BT Livermore

I popped down to Portland for a couple days. I didn’t get to see anywhere near the amount of people I usually like to when I’m here, but if I missed you this trip, I have to come back for business in just a few weeks and hopefully I’ll get to see you all. Thanks to @coffeebeerme for the sweet pic of me and #carnegiedog (at Portland, Oregon)

New mini pennants that debuted yesterday at the @handmademt show at the Western Montana Fair! If you’re not in Missoula today, they’re also up in my Etsy shop (link in profile). Celebrate bikes! #pennant #flag #screenprint #bikes #bicycle #biking

I’ve been using this sign at shows for years. Finally made the improvement I had always planned on doing when I first made it. #lettherebelight (at Butte, Montana)

Did some upgrades on my polo rig. We play every Sunday and Wednesday at least. If you’re in the Butte area and want to play or spectate, follow Bike Lab on Facebook for specifics. All skill levels welcome and we even supply loaner bikes and helmets if you need! #buttebikepolo #buttebikepoloclub #bikepolo #cheapfun (at Butte, Montana) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_JouhBtj-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=7t6t3962c6qq

Happy to finally show off the image I created for “Richest Hill” @buttepodcast, an upcoming podcast from @mtpublicradio! The podcast will delve into environmental issues in Butte. The style mimics a well known series of mining safety posters from the mid 20th century by artist John Powers. If you aren’t aware of them, Google “John Powers collection” and settle in to look through the archives of hundreds of safety posters that do not hold back on their imagery or messaging. Very fun style to work in as it’s not too far off from how I naturally draw. (at Butte, Montana)

It’s always fun to see my prints framed cause I never frame any of them myself. Thank you, @mae_muse for being a dedicated supporter of the arts, and also being a super rad person!

Pic by @neogeobutte: it’s a beautiful day for bike polo in Butte. Got a few games in this morning, but if anyone wants to join us (to play or spectate) we’re doing a night game on top of the parking garage starting at 9pm tonight (Sunday). Join us! (at Butte, Montana)

So amazingly cool having @craigwinslow in Butte for the first time for his #lightcapsules project. Craig projected on two of Uptown Butte’s ghost signs and will hopefully be back soon for a lot more! #ghostsign #ghostsigns #butteamerica #buttemontana (at Butte, Montana)

The @lebowskiland show, celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Big Lebowski, opens tomorrow night at @landpdx. I’ve got a small edition of Nihilist pennants available, go grab one and see work from tons of other artists! #webelieveinnothing #biglebowski

Sunset polo. Beautiful game. (at Butte, Montana)

Screenprinting some collaborative prints from our Butte Bike Polo group for @imaginebutte’s CSA print set. Each print was ridden over during a polo game last week, making each a unique piece of bikey art! Vid by @lost.ornithology (at Butte, Montana)

I’ve secretly always wanted to have something I made show up as part of @katebingburt’s extensive Daily Drawings series. And just today, on my birthday no less, here’s the “two good options” design I created for @coffeebeerme !!

Thanks for the picture, @chrstalynn! I’m tabling at the Missoula Made Fair today! Still time to swing by if you’re in town! (at Caras Park)

A new poster for the studio, a gift from a friend. Anyone who knows me, especially during my zinester career, knows my love of legal sized paper.

#streetscramblebutte starts now! (at Butte, Montana)

I think I’ll be sharing a few more photos of our finds while cleaning out the Phoenix Building’s upper floors here, as opposed to just in my stories. We have found a small handful of letterpress blocks up there, the best of which is this one, a photo of Ray Schilling, building manager and proprietor of the Schilling advertising and novelties company, whose offices have provided so much visual treasure. I hadn’t proofed this block until this afternoon. Ray has become a little bit of an obsession of mine, having discovered much personal correspondence, photos, and a 1952 diary of his. I hope he appreciates what we’re trying to do with the building, and have said as much out loud when up in his office, in case he’s still listening.

Tired and filthy face selfie. I wanted to give a little life update to anyone who has noticed I haven’t been posting much lately... Behind me is the majestic Phoenix Building, opened in 1906, the upper floors, a mix of offices and apartments,have been mostly abandoned and unused for many decades. The four upper floors have been left in ruins, home only to pigeons and the general “stuff” of people’s lives they left behind. If you’ve been following my stories, you’ve probably seen some of the treasures we’ve been unearthing. This building was once a hub of life and work for Butte, and with some funding and a lot of sweaty labor, it can be that again. For the last three weeks, we have been blessed by the presence of an NCCC crew from Americorps, one of their many projects during their stint in Butte is to help us clean out these upper floors, archiving and documenting important historic pieces and ephemera, and collecting still usable equipment and furniture for further cleaning and re-use. This is the first phase of returning the Phoenix to life, with affordable housing, live/work space, and thriving small businesses. I am putting in full time hours, supervising a small crew every weekday, which has left me very little time for commissioner work, and even less time for personal projects, which is difficult for me to deal with someday, but I really believe in the future of this building and the future of Butte. So, stick with me, and I’ll be back posting art stuff this summer, but keep an eye on my stories for frequent updates of cool stuff we find as we clean! Thanks, more later! ❤️ BT (at Butte, Montana)