to make sure we got his headdress right and his all around “bad-assed-ness” represented proper. I am really liking the direction this mug has taken and think our hard work is going to really show in this depiction of the Hawaii legend that is the mighty Ku!