I got up early, beat the crowd to the Park Cafe in St. Mary for breakfast, and headed down the highway from Glacier. While driving along, I was listening to Radio Times on NPR, and I heard a good interview with Stew from the band The Negro Problem and the Broadway show “Passing Strange.” He talked about how traveling somewhere is an effort to not only to discover a new place but to find something new in yourself. He also described what he does in his music as “trying to solve life’s problems with art.” He was quick to add that he’s not sure that’s actually possible, but as creative beings, we need to at least try.

He went on to compare the creative process to spirituality, in that each of those practices take you outside of yourself. It’s so true. I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve started to work on making photographs and felt uninspired, uncomfortable, unwell, or somehow distracted, and I go through the motions. But eventually, I find an interesting subject or angle or light, and all of a sudden it starts clicking and I’m giving it my all. I often stop feeling physical complaints and distracting moods when I finally get into the creative process. Once I’m in that groove, it’s very easy for me to lose track of time, forget to eat, etc. But it’s always worth it.

But anyway, back on the highway: I’m noticing one of the of the depressing aspects of tourism in wilderness places. In an area of tourist traps along Route 2 outside of Glacier, I see a sign: “Come See BEARS! In Cages!” Considering that just the day before, I saw BEARS! Not In Cages! that sign really bummed me out.

I stopped for a while at Kootenai Falls, where I checked out the falls area (very nice, a bit reminiscent of Great Falls near Washington, DC) and walked across the swinging bridge, which was pretty cool. Near Bonners Ferry, Idaho, I also took a brief detour through Kootenai Wildlife Refuge. At that point, I realized I’d crossed a time zone border and gained an hour, which always feels a little like finding a ten-dollar bill in your coat pocket. I headed toward Coeur d’Alene, where I met up with my friend Terry, who had moved to the area from Baltimore a couple of years ago. He and his girlfriend Linda took me out for a nice dinner at Luna in Spokane — it was a pleasure to see a familiar face for the first time in three weeks, and to actually have a meal with other people! I hope I remembered how to behave in the presence of others. I guess I must not have been too embarrassing, because Terry and Linda generously offered me a guest room for the night, which was a welcome break from hotel rooms and the camper.

First, an introduction. Charm City Art Club is a group founded by Baltimore artists Jeff Caporizzo, Michelle Sanzi Kermes, and me. You can see more about us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charm-City-Art-Club/308859099749

When I started planning this trip, I thought about what kind of photographic approach I was going to take. Was I going to concentrate on a particular type of subject matter? Shoot a in a particular style? I really didn’t want to constrain myself right out of the gate. My day-to-day photography is an exercise in exploration, so I wanted to bring that approach to this project as well. In short, I’ll photograph whatever strikes my eye, whether it’s a creation of nature or a rusty truck or an interesting character.

But I also felt that this trip needed an artistic angle or goal, and an opportunity presented itself at a recent recent meeting of the Charm City Art Club. Michelle mused on how interesting it would be for me to act as a lens – literally – for my fellow CCAC members. We talked about it for a while and agreed to collaborate on a project.

As I post pictures from my travels, Michelle and Jeff will select images and respond visually with works of their own, in their respective mediums. The ultimate goal is to present our works as a series of triptychs. Since this project is still very much in the early stages, I’ll save details until later! In the meantime, please visit CCAC on Facebook and become a fan.

I’ve long been a fan of the cool design and architecture blog Materialicious, which features contemporary and eco-friendly design projects and products from around the globe. So you can imagine my excitement at being featured on their blog here!

My photograph “Circle Shadows” is featured on the Australian photo spotlight site Qwertypics.com

Upon popular demand, I’ve started producing a line of note cards! They’re currently available by visiting my Open Studio at the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower (the first Saturday of every month), but I’ll also make them available online soon!

I’m pleased to announce the release of the book Labor Markets and Business Cycles, published by Princeton University Press, which features one of my photos on the cover.

This is long overdue, but I wanted to share a project to which I contributed. A fantastic group of graphic designers and illustrators who met on the HOW Magazine design forum decided to pool talents to create this cool collection of refrigerator magnets! My photograph “Ampersand” is one of the works featured. Not only do you get some swell magnets for your fridge, but also the satisfaction of contributing to my friend Mel’s fantastic Operation NICE. It’s a win-win!

I’ve teamed up with fellow Baltimore artists Jeff Caporizzo, Michelle Sanzi Kermes, and Annette Jones-Wilson to form the Charm City Art Club. Charm City Art Club is a small organization of dedicated and passionate Baltimore artists. Our goals are simple: art for art’s sake and advocacy for the arts. Our product is good art, and shared support, under the guiding principle that artists are a big part of a better Baltimore. We’re looking forward to helping to support and promote artists and the arts in Baltimore through various projects and efforts. Stay tuned!

My exhibit “Vulnerability and Resilience” is on display the month of March 2010 at Hoffberger Gallery in Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. Opening Reception is Sunday, March 7, 2:00-4:00 pm.

I’m excited to report that I will now be working out of a fantastic space in the historic Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower in Baltimore! The artists of the Bromo Tower open their studios on the first Saturday of each month for the public to view and buy work. Visit the linked site for schedule.