Stu Jenks' Fezziwig Press

Pamela's Baby Rocking Chair (Tossed About)

"Pamela's Baby Rocking Chair, The Rappahannock River, Virginia: [Tossed About]" (c) 2023 Stu Jenks

These days with my cancer and such, I'm feeling a little tossed about myself.

Love you all.

Stu

Christmas Haiku #38B

Christmas Haiku #38B

A long time ago,

On a cold December night, 

Candles burned for you. 

 

Merry Christmas, everyone. 

Love, and light,

Stu. 

 

(Photograph: "El Tiradito, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 1998, 2022 Stu Jenks. 

Christmas Haiku #38

Christmas Haiku #38

 

New solstice prayer: 

Chemo, kick some cancer ass;

And heal everyone.

 

(c) Stu Jenks December 20th, 2022

 

Image: Painting by Rockwell Kent, at the Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA. Image capture by me. 

 

"The Happy Couple" (c) Stu Jenks 2022

"The Happy Couple, Red Cedar, North Carolina" (c) 2022 Stu Jenks. Price upon request. 

Well. looky there. Our democracy has been saved for another two years at least. 

And I've been saying this for months. The young people, the Gen Z and others, will come out and vote, because Repubs have done nothing on climate change, taken away women's rights, and turned a blind eye to gun control. And they did turn out. The young people will save us. Now. let's just watch the Republicans fight amongst themselves, and watch the policies that Biden and the Congress passed begin to make a difference in Americans lives in 2023. In two words, hot damn. 

And this piece makes reference to Alexa and I: two substantial individuals connect by golden hooks to make a happier, move loving whole. That's what I had in mind when I made this. You can just see it as two pieces of pretty red cedar wood, hanging from a wall too. I'm good with that.

Love y'all, Stu

Circles & Spirals: Stu Jenks' Newsletter #10: August 8th, 2022

"Push and Pull" by Hugh McCloud, an image capture from a recent show at Duke University's Nasher Museum of Art in Durham, NC

1) Alexa and I are both on the mend. She's a month out of abdominal surgery and is healing well, even though it will be a long process to full health for her. But she is doing great, and she had a birthday on Sunday. Happy, happy, honey. 

2) This coming Monday, I will have my final radiation treatment. I've had 36 out of 40 Easy Bake Oven sessions as of this afternoon. Frankly, the side effects have been horrendous. I'll spare you the details. Thank f-ing God this will all be over soon. But I'm hopeful that this will have zapped the little bit of cancer that I still had after my radical prostatectomy surgery in 2020.

3) And lastly, I'm pleased and honored to have been accepted into Tohono Chul's show, Elements: Fire. The show will open on August 25th and run through early November. I hope you can get to see it, if you are in the Tucson area. James Schaub, an amazing painter in his own right, is the Director of Exhibitions at Tohono Chul Park. He has quietly championed my work for a good number of years now. Thank you, James, for picking these two pieces for your show. Included below are the vision statements for these pieces and the images themselves. 

That's it for now.

Love you all, and thanks so very much for the prayers and support you have given the Jenks, in this difficult summer for us.

Love, light and luck.

Stu

“Catalina State Park, Arizona (The Ikon)”
11 x 14 inch fiber based gelatin silver print, sepia toned
Edition: 9/25
Taken with a 1954 Rollei medium format camera, using Ilford 400 black and white film.
A time exposure of around 30 minutes, on a full moon night, the light source for the flame spiral, a Zippo lighter.
Printed in the Toole Shed Darkroom in Tucson, by me, in the early 2000’s
Price: $400

    I could tell so many stories about this image: how it was used on a Steve Roach album cover; how it became the logo of the Mythic Journeys conference in Atlanta; how one woman came up to me at an opening and said, “It is so amazing that you were there when THEY came.”; how it’s one of my top five images I’ve sold in my career; and how I’ve enjoyed telling people how I create this flame spiral image, at many open studios and gallery openings.

    Due to limited space, I’ll just tell this one story.

    In 2016, Julie Sasse, the Contemporary Art curator at the Tucson Museum of Art, asked me to show this image as part of her Into the Night: Contemporary Art and the Nocturne Tradition show. I had printed up a three large, 16 x 20 inch fiber based prints of The Ikon over the years, one hanging in the ex-CEO of Krispy Kreme donuts’ home, one stored safely away, and another framed in my studio. The large framed print was given to Julie for her show.

    That summer, a woman I knew only casually, took her godmother to see the Into The Night show. When she came to this image she said to her godmother, “I know that guy.” That started her wheels turning. “I want to get to know him,” she thought. She reached out to me a month later. In December, we will have been married five years. Her name is Alexa McCool Smith Jenks.

 

“DC-10 Spreading Retardant, Dragoon Mountains, Arizona”
4 1/2 x 8 inch archival pigment print
Shot using 70-200 mm IS glass, with Canon 5D Mark II back.
Price: $100

    It’s too bad this image doesn’t come with a soundtrack. I’ll explain.

    A few years ago, a terrible fire exploded near Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains of Arizona. I drove down, found a low hill to stand atop of, and waiting for the DC-10s to make their passes.

    (Photographer’s Tip: To take a good picture, go out into the world, find a spot, and wait. Then wait some more. Let the image come to you. Try not to chase it. Just be present in the space. Look, wait, and see what happens. Pop the shutter then.)

    The DC-10s seemed to arrive every 20 minutes or so. I think I was there for an hour and a half. I captured two images that I liked. This is one of them.

    Here’s what you don’t see in the photograph.

    After the planes had dropped their loads, they banked hard to the left and headed back north to replenish and refuel. The little hill I was standing on was right below their flight path. I know they were probably over 100 feet above me, but it sure didn’t feel like it, as the sound and force of their accelerating engines shook my body. It was fabulous, almost as loud as a Social Distortion concert at the Rialto Theatre.

    Almost.

Circles and Spirals: Stu Jenks' Newsletter #5: 5/23/2022

"Coalmine Canyon East, Navajo Rez, Arizona" (c) 2022 Stu Jenks. 

1) First things first. I got COVID, probably on the plane coming back from Arizona. Yeah, shit. Thank God for the anti-viral medication Paxlovid and having been vaxxed four times. Still was a rough 4 days, fever, chills, coughing, really bad sinus headaches, but today I still have a bit of brain fog, some congestion, a little bit of a cough and a mild headache. Really glad I'm not in the hospital. Really glad I'm not dead. 

2) Went to visit Tucson on the 4th of May. Came back on the 12th. It was wonderful, to see old friends and to simply walk the land I know so well. Went to Coalmine Canyon at sunset, a personal spiritual place I've visited for over 35 years. It's changed some with many tourists now, many meaning any. (Back in the day, I would see no one at all.) That day, I ran into a pair of irritated German tourists who didn't know how to behave, and selfishly had to get their shoots right away, ignoring the fact that there was a guy right there, me, who might have given them some history and some warnings about the place (There are wild dogs there from time to time that will tear you up), but I didn't let them ruin the moment too bad (OK. A little). I took my shots and then I just soaked in the space. It's an amazing space. Feel free to visit, just be respectful. Included here are a few of the best shots I took. By the way, the tall massive hoodoo in the distance is called The Ghost. The place is haunted, say both the Hopi and the Navajo and me. Over the years I have felt the spirits and it's no joke. They are mostly friendly ghosts. Mostly. 

3) I miss my home in the desert. A lot. From the baked eggs at The Cup Cafe to the tortillas at Le Estrella Bakery. But mostly I miss the people, my art community and my recovery community and my friends. All the above. Here in Greensboro, I'm getting to know a few people, but I lived in Tucson for over 35 years. You make a lot of friends in that time, if you're not a jerk. I can be a bit much at times but I'm not a jerk. Thanks everyone who showed me such love and kindness during my time in Tucson. Means the world. Hope to be back soon. 

"La Estrella Bakery, South 12th Avenue, Tucson, AZ" (c) 2022 Mural by Ruben Moreno, image capture by Stu Jenks. 

"  "Old MLK Apartments, Downtown Tucson, AZ" (c) 2022 Mural by Ignacio Garcia, image capture by Stu Jenks. 

4) I still have a bad left leg but I was able to walk a bit in Arizona. Walking the flats near the Mustang Mountains south of Tucson was a joy. Hiking up Cathy's Fault, north of town, just hurt like a son of a bitch, but I had to go up it anyway. At the Mustangs, I drew an spiral on an anthill, for me sure, but also for two people I know who are dying of cancer, and for their friends and family. One has died, the other close to passing. It's very sad. Both are way too young. Both are way too sweet. I'm not praying for their souls. No need. In my belief system, everyone is going to Heaven or a Heaven of sorts. But I do pray for their loved ones who are left behind, grieving, sad. May all of you feel held by God, by me and by all who love you. 

"Spiral for Kris and Al, Mustang Mountains, Arizona" (c) 2022 Stu Jenks. 

5) One of the most memorable moments of my trip was when I was sleeping in my car on the Hopi Rez, along the side of the road one night. It's not a big thing. No one will bother you if you nap in your car. Just lock your doors. Anyway, in the middle of the night I got up for a minute and went outside. I gazed to the south and saw the Milky Way. Not unusual to see it if you are out in the boonies, but what made me say 'wow' out loud, was seeing our galaxy stretch all the way from the Southern horizon, almost all the way to the Northern horizon. I had never seen it stretch that far north. The sky seemed both close enough to touch and a billion miles away. Marvelous. The next morning I thought of dropping in on my Hopi friends but it was way too early to do that. I took an image of their village instead. The Youvella and Kinale families and all the others, may your days be blessed. Hug the kids for me. 

"Polacca and Nipple Butte In The Distance, First Mesa, Hopi Rez, Arizona" (c) 2022 Stu Jenks

6) Again, got back from Tucson, safe but not sound. Pretty sure I got COVID on the plane when I sat next to someone who I believe may have been sick. Frankly 2/3 of the plane were unmasked. WTF. Anyway, I'm out and about again. Took a pic of Pamela's Baby Rocking Chair along a little-traveled train track in rural North Carolina. Went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, to get my fix of looking-far-into-the-distance. It's good to be home in NC. It's a little odd to feel at home in two places, one in Arizona and another in North Carolina, but it's certainly better than not feeling at home at all. A lot of people are homeless too you know, and just as bad, many people don't feel like they have a home even though they have a place to live. Alexa and I am truly blessed. 

"Pamela's Baby Rocking Chair, Beaver Dam Branch, North Carolina" (c) 2022 Stu Jenks. 

7) Alexa got the COVID too, from me don't you know, but she is much better now too. We are both grateful that we didn't get that sick. She says hey.

"Pink Dogwood On Our Street, Greensboro, NC" (c) 2022 Stu Jenks. 

8) So that's it for now. Thank all of you who sent prayers and good wishes on the social medias, texts, IMs and phone calls during our illnesses. Alexa and I are very happy to be on the mend. One last thing: Alexa's dad, Norman Smith, lives just down the street. Over the past week, he has dropped off fresh strawberries from his garden. As the wise man said, that does not suck. Alexa and I do live in a lovely part of the world. I know I may be overusing this word today, but we feel truly blessed. And you too. Have a blessed day. Saying that doesn't mean you are religious. It just means you are grateful. 

Love, light and luck, 

Stu

"The Road East, Coalmine Mesa, Navajo Rez, Arizona" (c) 2022 Stu Jenks. 

 

Red Maples Leaves

"Red Maple leaf, on the branch in my front yard, Greensboro, North Carolina" (c) 2021 Stu Jenks.

 

"Red Maple left, on a white rock, Cane Creek, North Carolina" (c) 2021 Stu Jenks.

 

"Maggie, Will & Gabby McIntyre, Saguaro Ribs, Arizona" (c) 2020 Stu Jenks [Extended Family Series]

Click on this link to read the story regarding this wall piece.

"Maggie, Will & Gabby McIntyre, Saguaro Ribs, Arizona" (c) 2020 Stu Jenks. NFS.

This piece resides at the McIntyre/Smith farm in Ashe County, North Carolina. It has a prized spot, right outside of the downstairs bathroom.

Fun fact #1: The bathroom, or near it, is one of my favorite places people hang my artwork. It truly is. Palmer picked this spot. I had nothing to do with her decision. Just a happy surprise for me.

Fun fact #2: The other walking sticks I made for the McIntyre clan last Christmas reside by the front door of the cabin, to grab, if you like, as you hike along this beautiful high ridge near the North Carolina/Virginia border.

Sometimes, it's good to be me. Very good.

 

“Horse & Coyote, Cedar Driftwood & Rebar, Rapphannock River, Virginia” (c) 2021 Stu Jenks.

“Horse & Coyote, Cedar Driftwood & Rebar, Rappahannock River, Virginia” © Stu Jenks 2021, 33 by 48 by 9 inches.

$800, shipping not included. If you really want to buy it, email me at [email protected] and we'll figure it out. It's not really for sale, but you know what they say when it come to buying art. Give me enough money and it's yours.

 

I was visiting my friend Brad and Glenn a few months ago in the Northern Neck, and as is customary, I visited the Rappahanock River near their house, specifically a boat ramp with a nice view of the wide water. Since Mom sold the old home place in 2003 in order to survive, only on occasion will the current owner of Ed-Lil let me come down and visit the river on what is now his property. But this boat ramp? It's always there and even though I think it might be on private property, it's not chained or gated. I simply park my Pathfinder and walk down to the water's edge. It's a lovely spot.

Driftwood is not uncommon to find along the river, but most aren't as beautiful as this piece. I picked it up, looked at it from a number of angles, and saw what I wanted to do: drill a very deep hole in it, and mount it in the way that you see here, using a pipe or a rod of some sort.

Easy peasy.

Famous last words.

After two trips to Home Depot, a visit to Harbor Freight, drilling a hole in this piece of wood that was much harder that I thought it would be, and then busting and blooding the heck out of my finger with a sledgehammer, hammering the rebar into the ground, I got the piece up.

I really love the silvery patina on this wood. And yes, it looks like a horse drinking water to some, or a coyote dancing to others, but mostly to me now, I simply see a lovely piece of white bleached wood, that looks like a lovely piece of white bleached wood.

Birds are finding it. Bunnies run by it. Alexa and I look at it from our kitchen window. Makes us happy.

It was worth the busted finger.

Sometimes you have to bleed for your art. I prefer not to, but shit happens.

P.S.: It's been 10 days and my finger is still healing up. Maybe I should have gotten a stitch. Nah.

This last image, I photoshopped out the supporting rebar and some powerlines in the back. Just for fun.

The Extended Family Series wall pieces are now for sale! (Shipping cost included in the prices of all the art work)

“Vollis Simpson, Red Oak, North Carolina”, 63 inches tall. © Stu Jenks 2021

The Extended Family Series wall pieces are now for sale!

Shipping is included in the sale price of all art work. I know they are pricey, but due to the odd shape of the boxes, shipping is expensive.

All pieces are signed, dated and titled. Some can be used as walking sticks but most are wall pieces that can be easily hung from a wall. These art pieces represents people who are important to me: traditional extended family members, close and not-so-close friends, and people I love and admire, both living and dead, fictional and real.

Just scroll through my site to see the work, or go to the Categories listed off to the left. Look for the group entitled 'Extended Family Series.'

I really want this work to find homes. I also hope to show these pieces in galleries and museums in the future, but that's up in the air right now, due to COVID and such. Mostly I want to sell and mail these to good people who will be happy to have them hanging in their homes.

In this post, I've put up a small sampling of the work. I've produced over a 100 of these guys. This is just to give you a taste.

Thanks, y'all, for your love and financial support. I appreciate you more than you know. You help put gas in my truck, food on our table and a roof over our heads. You really do.

And you also put a smile on my face. That ain't nothing either.

Love and light, Stu.

Detail of “Gandalf, Hornbeam Wood, North Carolina” 61 inches tall, (c) Stu Jenks 2018.

 

 

“Frederick Douglass, Saguaro Rib, Arizona” 86 inches tall, © Stu Jenks 2020

 

 

“Stacey Abrams, Hornbeam Wood, Virginia-North Carolina State Line” 57 inches tall, (c) Stu Jenks 2021

 

 

“Legs For Days (Alexa Jenks), Aspen Wood, Arizona” 58 inches tall” © Stu Jenks 2020

 

“Norman Smith, Saguaro Ribs, Arizona” (c) Stu Jenks 2019

 

“Amanda Gorman, Beech Wood, North Carolina” 56 inches tall. (c) Stu Jenks 2021

 

“Gay Smith, Aspen Wood, Arizona” 59 inches tall. © Stu Jenks 2020

 

“Abraham Lincoln, Saguaro Rib, Arizona” 48 inches tall, © Stu Jenks 2020

 

 

“Dennis The Homeless Man, Desert Agave, Arizona” 59 inches tall. © Stu Jenks 2019

 

 

“Malcolm X, Saguaro Rib, Arizona” © Stu Jenks 2020, 54 inches tall.

 

 

“Galadriel/Cate Blanchett, Tulip Poplar, Virginia” © Stu Jenks 2021, 66 inches tall.

 

 

“Dean Smith, Ash Wood, North Carolina” © Stu Jenks 2021, 39 inches tall.