April 1

Art is not confined to the museums and galleries in New York, nor is it found solely in the studios of Los Angeles.  That’s where you find the public access to the artists who live and move and have their being here in the “real” world.

That real world includes Beach, North Dakota where Tama has some of the most exquisite pieces of pottery I’ve ever seen.  She does it all from the purchase of the clay and the minerals to create the designs, to the molding, marketing and sales of her works.  She’s a bright, personable and hospitable artist, comfortable in her skin and thus makes you comfortable in her Pottery Barn in Beach.

Kirk is a long-haired redneck conservative in Hebron, North Dakota.  He’s done air brush work for me as Badlands Rider (yea, you can find Badlands Rider on the Internet).  He also has done some of my ink on my arms as a tattoo artist.   I’ve known Kirk for almost a decade and we have a camaraderie that’s beyond his art or politics.  Later in this blog North Dakota 365, I hope to show you more of his work.

I was out in there part of the state the first part of April, Kirk’s first day in his new tat studio in Dickinson.  But before I stopped in there, I swung out to Beach to see Tama whom I’d met on Facebook.  I cannot describe the aura, the feeling of being in her studio. It is at the same time, thrilling, challenging, sensual, pleasing, and satisfying.  If I were an art collector, I’d have her work all over my home. But I’m a photographer.  She graciously allowed me to photograph her with her work and with people in her studio.  She is a prize.

Kirk has an energy that is off the charts, until he buckles down with ink and skin.  Then he is at peace and his peace shows in his work.  He’ll be well received in western North Dakota as a tattoo artist.  He and his customer let me shoot his first job in his new studio, having relocated from Bismarck.

Two artists. Two mediums. One exiting photo safari for my 1-a-day work.