my photos, videos, drawings, art – Page 5

I wrote this song at the beach in Port Aransas, TX, and combined it with a video I took one day at the beach in San Diego. It’s about several idyllic scenes with Maile, my love.

Released November 27, 2011 on FOK DUB:

Jason Molin – Guitar and vocals
Gray Parsons – Drums
Timmy Campbell – Percussion
Lindsay Greene – Bass
Chris Vestre – Guitar
Derek Morris – Keys
Thomas van der Brook – Sax
Oliver Steck – Trumpet
Karla Manzur van der Brook – Vocals
Sara Hickman – Vocals
Maile Broccoli-Hickey – Vocals

Produced by Everyday J
Mixed and Master by Dr. Ivan Mordo

Spring Break in Paris With Maile

The music just below is one one of the recordings I made in Paris, this one of an accordion player on a pedestrian bridge. Hit play now so that the sounds of Paris will accompany you.Â OK. Can you hear the melancholy French jazz?

accordian player on the Ponte Nuef — accordion player on the Ponte Nuef playing a melancholy Autumn Leaves

MaileÂ and I originally planned to travel to Paris together for our 10th wedding anniversary. Two and a half years later we made it, by ourselves, for a full week. We rented a wonderful loft appartment onÂ AirBnbÂ in the Marais, from which we sauntered out an back every day.

I took about 1600 photos with my little Canon G7X and got it down to about 250 favorites shots that I’ve posted as an album on Flickr. See theÂ slideshow at the end of this post. I’ll try to whittle it way down here and tell the story of our trip primarily in pictures and captions.

We arrived on Saturday morning and took the train into the city. — We arrived on Saturday morning and took the train into the city (with Charles Beaver, Anais’s envoy).

Walking from the Metro to find our place we stopped at Le Petite Marcel for lunch. — Walking from the Metro to find our apartment we stopped at Le Petite Marcel for lunch.

The beautiful blue door to the building where we stayed. — the beautiful blue door to the building where we stayed

the reflection of our front building in the shiny black van opposite

The beautiful classic bicycle that was always locked outside our door

The Pompidou

We stayed two blocks fromÂ the Pompidou, passing it every day, eating across from it. Here are a few of the outside and then a few of my favorite works inside.

seven people sitting in front of the Pompidou

We stayed a few blocks from the Pompidou, a wonderful modern art gallery — my reflection in the window of the line and houses opposite

Man Ray's room of art and beautiful objects — Man Ray’s room of art and beautiful objects

shiny spinning metal shape with divets in a black and white lined box

I particularly liked the GerardÂ Fromanger exhibit, his use of monochrome figures and infographics.

Paris skyline — view from the top of the Pompidou; see the Eifell Tower shining it’s spotlight in the distance

we caught these break dancers entertaining the crowd in front of HÃ´tel de Ville — break dancers entertaining aÂ crowd in front of HÃ´tel de Ville

Reflection on the front of a bus — reflection on the front of a bus

woman in red hat waiting, man in black coat turning away — waiting for the light to change on a bridge over the Seine

Paris swing band on the bridge over the Seine — Paris swing on a bridge over the Seine

reflection in bus window w driver smoking

Maile on the Ponte Nuef overlooking the Siene

people sitting on the steps leading down to the Seine

man running with child. one of my favorite moments to capturing, participating in that pure joy.

pedicabbies looking left as the man in black walks right

mannequin with reflection of tower and tree

I lived off these lovely fresh baguette sandwiches — I loved lunchingÂ onÂ these fresh baguette sandwiches

the Mona Lisa hype machine (I found it hard to appreciateÂ the Louvre)

Street Art

There was so much great street art everywhere, from centuries old sculpture toÂ Â to stickers, art sellers and graffiti, chalk artists and street musicians. Hardly a block went by that I didn’t notice a gorgeous door.Â I was always stopping to snap something and then running to catch up with Maile.

statues throughout the city had been secretly blindfolded in scarlet (an art stunt meant to draw attention to the ubiquitous – and easily overlooked – statuary)

chalk drawing on wall — i love this chalk drawing, a face made out ofÂ squares, making eyes out of cracks in the wall

wonderful street art everywhere. vandals with a nice sense of color

poster of baseball cap — Trust The Classics

a cup of shit (by Space Invader, I think) — a cup of shit (by Space Invader, I think

Now listen to the slow funky Flamenco sounds of a guitarist echoing in the Subway.

MusÃ©e d’Orsay

MusÃ©e d’Orsay was a pure delight and inspiration. So many beautiful works of art that I’d never seen, and in a beautifully convertedÂ old converted train station.

Picasso Museum

a window upon rooftops, the distortions of the hand-blown glass making a painting

And there are so many more I’d like to include. Here is a slideshow of all my favorites:

January 2016

Here is the story of myÂ Â January, in pictures, songs and videos. Â We started the new year by hostingÂ a New Year’s Eve dinner.

Gray, playing guitar for us after dinner, by the fire

Maile, Anais and I spent a lazy Saturday afternoon with Townes having a picnic and wandering around Zilker park.

Anais and Maile, running w Townes at Zilker park

My tall shadow, waving atop the big rock in Zilker park

Anais snapped these shots of us at dinner one night.

Our first week back at work I ran AV for the Black Student-Athlete Summit. Here is aÂ UT-Austin panel of collogues.

Leonard Moore moderates a panel with Thais, Darren, Louis, Devin, and MJ

While I was helping run the BSA conference, my brother Pete was in town to attend the MLA conference and present withÂ a panel of War Lit writers.Â It also happened to be free-week at many clubs downtown, so we Â walked 6th St. and stopped in a few clubs on Red River.

First we hit the Mohawk and caught a band, then singer-songwriter Ben Ballinger.

Ben Ballinger at the Mohawk — Ben Ballinger blowing theÂ harmonica at the Mohawk

Then we hit Cheer Up Charlie’s to meet up with Pete’s fellow panelists, Patrick and AB. We arrived toÂ Girls In The NoseÂ , a band of older women. They were great. A friend informed me that they are a lesbian band that’s been going for decades. And what a refreshingÂ contrast to the cool, unintelligible band that was playing forÂ hipsters next door.

I was smiling before I could see them because as we walked in they were singing about the “pedagogy of the pussy.” Then there was “More Madonna, less Jesus!” MyÂ favorite, that was in my head for days, went, “We juxtapose the pantyhose with FREE-DOM, FREE-DOM!”

Girls In The Nose at Cheer Up Charlie's — Girls In The Nose at Cheer Up Charlie’s

Peter, Lauren, AB, and Patrick at Cheer Up Charlie's — Peter, Lauren, AB, and Patrick at Cheer Up Charlie’s

War Lit Panel at the MLA Conference: AB, Patrick, Stacey, Peter, and Roy

Anais with a pretzel monocle (downtown waiting for Peter’s panel)

Sunday Singalong at Stacy Park — We had a beautiful Sunday Singalong sitting in the sun at Stacy Park

We biked the boardwalk and had a picnic with all the lovies.

OPNTHDOr (some old artwork of Anais's I found going through a box of her art) — OPNTHDOr (some artwork of Anais’s I found going through a box of her art)

A glimpse into Anais's tiny world — A glimpse into Anais’s tiny world

Anais's room, after she spent a long time cleaning and organizing — Anais’s room, after she spent a long time cleaning and organizing

Gray and I jammed at his place. Check out the selections below.

Gray's Delay Delay, which can be heard in our jams below — Gray’s Delay Delay, which can be heard in our jams below

I photographed and video taped the UT MLK Day ceremony and march to the capitol. Jessica edited it together into the video below.

Girls scouts at the MLK statue on MLK Day

This little guy stole the show!

Marching to the capitol, we ran into Casey and Natalie, Georgia and Adele (lower right w Anais)

A misty morning shot of the river on my morning commute along the boardwalk — A misty shot of the river on my morning commute along the boardwalk

A full-moon shot of the sunset from the boardwalk on my commute home — A full-moon overÂ the sunset from the boardwalk on my commute home

A day at the Menil with Maile's folks, Joe and Ellyn — A day at the Menil with Maile’s folks, Joe and Ellyn

Maile and Ellyn, lounging on the grass above my approaching shadow — Maile and Ellyn, lounging on the grass outside the Menil, withÂ my approaching shadow

Looking up at the cedars in the front yard at Tomball

Maile took me on a great date to see Kool an the Gang at the ACL Live stage.

Doug and I saw Thomas play with Bryce’s band, Brother Superior.

Brother Superior at Blackheart — Brother Superior atÂ TheÂ Blackheart

We FINALLY took Anais out on our kayak and it was a magical morning on GORGEOUS day

Epic bday jam at Gray's — Epic bday jam at Gray’s

Gray and his blue Telecaster on a sea of color

And I’ll end with a song that I improvised one night in the studio. Channeling Mark’s frustrations with DC, I looped some vocal lines and spit this out:

Photos from West Texas, Thanksgiving Weekend

Maile, Anais and I drove West for Thanksgiving weekend. We stayed in Marathon and Balmorhea, visiting Big Bend, a rattlesnake museum and Sonora Caverns on the way home. View the whole set of photos on Flickr.