I was energized, to put it mildly, to be turned on to Melodie's work. Even the first page of her website (click here) immediately reveals her unique view on the world - how sculptural her drawings are even when depicting seemingly simple source material. Her humor is super fine as well! Some of her titles, like her last show, "HELLO? I FORGOT MY MANTRA, at Clifton Benevento, or STUCKED PAINTINGS IN MY HAIR, and UP MY CULT! Genius, odd, delightful.

And these pieces reflect the kind of work she's showing at our shop:

Trouble Rainbow

Removing Boulders =================

Melodie's pieces in the show are on the right in this picture, both the posters and the actual rock noses below (also in this image, from left: Valentin Toledo: NARBEAGLE ON THE DIANA ROCK, 2012; Olivia Primé': Epic Performance and the Simulation Pack, 2011; Melinda Rayman: Sore like a rock (necklaces), 2012; Josh Callaghan: Stone Tool, Tape measure, pliers, pencil, concrete, Courtesy of Steve Turner Contemporary, 2009 (photo by Joshua White)

(rock noses) balancing authority and power in fast changing societal and natural dynamic, stoned faces), 2011

(posters): balancing authority and power in fast changing societal and natural dynamic, stoned faces, Clay, Jake, Kristin, Stina, Scott, Danielle, Katelyn, Rebecca, Sofia, Zack), 2011

edition of 15

Tiny load: Inspired by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Rock, Colin Brown places a rock on a Matchbox model of a Lamborghini Miura in Griffith Park on March 10.

These few days have been a mash-up of loads. Catalog deadline and super stressful situations caused by my no-knowhow of graphic design programs and that ole mercury in retrograde thing that has been sticking its nasty protuberant head into all my business. I just seem able to turn my t-shirt around to go to bed and wake with eye drops, tea and an open computer. I've never worked harder on anything in my life. That's saying something I guess. The catalog is in the fine hands of Donahue printing now, so a huge heavy rock load has been transposed off my shoulders, and the space is almost painted completely. Bright green is our facade now! Now for dealing with the ugh of fluorescent and shelving, and then the magic inventory can come in and fill the space with eagleness and rockness and art of thus. Rocky road ice cream is good as I recall...

click here to see!

here are some generally and specifically wondrous rocks/boulders to contemplate as far as how they reached where they are and how incongruous that sometimes is.

this is my new screensaver:

I got to drive to coolest van around yesterday - the kind that makes every bump on the street a groovy rolick. Joe, incredible artist and furniture artisan, offered to lend The Rock and Eagle a desk and credenza and a few shelf brackets. Click here for his Blake Avenue website to peruse his sturdy elegant offerings. The quality of the wood just screams out: "I am the nicest wood you could ever want - I'm perfectly rugged looking, and will last longer than you ever will!"

Now the place has some class alongside its new coat of paint. His new paintings are incredible too! Look out for his next show at The Company Gallery in Chinatown.

Paul's condensed bio: After a promising start, the last twenty years have been spent travelling, growing vegetables, playing with Lego and existing in the artistic limbo which is teaching. Emanating from the cultural cradle of civilization (Coventry), a strong sense of history is often evident. Inspired by the unusual, serendipitous and dysfunctional the work attempts to be playful, decorative and therapeutic in equal measure.

Paul is another art colleague from way back when; we were at South Glamorgan Institute of Art in Wales (UK) during my last year at college. I was on an exchange program from The College of Charleston and got wooed to Wales by my professor who insisted it would be a challenge to move me forward with my art's trajectory. Well, a challenge it was, but I'm not sure if it was a forward move, though certainly character and backbone building - at one point I was squatting (Squatting: the practice of living in abandoned or unoccupied spaces that a squatter does not legally own, is a great way to avoid paying rent, if you’re willing to take the risk) in a freezing cold tiny room with 4 others, no electricity, and a bathtub/sink that was the kitchen table by day. Paul, donning a startling mullet at the time, and sometimes a kilt, teased me incessantly cushioned with a cheeky delivery. I could tell he was fond and even a bit protective of me amidst his verbal political and anti-American tirades. His affectionate and humorous jabs became the most comforting thing about that period of time, at least the parts I could remember. Besides being a very intimidating clan of angry artists, they drank a whole lot more than they ate, with their dole money, and didn't think it a successful evening unless one's head hit the table at the end of a night.

Paul and I kept in touch, and have built up a proper friendship via letter writing over time. I was always enamored by his ceramics. They have a wild mystical attitude to match his own, with fiery colors, and emit an other worldliness that is a feast of fun. An eagle image born from his brain will need a shelf all to itself.

When I first heard of the song via Julia at the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, I thought it was about Eagle Rock, our Eagle Rock, but its not. So here's the scoop, and the content is rich. So, now its all about practicing the dance!

"Eagle Rock" is a classic Australian song, released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a (then) record ten weeks.

Guitarist, vocalist and the song's writer Ross Wilson was living and performing in London when he wrote the song. He explained his inspiration for the song:

"It came from a Sunday Times liftout magazine A-Z on music. In the before blues section there was an evocative photo of rural black Americans dancing in a dirt poor juke joint. "Eagle Rock" was a popular 1920s black dance performed with the arms outstretched and the body rocking from side to side, 'Doing the eagle rock' is also a metaphor for sexual intercourse. ===========================================================================================================================================================================================

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Rights Association celebrated its 75th anniversary by naming the Best Australian Songs of all time, as decided by a 100 strong industry panel. In 2010 'Eagle Rock' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia Registry.

English performer, Elton John toured Australia during 1972 and was so inspired by Daddy Cool's hit single "Eagle Rock" that, with Bernie Taupin, he wrote "Crocodile Rock". The cover of John's 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, which featured "Crocodile Rock", has a photo of lyricist Taupin wearing a "Daddy Who?" promotional badge.

In 1998 Australia Post issued a special edition set of twelve stamps celebrating the early years of Australian Rock ‘n’ Roll, featuring Australian hit songs of the late 50s, the 60s and the early 70s. One of the songs featured in the collection was 'Eagle Rock'.

The song was covered by the Australian children's group The Wiggles on their 2003 tour, with Captain Feathersword singing lead. It appears on the DVD "Live Hot Potatoes."

In 2005, it appeared as backing music on commercials for "Victoria - The Place to Be". It was also used in the opening scenes of the 2006 horror movie Wolf Creek, in the 2011 Australian film Red Dog and in the television series Dossa and Joe.

Since the early 1990s "Eagle Rock" has been played at home games for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team and is unofficially the club's theme song. It is also played at West Coast Eagles games at Subiaco Oval in the Australian Football League and the Eagles' Rick The Rock Eagle mascot character is also named after the song.

The Tradition "Eagle Rock" is also notorious in Australia. Since the mid-1980s, when the song is played in a public bar, it is common for Australian students (largely male) to unstrap their belts and hobble around with their pants around their ankles. Members of Daddy Cool have admitted to being perplexed over the origin of this practice.

The Clubs and Societies manual for the University of Queensland, has "Founders of the Eagle Rock Tradition" noted with the information for the UQ Mining and Metallurgy Association. Whilst it is a somewhat controversial claim, it is a reasonable suggestion with a number of St Johns residents specialising in the Mining field during the 1970s. The policy of the University of Queensland's Student Union states no individual can be removed from the University pub, the Red Room, for dropping their pants whilst Eagle Rock is being played.

Daddy Cool members Wayne Duncan — bass guitar, backing vocals Ross Hannaford — lead guitar, backing vocals Ross Wilson — lead vocals, guitar, harmonica Gary Young — drums, backing vocals

and here they are in 2007, rockin' the Eagle Rock again

My favorite reaction to the announcement thus far!

After a lot of imploring, favor-calling and outreach to relative strangers, palm-sweaty nights thinking of having to resort to a lean-to in an empty lot, we have our shop!

The address, the delightful key-in-hand address, is: 4765 Eagle Rock Blvd. LA CA 90041

Ta-dahhh!

Now its all about brooms, bleach and elbow grease, scraping, painting and obfuscating. TLC is achingly needed, but I'm wearing my jeans, and its in my genes.

And so, as a tribute to my own inner delight, and as a result of a sick cute animal video vortex I fell into on YouTube after finding the startled eagle, here are some other animals, reacting to the news

the dramatic Chipmunk

the dramatic Alpaca

the dramatic Sloth

the dramatic Lemur

And, ya gotta have a cat: the OMG cat