Fleetwood Mac Remixed

Stevie by IamDavidj available as prints, iphone cases, and more at Society6

I love Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsay Buckingham. When I was a kid, my family would go on summer vacations to the beach. I would always listen to my Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits CD in my discman. Now whenever I hear Gypsy, or Dreams I recall memories of the summer and fun at the beach. I always want to hear Fleetwood Mac whenever it starts to get warm out. Unfortunately, the weather has been resisting the nearing spring, but that has not stopped me from enjoying my summer tunes.

Additionally, with the 35th anniversary of the Rumours album and Fleetwood Mac's tour (I'll be catching them in Newark on April 24!) I don't want to hear anything else! With that all said, several artist have remixed numerous Fleetwood Mac tracks. So know you can get a fresh listen to those amazing classics. Continue reading to listen to some of my favorites, many are available to download for free!

Man Pillows!

Just in time for the holidays, Man Pillows! Available in 3 sizes with or without a pillow insert, starting at $20, now at my Society6 page!

And so it Begins Again...

I know it's been a while since I've posted. I some times question why I spend as much time as I do writing, photoshopping, and taking pictures for this blog. I already work a ridiculous amount of time for my clothing and apothecary company, Alder, which happens to have a blog too and teaching at Pratt. Why do I choose to add another job to the list? I seem to never come up with a better answer than you keep reading! Yes, people (you) actually read this blog and I feel terribly guilty when I don't have new content and keep up with things. But life sometimes gets in the way of things but I promise I'll be better. Now let's get back to things.... Last winter marked the season when I taught myself how to crochet. I began a small project, actually a queen sized project, a crocheted blanked inspired by a knitted blanket in Martha Stewarts January 2012 issue. I didn't finish this time consuming project before it became too hot to have skeins of wool on my lap. So I've started up once again since things have cooled off. Despite just starting up, I can't wait to finish this project and get on to something else, a hat, maybe pants! I know it sounds crazy. It's great have something so mindless but rewarding to work on again. It's perfect for subway rides and making me feel like I'm doing something productive while catching up on my favorite TV shows. Unfortunately or fortunately my crocheting has become limited to subway rides and the new TV show activity has become hand embellishing. Come this market week it will all become a little bit clearer. 

Free Shipping on I am David J Art Prints

Right now until September 16th when you order any David j art prints via Society6, get free worldwide shipping!

Tan Lines

Tan lines, I wear them like a military badge of honor. When the sun starts to set earlier and earlier and the air becomes crisp with the chill of fall, I have a reminder beneath my clothing. Under my wool sweaters and corduroy pants are marks that represent something that many wouldn’t consider an achievement. I see these marks as a goal reached. They are marks of a successful summer vacation in the sun. A vacation that won’t come around for another year, many months after my tan lines fade. Today marks the first day of classes at Pratt, which means summer is over. It's time to start teaching again. Remember, the children are our future.

"Why The Gays Hate Their Bodies"

Homme Maker, is a regular read on my blog roll and recently Homme Marker's author, Orlando Soria, posted an article called "Why The Gays Hate Their Bodies." I read the humorous post when he first published it and pretty much agreed with what he wrote, but thought little about it. Until a few days later when I started to be bombarded with Facebook feeds sharing a link to Soria's post and a related Gawker article written in response. After reading Louis Peitzman's Gawker article, I felt compelled to respond.

Why The Gays Hate Their Bodies

Soria, a gay man living in LA working in the interior design biz (one may recognize him from HGTV's Secrets of a Stylist with Design Star winner, Emily Henderson) writes his post from the perspective of a former fat kid. A perpective I can completely relate to, having been a former fat kid and a former husky young adult. He also writes from the perspective of a gay man, another perspective I relate to. Soria says:

I tend to be the chunkiest person around and I’m not even fat. Sometimes I appreciate it because it inspires me to keep in shape and think of kale as an acceptable meal replacement. All of this will lead to me living a longer, healthier life, aside from the mental anguish that comes with not having perfect abs. 

He goes on to list reasons why The Gays hate their bodies. Here's some examples: Because we are surrounded by images of perfect bodies. Because we compare ourselves with our partners. Because all our friends look like Ken Dolls. Because we have nothing better to do. etc.

When you surround yourself with friends that have amazing bodies, like Soria, you're compelled to try to keep up, gay or straight. However, in gay culture we are obsessed with the male body. Gay men work on their appearance to attract other men, and when they find a partner, boyfriend, hook up, whoever, one can't help to compare their body to the boy lying in bed next to them. A straight man, doesn't roll over to look at his wife, girl friend, hook up, whoever, and think, How do my pecks compare to her boobs? It's comparing apples and oranges. In a gay man's world it's all apples. And who doesn't go for the best looking apple in the bunch?

It's not limited to the Ken doll, muscular, fit type that Soria singles out. Gay culture is filled with sub groups, divided by body type, there's cubs, bears, twinks, and wolf (just to name a few); all given their title based on their body type. If you're not the right weight or have the proper amount of body hair you can't be apart of the club.

Manhattan Views

Here's a few shots from the shore of the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey. Last weekend the family and I had an early Mother's Day celebration with a great view of the Empire State Building and the whole westside of Manhattan, at the Chart House.

My Best Side...

Picture by Adrián Glez. Adler Hat by Soulland. Bikers jacket by Uniqlo Undercover. Glasses by  Jeepers Peepers. 

Is it bad that my new favorite picture of me is of the back of my head?

You've Been Branded

Here are some shots of some gift bags with the logo I designed for my friend, Jackie and her company, Fully Branded Media. They just finished up with the film, Kill Your Darlings starring Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg. I stole the shots form the FBM Facebook page where you can see more lovely shots from the wrap party.

I May Look a Little Kooky But I'm Really Nice!

Hat: Soulland

I got some new glasses. I've been wanting a pair of round specs for a while now but haven't gotten around to finding the right pair. You may recognize these from the Alder Spring 2012 look book, We used these frames for the shoot with tinted lenses.
So far I've been called Mr. Potato Head, once, and that i look like a cartoon repeatedly. I just have to remind people that I know I look a little kooky but I'm really nice.

Phone Bums

I had a moment of down time for the first time in a few months, so I banged out another vintage pin-up digital collage. These hunks and palm tree themed images have been very popular as iphone cases. The bottom right one is my best sellers, you can buy it as a print, a case, a skin or a stretched canvas. Make sure to check out all my digital art at my Society6 page. 

The Zoology Student

Here are three pictures of Pauline Alden Ramsdell, my mother's mother. She's in the Swarthmore College laboratory examining tissue samples. She studied zoology at the Pennsylvania school and graduated in 1939. Her Senior year book states

"She is fond of water colors and Japanese prints, and wears purple continually. Her cheeks, which are continually that rosy color, add to the impression that Polly looks like a Botticellian edition of Bette Davis." The book also notes that she avoided live animal directions, played bridge, and enjoyed frequent trips to New York City. 

It's My Birthday!

Happy Holidays!

New Art Prints

California Dreaming

I suggest a David j art print as a holiday gift for everyone in the family. I made a few new digital colleges with a california dream boat theme. It must have been all the Versace X H&M prints that got me going on my newly ignited palm tree obsession. I just can't get enough of them. You can buy these prints at my Society6 page and many more. I'm also starting to add iPhone covers to the shop.  Enjoy!

US

California Man

Designer Spotlight

Nina and I don't look half bad in this photo taken for Time Out New York. The magazine did a designer spotlight on Alder. Pick up a copy tomorrow featuring us but in the meantime check us out at the TONY website.

I Have Tonsillitis...

I have tonsillitis and, to quote the doctor, "not strep A, but maybe B or C or Staph or any number of other infections." I'm trapped in an in-patient facility in northern New Jersey. The staff is great but the lack of reliable internet access and not having my laptop is getting to me. (I may have exaggerated, I really just staying with my parents because I feel like a 24 year old child who can't help himself and my parents are really just great.) So that's why there has been no NYFW posts, Mission for Target reporting, or music video sharing for close to a week now.

Today's post is fueled by a brief rush of energy created by my new ability to talk like a deaf animal, (that's lots of progress and the future is looking brighter). Today a friend emailed me this video. Watch it; it also sounds good.

Thanks Jackie!

Mad for My Soulland Hat!

I've been meaning to share my lovely new fall hat for a little while now. You may remember my post on my obsession with Soulland hats, now I have one.  Happy soon to be Fall!

A Timely Return From the Beach

I was away earlier this week at the Jersey shore with Nina and my family. Luckily I had to return early to prepare for the first class I'll be teach at Pratt next week. Fortunately Cape May County was evacuated the next morning and my vacation would have ended anyway. So here I am left in my Brooklyn apartment waiting for a hurricane to blow in our windows looking at a few vacation photos.

I stole these images from my friend Sophia's Facebook. Nina and I visited her in Cape May on her birthday and had a few drinks and caught up with our fellow Pratt alum. 

       

Sophia is working a safari look while I do the casual beach thing in an Opening Ceremony X Levis pullover and Nina does navy and white preppy country club.

A Year Full of Change

You Better Work by David j.

It's been one year since I began I am David j. and boy have things changed. When I began I am David j. I had a company I thought would live longer than I would. One year later I have a new one that I couldn't vision a few months ago. I stopped working with a person I thought was a truly talented and creative person and have became so much closer and more dependent on another amazing talent. I other words, the former avant-guard clothing label the twentyten closed this summer and the new innovative clothing label and online Boutique, Alder has opened. Excitingly Alder Boutique will be launching September 1st. 
But the real change is the realization that I am David j. has been less about me but more about so many other amazing designers, artist, store owners and innovators that are making and doing things so exciting that I have to share.
I'm so excited to continue I am David j. and share more art, food, fashion, and design all according to me, David j.!