I’ve had the chance to hang with Mr. Mark Nava a couple of times lately. I tell you what, it is such a blessing to meet men who are pursuing truth in their lives and this is one of them. Just spending a couple hours with him over some coffee I feel sort of shepherded in a sense. The maturity of his faith in Jesus is inspiring and contagious as it is so transparent. This is something I yearn for, I can so quickly build up walls when it comes to relating to people in a spiritual sense, sometimes it makes me uncomfortable to share deep parts of my heart, my dreams, my doubts. It takes practice, it’s a way of life and I want to take part.

——

Polaroid 195 w/Polaroid ID-UV film

Another hands on project of mine came to near completion yesterday, got another round of polishing. This here is a Norlund Hudson Bay Hatchet that I came upon. Its head had a good 30 years of rust and sat loose in its helve. I started with sanding the head from 100 grit down to 400 grit sand paper and finished off the edge with 600 grit making it sharper than the average knife. Then I moved on to a new handle out of hickory, based the design and feel off the old handle I added a twist of Walnut inlay on both sides of the handle along with painting a simple fluorescent orange stripe. Finished it off with a few coats of polyurethane for extra durability when the rain falls.

It is purdy and I’m glad I finally got around to this as its been on my list for a couple years. I’m sure I’ll be making more as I already know of some changes I’d like to impart.

Thanks so much for checking this out and all the love on Instagram, its good to know that the artist in all of us has a real impact on the lives around us… even when resistance attempts to convince us otherwise… keep creating and let the close relationships in your life be your inspiration.

So I’ve been making these things along with some other things such as beard combs, double finger rings, and guitar picks out of wood… It’s raised some eyebrows amongst my community. Everyone has been like… “What the hell? One day Jarrod cuts down a tree and whittles cool crap while sitting on his porch smoking his pipe?” – though this is a bit romanticized of what actually happens

My family history is rich with carpenters and woodworkers and I’ve gotten to this place in my life where I’m thirsty for a trade. I’m sick of the lack of balance regarding the time I’m sitting in front of my computer and the time I’m actually awake to this world/life. So this woodworking thing has been stirring up inside me and my good friend Steve brought it out rather quickly when his interest was sparked by his dad (who just built his own wooden boat). Anyhow, Steve made a set of three rather neat looking spoons and a spatula… and now I can’t be stopped, I’m going bananas chipping wood.

It’d be great if I was able to sit on my porch swing, smoking my pipe, whittling cool stuff while my children play in the sun and my wife sits beside me reading a good novel while the warm sun sets over the mountains… but right now, its the late nights, and early mornings when my kids wake me up and I can’t get back to sleep… that is when I whittle and carve. Not so romantic at this point but non-the less I love it.

I’ve had many people asking if I sell these or intend to and yes… I do intend to and will have some updates soon on how you can get you’re hands on one of these… and/or some other trinkets I’ve become fond of making.

I absolutely appreciate the support and encouragement. It is the season (and by season i mean this next decade) of the artists and craftsman to find their song and sing it… so encourage each other in that aspect and don’t be afraid to try new things!

I can spend all my time and energy being a child, husband, dad, and creative?! 

My first day being a freelance creative is coming to a beautiful end.

My heart is full and my eyes show the joy.

Augustin from The Photographic Journal reached out to me almost a year ago asking if I’d be on board for an interview, I was honestly reluctant. I was a bit confused as to why he was asking me especially after hearing about who else he was interviewing, artists that I really freakin look up to. I’m at the beginning of my journey into photography so I didn’t really feel like I had much to offer regarding an interview. Through skyping and emails with Augustin I went with the flow and laid down some honest answers and am very excited that it posted this morning especially since I’m launching into this photographic realm full time in the coming weeks!

I’d love for you all to give it a read here! And thanks again Augustin for all the encouragement my man.

Some quick afternoon walks and a run down the beach.

—-

Canon 5dmkII – Zeiss 35 f2 ZE – VSCO film – Alien Skin

—-

See a few more at A Foxs Den.

Took a recent trip to my childhood town of Charlton, a small town in Massachusetts. I was there for work specifically, spending the days in Boston but was able to spend some evenings with family. It was an honor to be able to take some photos while I was there. Here are a few of my Pepere Renaud. This is my dads dad. I also dug up some old photos from the Renaud line which Im also posting below. I have a new found passion and respect for family history. Over the next year I plan on digging into some details, can’t wait to find the stories.

Right off the bat I will tell you that my Pepere here is awesome. Not sure how to sum up his talent with playing guitars, building steel guitars, and carpentry – his creativity in these things is so telling to where its been passed down through the line to me and my brother. The best thing though, his sense of humor. He. Will. Make. You. Laugh. Like no other. Guaranteed.

I vaguely remember his father… my great grandfather but what I do remember was his tattoos. His arms were covered. Which leads me further back…. to my great-great grandfather. Frank Reno. He was not only a Vaudville performer, escape artist, performing magician, friend of the great Houdini, but also a tattoo artist.

Lots to dig into but on this late night as I write this, I keep it short and add some photos. A few that I took and some that I was given, including some of my great-great-grandparents.

Frank & Eva Renaud

Children. When they are your own, they are a mirror. I’m beginning to see many of my own faults particularly in Olive and Boston as they grow older and more independent. It’s making me look at myself in a whole new way and searching for wisdom on how I live and how I effect my kids in ways that may not be apparent. If I react out of impatience, they react out of impatience. Its amazing, haha. They really do what you do, not what you say! Heard that a million times. So anyways… how in the world do I not taint these little souls?! And am I fit to be a dad, sometimes I don’t feel like it?!

Ive been struggling with these questions over the last couple weeks and hit a breaking point yesterday with the stress of work pounding away. About mid day I realized I needed to burn some energy and frustration. I needed to get somewhere quiet so I could actually hear my heart beat and listen for Gods point of view on this whole fatherhood thing.

5:00pm struck and I took to mountain biking a few miles into the foothills by myself. I knew I’d ride and ride and ride. No need to stop and rest till I’m at the end of the trail because I didn’t have too much time to mess with since I was out of cell phone range and Tess could go into labor:)  All of a sudden though, I had a very distinct prompting to stop and turn around. I was only about half way to where I was planning on riding to so it seemed weird and I wanted to fight the urge and keep going, but I stopped and turned my bike around. Just sat there on my bike a bit confused looking out over the stretching valley as my mind imagined what this new little baby would look like, if it were a boy or girl, what my other kids are going to think and feel. Will they be jealous? Will they trust that me and mom have enough love to go around?  Will I be able to provide for my family?

In an instant my heart felt heavy and I looked up to the overcast sky and noticed something beautiful. I caught some movement in the sky, higher then you’d normally see birds flying so my eyes took a second to focus but when they did I realized what I was watching…

Four hawks flying directly above me.

And not circling… they were flying together. Hawks don’t ever fly together.

I couldn’t help but tear up knowing this moment was supposed to happen. Four hawks. Four little Renaud’s. I watched the birds dip and turn with each other and I felt such a sense of peace and couldn’t help but laugh. God does have enough love. And so do we. I couldn’t wait to get home and hug my kids and kiss my wife.

“I’ve always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can’t afford it.” What these men can’t afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of “security.” And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine – and before we know it our lives are gone.

What does a man need – really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in – and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That’s all – in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade.

The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.

Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life? ”
- Sterling Hayden

[pinit]

To the knife: I’ve been carrying it around for the last few days and its slim profile makes it very comfortable to pocket, its easy to forget its there. Opening and closing is straight forward, it doesn’t lock which at first I was a little iffy about but its thumb tab helps it feel solid when open. The sharpness of this blade rivals my straight edge razor. Its scary sharp, it cut through a piece of half inch leather like butter. You’ll want to seriously pay attention to what you’re doing when you’re using this thing. I love it. If you’re looking for a pocket knife….

[pinit]

I’ve been out of town for a whole week. In Anaheim for NAMM 2012 with DPA Microphones. I have a very hard time being away from my family. The day before I left for this trip I took this photo with Impossible Projects PX680. I’m happy to be heading home tonight:)

I got a book a while back and with the new year here it popped back into my mind. Figured I’d share a little something.  Its called QUITTER. Its by Jon Acuff.

The whole first chapter talks about how our generation (mid 20′s-30′s) and how many of us look at quitting our jobs to follow dreams as being heroic. The co-worker who runs off to blog full time or travel as a photographer or records an album… “man oh man they have it made! Gah! So couragous!” And we think, “Ah man, thats gonna be me next.”As we so enviously watch them gather up their belongings and walk out those double doors for the last time without even a glance back. Its so funny, and so true, at least in my rounds.

John’s got some amazing points in the first chapter and I think it sets the rest of the book up great because it psychs you up like crazy although he remains focused on wisdom and the fact that just dropping your job while you jump off a cliff isn’t the greatest idea if you can’t yet fly.

Last year I grew out of my 10 year phase of only wearing black and white Chuck Taylors. I was even got married in them. Anyways… This past year was met with both a pair of brown Ranger Mocs and black Ranger Boots from LL.Bean Signature. I absolutely love them, most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn… but both are made for spring, summer and fall. Not so much for winter, my feet end up cold and wet from the snow.

In comes the hunt for a pair of Loggers. Yah see my brother got a pair of Nicks a few years back for wildfire fighting and ever since I’ve wanted a pair. Price is steep though, coming in at around $450 a pair. Then again its a pair for a lifetime but I just wanted something to replace my lame Timberland hiking boots and to keep my feet dry and stable in snow around town or hiking through the mountains. I found these Chippewas at a local place and they happen to carry one pair of loggers, they happen to fit and I happen to have enough Christmas cash to buy’em.

Can’t recommend a pair of loggers enough. Its a whole different world of boot. It lengthens your gait and gives you a couple good inches of height. You’ll want to charge a mountain and swing an axe or better yet fire up a 48″ chainsaw while your beard grows at double speed.

Where’s my flapjacks?!

The first polaroid above was on his third birthday. He was proud:)

Been in one of those nostalgic moods lately. After getting back from hangin with my brother I started going through photos… old photos…. new photos. Came across a few of Olive that I just totally love. It surely captures her spirit. The girl lives in such a magical world, and it is. This place. I feel like as adults we can so easily forget that. Lets remember what its like to be the princess or the hero. yah?

Long story short this is a tip of the hat to my brother. An upstanding man whos heart is for God and family and works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. The boy is a forest fire fighter that risks his life and can run a 42″ chainsaw for 16 hours straight and not complain about the $16 an hour. I miss the hell out of him and hate that we live so far apart right now. We’ve got one of those bonds that in unexplainable and I tend to think that had to do with the way our parents brought us up. We were always together, always best friends, got in and out of many many predicaments.

So… last week we spent about 4 days in the beautiful mountains of Montana with a house full of kiddos which was just awesome and humbling to think we’re in charge of these little ones for some years. The wives had some good bonding time cooking up an amazing Thanksgiving dinner and me and Matt were able to go out hunting one morning and two afternoons, hiked up and down steep terrain covered with snow, came across wolf tracks and finally got us a deer.

Here’s a couple polaroids.

So, totally forgot to post this blog a couple months ago. Here it is. A bit about my tattoo and baby girl.

She came with a most awesome story.

Her name. Sailor. We had that name picked out for our third little one for over a year before we had her. Both me and Tess’ connection with the ocean is unreal. I feel the presence, vastness, and love of God like nothing else when Im at the ocean. So no matter if it was a boy or girl, Sailor it was. Leading up to her little birthday we didn’t know if it was a boy or girl. Kept it a surprise and loved it!

So we woke up one morning and made our way to the hospital. This particular morning was warm, humid and foggy, in Colorado?! … seagulls were cawing in the Starbucks parking lot. Yep. (Stopped and got coffee) But It felt so insanely coastal. You dont even know how bad me and Tess want to live on the coast and starting our birthing day off like that was so surreal — A coastal morning…Our love for the ocean… Sailor being born.

Another kicker… Sailor was an authentic Caul Birth, meaning the water never broke so she was born in a bubble so to say. Now, the crazy connection here… throughout history children born like this (1 in 200,000+) were called “CaulBearers” and were looked on as being good luck, protected from evil, they were sought after by kings…and funny enough… sought after by SAILORS! Why? Because they were believed to never die by drowning:)

Anyways… thats the short end of it. She’s 4 months old now and so beautiful.

I’m so grateful that God has blessed us with these little ones. My kids inspire us. They calm our heart. They stress us out:) We’re so proud of them and love to show them off a bit, hope you don’t mind me posting stuff like this. It’s my life.

The Tattoo

Got this tattoo by the insanely talented Shawn Degan from Perfection Tattoo in San Antonio. (His site is down right now, can’t link to it) Anyways… this guy is legit old school. Shawn is carrying on an old school style with his tattooing. He’s got history and I couldn’t have had a better experience in that shop.