Open Face

Chicago, Illinois - Oct 2011

It's been a while since I've been on here. The past number of months have proven to be interesting to say the least, and at most, life changing. The world that surrounds me is still beautiful, though the summer days have passed and the leaves on the alder tree outside my loft have mostly given way to the bright yellow death of fall. The sun now sits in the southern sky, but the skies have been blue, and the hustle of life has continued forward.

I've found so many new friends and acquaintances to fill my life. One has to be grateful for friends and the hours of entertainment they provide. I'm thankful for them, and the fun that we have. It seems like there is no end to the dinner parties and outings that dot the evenings and weekends. It's exhausting at times, but I endure, while fancying a similitude to a time that once was.

My little neighborhood in the city becomes smaller each day that passes. It's a wonderful feeling to walk down the street and actually know people as you walk by. It's rewarding to go to local cafes and know everyone there, and sit for an hour just to visit. I need to get a camera to capture some of these moments, and I need to take a few minutes more often to record them here.
                                                                                      -Max

Great Room Preview

Great rooms are awesome for entertaining. Photo by Phil Goodwin

I love my great room! Living in an open concept loft means working to create separate and intimate spaces in a large room. There's a lot to cover in my great room, so I'm going to give an overall preview right now and then break it up into some separate posts.

Separation, while maintaining flow is key. Photo by Phil Goodwin

In my great room I tried to compile a funky mix of modern and vintage pieces to create a warm, lived-in feel that is often missed in a concrete-floored, urban-industrial loft. It's a great space for entertaining large or small groups with flow for a crowd, but intimacy for a dinner party. Further details about the specific projects and spaces to come!

                                                                                      -Max

On perfect days like today when I am sitting outside in front of a cafe or at a park, reading, writing or just relaxing, I can't help but ask myself if life could really get any better.

Max

The Orange Bathroom

Photo by Phil Goodwin

The first room I undertook was my bathroom, so it seems appropriate it be the first in the loft tour. From the beginning I knew I wanted it to be bright orange with poetry written in black. It's pretty loud, and I love that, because bathrooms are small and you don't spend too much time in them, so they are a great place to go a little crazy. I hear a lot of people say they want to have a very spa-like bathroom, but for me, I want one that will give me energy as I get ready for the day (not really a morning person) or prepare to go out at night.

Photo by Phil Goodwin

I chose Pablo Neruda poetry to adorn the walls, as it reminds me of my time living in Chile (he was Chilean) and I love his poems. The use of Spanish is a nod to presenting his work as he wrote it and it prevents most people from getting too caught up in the meaning of the words so much as the imagery.

Photo by Phil Goodwin

With the drama of the orange walls and black writing, I chose subdued-colored photos of vintage still life settings, glass vases, and accessories primarily in greys, whites and blacks. I hope you like my bathroom, I sure do!
                                                                                      -Max

Finally a Loft Tour

I've been wanting to open up my loft to a small internet tour for some time. And the time is now! Over several installments, I'm going to show you my apartment and highlight a few of the projects I undertook in setting it up.

To catch everyone up, I moved in to a store-front loft a little under a year ago. When I say store-front, I mean store-front (my next door neighbor in an Italian restaurant with basically my same floor plan) . It's on the street with large windows facing out to the sidewalk.

Sometimes people stare in my windows, and I think it's pretty fun. At first it was a little strange to be so open to the street, but now I'm totally used to it (even the homeless people who sleep on my stoop sometimes) Hope you enjoy to tour!

                                                                                      -Max

No Wheat? No Meat? No problem

Left-overs are always welcomed the day after dinner.

This weekend I hosted a vegetarian, gluten-free dinner party. I've recently been living a flexitarian diet, but in this case it was inspired by the guest list. For starter I made an heirloom tomato and fried caper salad; the main course was fried old bay seasoned tofu-cakes with summer vegetables, beet salad and a cashew cream horseradish sauce and for dessert I made black pepper shortbread with a basil-blackberry sauce, fresh blackberries and cinnamon cream. I'd say it was pretty good overall, and the fried tofu cakes were an incredibly seasoned main course I'd definitely serve again. Do you have any good vegetarian recommendations?
                                                                                      -Max

Ninth & Glisan

Come on down, the deals are hopping.

I love donating to my street corner. Without fail the clothes or food are gone by the next morning. It sure beats tossing them in to the trash, or putting them in a "to take to Goodwill" bag where they'll sit for a month or two before I toss them in to the trash. I hope the homeless of Portland are enjoying the goods!
                                                                                      -Max

Bluebird (of Happiness)

Bluebird (of Happiness) by CDG (Copyright 2011)

As a child I dreamed that maybe one day I would be able to fly. As it turns out, I'm terribly afraid of heights; but it didn't stop me from imagining the wonder that it would be to jump off my feet and take to the sky. This painting is meant to in some small way capture the ethereal feeling of complete freedom and happiness we experience when we are living our dreams, or just breezing through a day with that indescribably joy of being alive. I choose to represent those feelings in a whimsical, loose take on a blue bird in flight.
                                                                                      -Max

Bookends

Last night I found myself working really late at the office. When I work really late I sometimes get a little loopy in the wee morning hours when my intense-focus-and-get-things-done mode has been going after 5 p.m. for far longer than I was even at work before 5 p.m. During these moments I always find humor when the sun beings to rise outside my office windows. I smirk and laugh a strange laugh and welcome the sun I had bid adieu a number of hours earlier in the same position at my desk in my office.

Last night I happened to finish the project I was working on just in time to leave as the sun was rising. As I drove home I pondered to myself why the sunrise never seems so beautiful as the sunset. As my car turned a bend in the freeway, I was confronted with the the most beautiful pink and amber blazed sky peaking over the Portland skyline and the mountains beyond. It was so beautiful, I went up on the deck on my loft's roof at freaking 5 a.m. to enjoy it for a few minutes.

This evening I was with friends for their son's birthday in a rather rural area south of Portland. It just so happened on the family property there is an old barn they are tearing down. The sunset was a perfect foil to the sunrise of this morning. Amber. Pink. On fire. A glowing horizon lined by the blackened silhouettes of the hills and mountains nearby. I decided to go take some photos of the old barn in the sunset and hope to post a couple on here (it wasn't on my camera, but I am optimistic I can get the files and share them). I was overtaken by the light that poured through the cracks and open window of the barn. As I left to drive back to Portland, the fire in the sky was giving way to a sliver moon and the blue-black of the night.

It was a long day, but boy was it amazing to see such beautiful bookends.
                                                                                      -Max

Sometimes I am embarrassed when my attempt to stealthily rent a chick-flick on Red Box is foiled by the confirmation screen popping up right when I sense someone is snooping. 

This may have happened today.

Max

Free to Play

Free to Play by Chris Giovarelli (Copyright 2011)

We are all weighed down at times by expectations. In this painting I captured the story of an angel who wanted to free himself of his restraints, but couldn't. Finally, once he was able to shed that weight, he was able to play. 

                                                                                            -Max

Different

Different by Chris Giovarelli (Copyright 2011)

This painting began by accident, and became one of my favorites. I tend to absolutely reject the idea of counter-culture and the hipster mentality that something popular and mainstream is inherently bad because of it. That said, do we not sometimes look around ourselves and feel like we are just a little different than those around us? Certainly we all do it, and all in different circumstances. While we may all be different in our own ways, this painting represents one of those moments in time where I stopped, looked around, and decided to embrace my differences. That explosion of self-expression, recognition and validation is incredibly empowering. We are who we are, and that should never be undervalued. 

                                                                                      -Max

Painted & Exposed

I've been painting with acrylics recently, and have really enjoyed the expression and opportunity to do something creative with my hands now that the loft design is complete (I think I'll share a few a separate posts). I've been hosting small gallery events at my loft the last couple months, and at the last one I decided to display some of my work. Having people walk in and look at my work made be feel so incredibly exposed. These paintings are bits of me. Strangely it was possibly one of the most challenging evenings I've experienced in a very long time. I guess now that I've taken the plunge, I'll share a few on here with you, my closest of friends. 

                                                                                            -Max

Hummingbird

Today I saw a humming bird in the middle of downtown. I was sitting at Tanner Springs Park a few blocks from my loft. It caught my eye as it landed on a nearby tree. I watched it flick and flutter its wings in the breeze for a minute or two before it buzzed away. I am so inspired by hummingbirds. I'm not sure anyone else noticed it though. There were people all around, but they may not have seen. In the city there is so much calling out for attention, I'm just glad that today I saw a humming bird in the middle of downtown.
                                                                                            -Max

Welcome

I love the feeling of home. Photo by Phil Goodwin

Welcome to my new blog. In the coming postings, you'll find a place where I am going to share those things that inspire me and drive me and make me who I am. I'd call it a primer to everything Max. It's going to be an experiment and I'm so glad you've come to the door to take a peek. So step on in and join the journey. I promise you won't be disappointed.
                                                                                            -Max