Desolation Road Studios

Delation Road Studios Bus Trip to The Metropolitan Museum and MoMA!

2012-02-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

Thanks to those who ponied up and took the trip to NYC, the Met and MoMA. What a great trip it was, with the weather and an awesome bus company, Wade Tours with Kevon Jackson our driver. He was a true pro and got us in and out of the Big Apple with little hassle and expediency! If you thought about going but decided not to?...bummer, but the good news is, we're going to do it again in August with a trip to Boston. Think about it and keep checking our website for the announcement and details!

The Year In Review 2011

2012-01-01T09:16:00.001-08:00

The Year 2011 was a roller coaster of events both business wise and economically as well as historically and weather wise. While many of the art venue's in the area folded or were closed or even re-organized, the Studios managed to make it through and push forward which I can thank many of the locals in Altamont for and some fresh faces just passing thru as well. The diversity of the business has been what I consider the key to a modicum of success and with that said I think the ship is headed in the right direction. Damn the Torpedoes...full steam ahead! I've always wanted to say that! Anyhow, the Studios has some great new events planned for the new year and some services and workshops which I hope will continue the forward momentum. Thanks to everyone who participated in a class or workshop, attended a musical event or purchased local art and supported their neighbors! Congratulations, you are the cream of the crop and deserve a kudo for your vision and good taste...

Just A Girl

2011-12-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

http://gonetwocarolina.blogspot.com/2011/12/make-difference-monday-it-only-takes.html

Check this out and do what you can to support education for girls and women worldwide...this should go viral. If it doesn't there is something wrong with us...

A Word Of Thanks From Jim

2011-12-12T13:22:00.000-08:00

The Holidays have arrived and the year is coming to a close so I'd like to reflect back on some of the great things that came to pass here at the Studios. Many of you have participated and enjoyed some great events but there are some of you who have just discovered the Studios as well. A lot of fresh faces have walked thru our doors the last several months which is refreshing and hopefully in part due to our new sign and dynamic website. The musical guests like David Warner, Kyle Miller, Ethan Waldman, Erin Powers, Nate Marshall, Steve Moss, Gail Sparlin, Arya Chowdry, The 3 J's, Mike Poulopoulos, Matt Durfee, Courtney Blackwell, John Rice, Phil Drum, Rob Adkins, Sandy Shoor and many more have given the Studios a reputation for quality musicians and great performances in a unique venue. The Guest Artist Series has brought in such artists as Irena Altmanova, Beth Mickalonis, Bill Jensen, Wendy Williams MacRoberts, Cheryl Gutmaker, Julie Branch, Donna Peirce, Dave Waite and more. The diversity and quality of the works were exemplary and added another dimension to the Studios offerings. The 2011 Art in the Park event sponsored by Desolation Road Studios was a huge success and well attended, leading to our decision to continue the show next spring and again in the fall. The art classes offered by Michelle Patka, Val Gordon, Joella Casse, Pat Lightbody and myself further enhanced the Studios reputation for offering quality art education and workshops at a reasonable prices. The Studios has continued to provide many other services like matting and framing, printing and digital retouching as well as art reproductions and giclee' printing. With the coming year we will also be offering finished edge laminations, portraiture and some new classes. Its with great pleasure and gratitude that I thank all those who have patronized this growing business and made it an inviting place to come for art and music in the Hilltown Region!

Please tell your friends and family about this oasis and continue to make Desolation Road Studios your one stop shop for locally produced art and artisan products as well as entertainment! Thanks again for all your support!

There Are Things In This World Worth Pursuing...

2011-12-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

Someone told me today to post an upbeat, positive post and seeing as we're headed into the holiday season I thought what the heck! Why not?...so here it is...

There Are Things In This World Worth Pursuing...

My last post was a rather crazy rant about how we as a society have our heads up a particular orifice that shall remain nameless for now. This time I thought maybe I'd expound on this idea and perhaps give it a positive spin. I was watching TV with the wife last night and saw a series of commercials for a high blood pressure medication(Lipitor), a car insurance company(Geico), an erectile dysfunction medication(Cialis), a car company(Volkswagon), a fast food chain(Taco Bell), a reality TV show(the Kardashians), a coffeehouse chain(Dunkin' Donuts), a lingerie company(Victoria's Secret, a big box giant(Wal-Mart) and finally a soft drink company(Coke). I thought to myself...what if aliens suddenly arrived on Earth with their superior technology only to find a bunch of heart diseased, sex crazed, junk food eating, designer clothes wearing, CO2 emitting(in more ways than one) vehicle driving, caffeine addicts. When you have commercials for the very foods that caused heart disease and high blood pressure next to the medications that supposedly prevent heart disease and high blood pressure as well as commercials for sexy lingerie and hot babes, next to erectile dysfunction ads, no wonder we need to get in our CO2 emitting greenhouse gas puffing automobiles to go buy some caffeination at Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks not to mention some Fruit Loops at the big box giant while we're out after we eat a big freakin' burrito(with that gallon of Coke or Pepsi) at the local fast food take out joint. I like a good burrito and a sexy babe in lingerie and of course a good cup of coffee in my CO2 emitting vehicle as much as the next guy but come on...enough is enough people. Oh... ya right, this was supposed to be a positive post...Hmmmm. Ok. Here goes.

On the upside of life in general there are places in this world and this country that are unspoiled for the most part. There are people who live simpler lives and are the better for it. There are people that are admiring a breathtaking sunrise. Somewhere there are a group of friends sitting around a table talking about the good old times. There is someone out there that just remembered a special moment with you and is smiling. Someone is taking a shower and singing at the top of their lungs. Someone just put their last three bucks in a Salvation Army bell ringers jug. A young man is helping change the flat tire of an elderly woman on the side of the road. Somewhere someone has realized that they don't need that extra latte. Two kids just shared their first kiss. Somewhere someone just found a twenty dollar bill while doing the laundry. Someone just made it under the yellow light and the cop sitting at the intersection cut them a break. At an airport a soldier is returning home to a hero's welcome. There is someone right now who just made the last payment on their car. A grandfather is holding his brand new baby granddaughter. Its the simple things in life and our willingness to embrace them and not get caught up in the daily drudgeries that makes life worth living. Think about that this Christmas when you are standing in Wal-Mart gazing awestruck at the massive pile of consumer goods splayed out before you, credit cards in hand, then turn around and walk out shaking your head saying to yourself so everyone can hear you..."What the hell am I doing in freakin' Wal-Mart!" Maybe if enough people did that it would start a trend. Pretty soon flash mobs would be springing up at every Wal-Mart in the country. The Occupy Movement might even take up residency in the Sporting Goods section. What fun!! Point is, lets stop being the blind consumer juggernaut that got the average American into $10-15K of consumer debt and become a nation of thinkers and communicators that don't need so much stuff. Lets put all those self storage facilities right the hell out of business! And thats as positive as it gets for now...

Sometime Your Best Just Isn't Good Enough...

2011-11-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal not too long ago that painted a pretty dim picture on the prospects for a speedy recovery of our economy. At first I thought it was kinda doom and gloom and it fed into my belief that the mainstream media is part and parcel, partially responsible for peoples perceptions and consumer confidence or lack there of. I mused to myself that maybe if the talking heads would do a few more stories on the things that are going well and didn't dwell and harp the shit out of the things that are depressing and quote unquote "newsworthy", and if Fox News would just die in the ratings and go out of business, the world might become a better place...Perhaps if we didn't hear about President Obama's birth certificate, the Kardassians, Michael Jackson's doctor's trial, and Herman Cain's unwanted sexual advances, the stalemate that is our political process might just focus on something that will generate jobs instead of sending them overseas. The Occupy Wall Street Movement is only going to get bigger and the frustration of the American people will reach critical mass if we don't clean up our internal mess. Bankers and tarp money, big ass bonuses and investment house collapses will be the least of our problems. We've already seen the World Bank downgrade our credit rating and our standing in world politics diminished because of our foreign policies. Our youth have turned into zombie killing video game knuckleheads with some crazy bad social skills. The "Ugly American" is now fat and stupid as well... How about we start looking for American products to purchase and think more about the "Big Picture"... If what I see in Wal-Mart for customers is any indication of where this country is going, we're so screwed its not even funny. We've become a society of uber-consumers bent on eating and zoning ourselves with our electronic devices, into the grave. Our Facebook and Twitter friends are virtual and there's very little actual "face" time happening much anymore. Sad commentary I say... How about we pick up a book, call a friend instead of e-mailing or maybe write a card or letter with a freakin' pen! Here's a thought, how about we get up off the sofa and put down the Twinkie and hike a mountain or actually see the real deal instead of an image on Google...go to a museum or art gallery, patronize a local restaurant instead of a chain, buy a home made product over a mass produced one...slow the heck down and get off the Dunkin' Donuts for god sake...get with the program people!!! I'm just sayin'...and my rant is over!

Happiness-A Sunday Ramble

2011-10-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

Near misses, people...places
Chance plays its hand with random precision...
Radical changes, some quick, some excruciating
Timeless feelings, moving between contacts, confused and electric...
Needless worry, abstract application, worst case scenarios.
How is life fair and why are we given, these roadblocks and tests...
Karma and fate intertwined?
Time, time...
Pieces of life, chapters or stanzas
Remind us of love..of loss and hope
Happiness fleeting, history repeating...
In keeping we try to define this emotion
Placing a quantity on an undefinable notion...

October Update-Positive Vibrations Rumbling Thru...

2011-10-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well, on the wings of Art in the Park, the new website being up and looking sharp as well as the new DRS sign hanging off the front of the building as well as September, the month from hell being well behind us, things are looking up! A new "Guest Artist" and a promising show surrounding the Halloween Weekend coming up with some fun in the offing will catapult us into the Holiday Shopping Extravaganza which I'm feeling positive about. Perhaps its my attempt to thwart the coming seasonal effective disorder which usually hits me in March. I think we'll try to blow right thru that with some awesome musical guests and Bluesfest 2012 as well as more wicked Open Mic's. New artists are in the Studios and the selection is looking great. More will be coming this month for the Holidays . New classes will be scheduled this week and I've got a few surprises in store for the coming months...positive vibrations indeed...

MoHu-Fest

2011-10-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
Losts of blogging going on about MoHu! Regionally its the biggest collaborative effort done in some time. Jump on board and check out some of the awesome events and venues participating. Do it now and do it often. This week was meant for you! http://mohufest.com/

2011 Altamont Art in the Park

2011-10-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Planning and executing an art show was much more work that I imagined it might be. Between securing the location, getting permits, insurance, volunteers, trash removal, advertising, attracting artists, providing prize money and awards and getting this all done on a strict schedule, its a wonder what little hair I have hasn't left me! Now throw in a band and a few other local businesses and its a recipe for a coronary, especially since my diet ain't so great these days. Lets just say I'm keeping Bamboo Garden and Paisano's Pizza in the black... Oh, and then there's the weather to contend with. Need I say more. If you're from the Capital District, you know we've had it rough with the precipitation lately to say the least...

All in all I'm pleased with the outcome. There were a few glitches as show time approached but Mother Nature cooperated for the 24 hour period we needed and a great day arrived weather wise. The artists all showed up on time and the band as well. The patrons came and bought and most vendors were happy. Home run...but not a Grand Slam. For a first year event, I'll take it!! Thanks to all the helpers and artists and patrons who came and enjoyed what I created...you are appreciated!

Musings on the Future

2011-10-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

This running a business thing just kinda takes over your life and sucks you into something bigger than yourself. Between all the technology and the sheer volume of things to do, items to remember and tasks to perform on a daily basis, it really is difficult to keep up and feel like you are "keeping up" and not become mired in the details. The "art" of the gallery business which is what I started this adventure to create, seems to be more elusive. There are never enough hours in the day or days in the week to make that perfect image or really take your time and truly relish the experience of being in the moment. The moment when kismet strikes and your creative process gels to make the money shot or the perfect piece. Someone once was asked, "What is your favorite image?" To which they replied, "The one I make tomorrow." This thought rings true especially to me, as I've now brought Desolation Road Studios to a milepost that will force me to make stronger decisions as to where I want my art to go, what direction and to what degree I want to push my work and images. Things are changing in the ever fluid work of the artist...

Anger, Fear, Awareness... Bipolar Blogging: The Days Come and Go

2011-08-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

Anger, Fear, Awareness... Bipolar Blogging: The Days Come and Go

My positive for the day is my wife who without her I would not be where I am today. Thanks honey...

Keeping Your Head Up In A Down Economy...

2011-06-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

"Its the economy stupid"... I think someone fairly important said that once upon a time. The 401K is trashed and the meager savings gone, taxes went up again and I have a feeling the economy isn't getting better. Oh well, I say screw the man! The past year has been crazy good for me! Sure business has been tough but I've made it thru what I hope is to worst of it. Sales have picked up and services are doing well. Art sales have increased and some major projects at the gallery have been completed. The wolf is not at the door yet...If you are reading this and haven't checked out our music nights then get your butts in here! The schedule is full for June and July and we have a lot going on. The Altamont Art in the Park Event is picking up new artists and the summer concert series starts in a few weeks. Things will be hoppin' in the Village. Business as usual, damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead...

One Year Comin' Up!!

2011-05-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well...I think this blog didn't live up to its potential but that's what happens when you're the chief cook and bottle washer and your time is demanded from so many directions. Still, I think it has helped me at times put things in perspective by looking back and counting the blessings of the future. The last 4 months have been long and arduous but the spring has sprung and traffic has picked up some. Art sales tanked through March and April but are coming back. Tulipfest 2011 was great and I did well which helped. Services are holding their own and I've got a few new things in that regard which should spur sales. The Altamont Art In The Park event is now scheduled for October 1st and I've booked a band. My one year anniversary bash will be announced soon and I'm hoping that several shows I'll be doing locally will promote the gallery and get my work out there. Hope is for more good things this summer. A big thanks to everyone that has made this place their own from consignees and musicians to customers alike. It wouldn't be happening if not for you. In the mean time the train keeps a rollin'...I say screw "The Man"...this either works or I'm in deep sh@t!!

Winter in a Small Town Gallery...

2011-02-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

I thought it was about time to check in with everyone and let you know how things are going. Winter in a small town can be rough for a small business especially when the snows start piling up and everybody hunkers down for a long winters nap! All things considered it hasn't been bad and December was good so the space is sustaining itself for the time being. Lots of new events and classes have made the floor traffic increase a little and the framing and matting department is keeping things afloat. Portraits will begin to pick up and I'm hoping the classes and events will continue. The Open Mic has promise as well as some other musical events. The Scrabble Tournie is suckin' wind but slowly getting going. I guess its just survival mode thru the balance of the winter...Bluesfest in March and Art in the Park in June will kick start the season. Thats my plan and I'm stickin' to it!

A Word of Thanks

2010-12-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we forget to thank the people who make a difference in our lives and take for granted those who we can least afford to. There are so many of those people who have helped me make my fledgling business a success. The customers who have given me the opportunity to serve them, the artists who have given their all, the friends who have helped when I needed it, the individuals who have leant a hand expecting nothing in return, my vendors and all the other folks who have given me words of encouragement along the way. To all of you I say "Thank You" because without you I would not be where I am now.

Six Months In...

2010-11-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well folks, its a little over six months into this little project and the train keeps a rollin'. More and more artists are on board and the holiday season is upon us. Lets hope the continued momentum does not abate! My current sense of optimism feels solid and the ideas keep coming. Time is the only conundrum...seems there is never enough of it!! Business as usual though...just keep pluggin' . Altamont Victorian Holidays are coming and the word on the street is that it will be great. Lots of people and Victorian house tours as well as activities for the kids and such. A much needed cash infusion would be good for the space and allow me to do some other cool things to generate more business. Black and white portraits for instance. I'm thinking maybe a Scrabble Tournie and a new Open Mic Night. Some new workshops coming down the pike and a few other activities. Pretty soon it will be spring again and there will be the Art in the Park juried art show as well as the Art Crawl I'm putting together. Lets just think positively and keep building on what I've already accomplished. Giddy-up!

Julie Branch: More Work for JCC

2010-11-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

Julie Branch: More Work for JCC

Work is Work!

2010-11-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Its been a few months since I posted to my studio blog so having a "day off" I thought I would update the masses on my progress. The business aspect of art and retail is a tedious one. I've been working on the promotional aspect of getting people in the door and with my lack of patience I feel like it has been a dismal failure. I've advertised in local papers, I have a sandwich board out front of the gallery, I've left promotional literature in places frequented by potential customers interested in art and music, I've cross promoted with other businesses and done everything short of standing naked in the street to get people into my business. I'll admit that I'm just a wee bit frustrated. While there has been progress and I've made money to the extent that I've been able to meet and exceed monthly expenses (which is no small feat!), I still feel like I could be doing more to move to the next level. The traffic has dimmed somewhat in October and my hope is that the holiday season will pick up. The bane of a small village in the winter is that apparently no one goes out often, much less to an art gallery! This is what I'm told so...having that in mind I've been trying to come up with activities and events to entice customers in. Acoustic music nights, senior citizen discounts, workshops and classes, free wifi and such. I keep going back to the old adage, Location, location, location." Have I shot myself in the foot with the location I've chosen or does the reduced overhead where I am work for the purposes of a gallery/studio? Only time will tell I guess. Until then I'm gonna plug on and keep the ideas rolling and hope for the best!!

The Delicate Dance of Dealing With Knuckleheads

2010-08-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

Of course in my 25 years in the business world I have run into my share of complete knot heads both on the consumer and corporate side of the counter and it amazes me that some people have made it as far as they have without being weeded out of the herd in some grotesque way with extreme prejudice...the degree to which some people are self centered, paranoid and downright ignorant blows me away. What happened to being self depricating and polite? Why do we as a society breed rude, ugly and insolent characters? I wanted to get away from that type of person and went in the direction of the art world to find them there too...consider my bubble burst...

A Day Off...

2010-08-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

So I opened an art gallery/studio and have been working my butt off to get it up and running and get people in the door for the last three months straight and haven't really gotten to the point where I can feel good about not going into work and taking a true "day off". Perhaps I should get used to this...? They say when you open a business that the business owns you, you don't own the business. I'm beginning to see that there is sufficient truth in that statement to concur with the aformentioned"they"... I wouldn't have it any other way at least for now...

Opening an Artspace...

2010-08-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

When I first thought about opening a business I thought coffee shop or quickie mart or breakfast joint but in the end it wasn't exactly what I wound up opening. My love of photography steered me towards the arts and after finding a cool old building that for years had been a small town's only pharmacy, I was able to negotiate a reasonable rent and throwing caution to the wind I divested some stock and a small retirement account to gain some exposure for my fledgling business. Nobody tells you just how much it costs to open a business. The fees and taxes and forms and variances and inspections and time it sucks out of you. Those things you find out the hard way. What you do find out rather quickly is that if you get your ass out of bed in the morning and plug away at it and keep going and don't let the numbskull nay sayers get to you is that you can do alot before noon if you put your mind to it. Smile and say thank you and be polite and people will come. Ask and ye shall receive. Use your contacts and friendships and don't be afraid to make new ones. Ask for help and expect people to want to help you, because they do. In the almost three months it has taken me to rehab the building, set up the gallery/studio, get consignees and develop my workflow, I have met ex-curators of museums, college professors, teachers, artists, artisans and alot of interesting people. All in all its been an experience that I would never have expected. I'm looking forward to the next few months wondering what cool thng is going to happen next!!