Three generations of Smiths. My Gramp, my Dad, and me. I was 15 years young.
Spring Shaving
Few weeks back at Jenn and Duncan’s wedding. Was an honor to be their guest, and a night to remember. I’d like more images like this to live here. They’re more important than the things I make.
Souvenir from a magical night at The Magic Castle.
Hand cut silhouettes by Dave Spafford.
Alexis and I under the St. Johns Bridge, in Portland, Oregon. My friend Craig married his wife Chelsea here. It was beautiful. And a bit hot out. Not sure if I was sweating from the Sun or from the taxi ride over, which rivaled any attraction at any theme park I’ve ever been to.
Over the years I’ve been to a handful of weddings, but Craig’s was really the first one that involved someone I’ve known since we were practically kids. Knowing how the story started, and to see it all come together, is really something. Most people don’t get the privilege.
Congrats Craig.
Thanks to my friend George for taking the original picture this piece is based on.
I’ve lived in California for nearly seven years, but feel like I haven’t lived a single day there. Los Angeles is where I’ve been living, and to me, that’s a very different place. Just a couple hours north took us here. To California.
My mom being my mom. Love her so much.
I grow a beard every year, from the first of winter, to the first of spring. It’s a reminder that even though I live somewhere without black and white seasons, the days still pass.
Easy to get lost in all this sun.
My one-thousandth post. Took me seven years. A lot of time and work. I wonder now, have I accomplished anything? Was I even trying to? Have I gotten back what I put in? Absolutely.
I started doing all this when I was twenty years old, jobless, and in college. Thought employers might like it. Turns out they did. It brought me 2,700 miles to California, and changed my life forever.
I’m twenty-seven now, and still at it. After seven years, my work now rests in the homes of good friends and total strangers. The times I live in have allowed it to be seen and appreciated by tens of thousands of people, across entire oceans and languages. Weird and awesome to think about. I never set out to accomplish any of these things, but I’m glad I have. I’m sure this is all sounding a bit pretentious, but I don’t care. I am proud of what I’ve done here.
Left to right, Shweb, Dan, Charlie, Frankie, Chris, me, and Anthony. I was probably 11. Was one hell of water balloon fight. Anthony’s mom, Sally, took this picture. I can’t imagine an image that better captures how we grew up.
We’d spend our days seeing who could throw what the farthest. Who was the fastest. Who was the bravest, which typically entailed wrestling Frankie. He had such a strength advantage, that anyone only ever agreed to wrestle him if he was on his knees. We were wild and we ran like it, and the suburbs was our place to do it. Couldn’t have gown up anywhere better. Not specifically my hometown, but just the fact that it was the suburbs.
I live in the urban sprawl of Los Angeles now, a long ways from my hometown. I like it here, but didn’t always. It’s the people I’ve found and the girl I love that make it what it is for me. It’s where I belong now, but I couldn’t imagine being a kid here. I don’t know that I could have grown if not in suburban soil. I don’t know that any kid could. Confinement and wild freedom seem at odds. For that, I think some far off day, I may belong to those suburbs again.
3D sculpting is a fun time, but hell, does it take me time.
Lasers and epilepsy are to Michael as peanut butter is to jelly. I made this for his birthday. And yes, we are matching.
Royale, the company I work with, sponsored me and two others to attend the Style Frames design conference in New York City. I took in a lot from the experience, and feel truly fortunate to have had the opportunity.
It was my second, and longest visit to the Empire State. I spent most of my time in Manhattan. It’s an amazing thing to walk through its streets. Literally standing in the shadows of the achievements of men. I could see a contagious hustle about everything. Everyone moves with purpose. It’s inspiring. But even in all this wonder, I remember feeling most amazed at the sight of my own breath.
Photo Credit: Handel Eugene
A rare video chat with some of my oldest friends, catching up over beers, across thousands of miles, sitting in Florida, Oregon, New York, Texas, and California.
The occasion was Dan’s 28th birthday, who I first met when I was 11 years old. His finance Dominique set the whole thing up and surprised him when she handed him a laptop with all of our faces on it.
Such a great feeling shooting the breeze with some of my truest friends.