US Road Trip!

On June 17th I left Austin to start traveling around the United States. My plan is to continue up until the holidays in November and December when I will be with family. Then next year I might continue or settle down in whatever new place I hope to discover on my trip.

If you want to follow along on my journey the only place I am updating daily is on Instagram. @scottdavidgordon

Here’s a panorama from Fall Lake in northern Minnesota to give you a taste of the amzaing natural beauty I’ve been witnessing. I wish I had not waited so long to see all of these places but am glad now to have to opportunity to do so. Please check out my Instagram to see more!

Fall Lake looking towards the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota

Fall Lake looking towards the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota

AUSTIN ART TALK - Anne Mourier - Mother-Nature

Anne Mourier is a conceptual artist who was born in France and is now splitting her time between the east coast and Italy. We met many years ago in NYC and during my travels I made a point to visit her and sit down for an interview.

Some of the themes she explores in her artworks are the feminine archetype, motherhood, quiet simplicity and beauty, home and the chores of domestic life, and maybe most importantly the environment and respect for life and nature. I’m so impressed with her wisdom, groundedness, her dedication to research and a commitment and openness to using any medium which might best communicate what she is trying to say with her work.

She also has a series of separate performances called Taking Care were she prepared meals for people, washed and item of clothing, and washed their feet. Of the work she states “I strongly believe that “Taking Care” is important and may possibly be the only way to mend our broken society:  Taking Care of our planet, Taking Care of things instead of replacing them, Taking Care of each other…”

As she says so well on her website her goal is “A harmonious future, free of its dualistic and antagonistic visions; a holistic future that would acknowledge the fluidity of the masculine and the feminine principle living in harmony within each of us, in nature, in art, in everything we touch, smell, and see.”

“We are fed with this idea that we have to be so much. And of course it’s not true because each of us has a specific talent or specific things we are good at. I finally feel at this place of my life that I’m enough. I’m tying to do my best with the little corner of what I know how to do. So my goal is to keep passing this message and hoping that it’s going to effect the life or the way of thinking of certain people.””
— Anne Mourier

Austin Enneagram - Ep19 - Instincts - Self Preservation, Sexual, & Social

Check out this new episode I produced for Elizabeth Chapin and Leigh Jackson’s Austin Enneagram podcast. Helping people capture and create their podcast is fun but it’s extra nice when I get to learn something that I can apply to my life in the process!

In this episode podcast hosts Elizabeth Chapin and Leigh Jackson delve into the three Instincts; Self preservation, Sexual, and Social. The goal is balance, awareness, and your relationship with all three, and typically there is one instinct that is more dominant, one more in the middle, and one that is a blind spot.

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Each Instinct is also broken down into three even more specific zones. By surveying a broad range of teachings and by attempting to integrate their own realizations, challenges, and how they personally relate to this level of work, Elizabeth and Leigh are able to expand and elaborate on this deeper aspect of the Enneagram that is separate from the types.

Elizabeth and Leigh have been apprentices of Enneagram master Suzanne Stabile. Their goal is to share this practical and transformational tool with others in a way that is narrative, inclusive and accessible. Have a listen to Episode 1-10 if you haven’t, to get an introduction to the 9 types and overview of the Enneagram.

  • An introduction to Instincts and their relative dominance

  • Self Preservation specifics and zones - 14:20

  • Sexual specifics and zones - 27:21

  • Social specifics and zones - 44:33

  • Closing comments - 1.00.10

AUSTIN ART TALK - Gladys Poorte - Nuevo Mundo

This week's podcast guest is Gladys Poorte. Her work for many people appears to be very otherworldly and fantastical, maybe even sci-fi inspired, but in fact, it is all based on real-life objects and 3D models that she creates in her studio to draw and paint from while controlling the light and mood to ultimately create space and depth. The inspiration often comes from observing, processing, and reacting to real-life events that have happened in the world, and concerns about the future.

I’m very impressed with Gladys' willingness to keep pushing herself to learn new skills and gain knowledge to enhance and evolve her artwork over time. We talk about her life growing up in Argentina, working as an educator, transitioning to living in the US, and her many years of diverse art classes and schooling to evolve her style and craft to where it is today.

Nuevo Mundo
Gladys Poorte At The Davis Gallery
May 1st - June 12th
Davis Gallery & Framing
837 West 12th Street
Austin, TX 78701
512-477-4929

Gladys Poorte's "Nuevo Mundo" debuts at the Davis Gallery. Exploring the new settings wherein which we find ourselves during an unprecedented time, Poorte helps us transition into seemingly foreign yet familiar landscapes within her interpretation and style.

Fort Davis National Historic Site

A selection of views and things that I saw while hiking at Ft Davis. It was a wonderful morning and a visually stimulating location!

Davis Mountains State Park Panoramas

Here are some panoramas that I made with my iPhone during two hikes at DMSP. The first three are from a hike early in the day along the Indian Lodge trail and a close to sunset hike along Skyline Drive Trail. Almost got to 15,000 steps, over 6 miles.

Sunset hike on Skyline Drive Trail.

AUSTIN ART TALK - Tom Jean Webb - Being Here

Artist Tom Jean Webb grew up in England but knew from an early age he wanted to live in America. His mother and grandfather helped to inspire his creativity and if not for a chance visit to a contemporary art gallery as an adult, he would not have realized that what he wanted to say with his own art was valid and possible. After many trips and back and forth from the United States to England he finally committed to fulfill his dream and made the US his home.

The work he creates is heavily inspired by the colorful and rocky desert landscapes of the southwest and are explorations of space and his own personal reality. As he consistently strives to create his distinctive artwork he prioritizes being open and present, staying playful, having fun, and letting go of control and preconceived ideas.

“As much as art is about creating an object, it’s also about learning about yourself. My art has always been this tool for which I decipher the world, and my place in it, or who I am and how I learn and what I see. It’s the medium through which I decipher everything.”
— Tom Jean Webb

Here are some images I made when I was visiting Tom Jean’s studio to record the interview.

AUSTIN ART TALK - Chris Rogers - Unconditional

“That’s my ultimate goal. When I’m done here I want to have temples built in a lot of people’s hearts. Not, oh Chris was so awesome. But because I gave them something. Because I meant something to them. Because I gave them a piece of my heart”
— Chris Rogers

Wow! Can’t believe we’ve made it to 100 episodes. I could not imagine a better guest to celebrate this milestone. Chris Rogers is an artist who specializes in portraits that capture a person's true essence, live painting sessions at events, and large and colorful murals that adorn many walls around Austin with their inviting and galvanizing truths. All of this work hopefully leads to conversations, connections, and a realization as Chris says in the interview, the cure is us.

How can we heal our fractured system and relationships, let go of control and give over to the moment, and find our way to truth, honesty with ourselves, and learn to speak from the heart?

Chris really brought the vulnerability and bares all as we talk about his lifelong artistic practice, alcoholism and recovery, and the huge impact his late mother continues to have on his life. This conversation was so moving and inspiring to me as I hope it will be to you.

Here are some images of murals here in Austin that Chris painted at 12th & Chicon and at Native Hostel.

Cande Aguilar | It’s only barrioPOP but I like it @ grayDUCK Gallery

I’m so impressed by Cande’s work and it was fun to help capture and produce an interview with him and then photograph the exhibition for Jill the owner of grayDUCK. I love having a regular gig working with artists and capturing exhibitions!

Text by artist/writer Noe Hinojosa for Cultbytes

What is Cande Aguilar’s barrioPOP? In the United States, when you place the word "barrio" in front of anything, it acts as a filter. It filters whatever words follow through a Mexican American context down to a common denominator: the neighborhood. If I say I can play barrio tennis, it means I may not have the fancy equipment or clothes, and my strokes may not be refined, but I do know the rules, and I can play. I might have to jump a fence to get to some tennis courts, but that just reinforces the point that "barrio" anything is being of, or pertaining to, the common folk of the barrio where people are accustomed to less access of all kinds for basic socio-economic reasons. Read more…

Exhibition Dates: April 9 – May 23, 2021

AUSTIN ART TALK - Manik Raj Nakra

Manik Raj Nakra is an Austin Based Artist who creates colorful and mythic-looking artworks influenced by his extensive research of cultures, ancient art, and architecture from all over the world. All that he absorbs through books, travel, and online research gets melded and transformed into his own unique but somehow universal visual language.

I’m impressed with Manik’s boldness and commitment to his art practice and willingness to spend years out of view to refine his subject matter, experiment, and learn and improve his creative techniques, taking the quality of what he is producing to the next level, and then back into the world. Please enjoy this interesting and often humorous conversation with Manik and be sure to check out his Big Medium exhibition this month.

“Out of the million brush strokes on this painting, I like his brushstroke. So it was worth the 20 hours I spent on it to learn this one stroke. Then I would take that stroke into the next piece. Then that piece didn’t feel right but there was a second brush stroke also that I liked. And then eventually I got to the point where I liked all the brush strokes on the canvas. That’s when I’m like OK, now I can start making art.”
— Manik Raj Nakra

AUSTIN ART TALK - Brian Daly - Part 2 - Recovery

"I used to think I had all the answers. I believed it. I don’t believe that at all anymore. I have all the questions. I’ve got all of them. And I don’t really need answers anymore. I’m in it for the questions. And that pretty much rules my day, every day. Just endless questions."

This is part two of my interview with artist Brian Daly. If you haven’t heard Part One I would recommend going back and starting with Episode 97 where we cover his epic life story before he got sober 19 months ago.

Part Two goes more in-depth into his current life and practice as an artist.

March 25th

March 25th will forever be a day that I stop and think about my father who passed away on this date four years ago from Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS). And the way my mind works I’m always looking for and seeing connections, and references to the past.

Today was also the day for me to finally get my first vaccine dose after many months of trying. It just so happened that I received my shot in the parking lot of the Burger Center where over 30 years ago my dad taught me to drive a stick (manual transmission). The confluence of these events in my mind Is something I note and wonder about and it does bring some solace and curiosity.

After my vaccine I was going to grab some food from what was one of my dad’s favorite fast food places, Arby’s. This particular location I have memories of visiting with him 35+ years ago but come to find out it’s shut down for good! Oh well.

One more funny connection. They gave me a Tootise Pop after the shot and I used to get those after my allergy shots when I was very young. I wonder if it is common for other people to think about things like this and see these kinds of synchronicities?

I created this panorama of the inside of the Burger Center stadium nine years ago.