Hwhup The Deans List? The Jason Dean here, bringing an end to the Weekend like it was back in Chicago, I feel it.
Anyways. Let’s get into it.
New Art in my own space
Here’s what I’ve been cooking up in the lab 😎
Yes, this is another Christmas tree image. If it makes you feel better, I’m still sharing fall images over on Instagram. If it makes you feel worse, I’m not even close to being done with either.
These next two pieces go together sorta.
The mouth of Panther
Scales
As an abstract photographer and amateur storyteller, sometimes I create stories for my images to give them some shape and context. Of course, I’m not opposed to borrowing someone else’s mythology, especially if it
Makes sense for the image
Is significant to where the image was taken
Is very freaking cool.
These two images, taken two days apart last month at different points along the shoreline of Lake Superior, made me think of the legend of Mishipeshu, the Water Panther.
Old Art in a new space
Folks- I am super excited to share with you a link to my first-ever virtual gallery!
This is something new that I haven’t really talked about before but started looking into relatively recently. My mind is racing with possibilities on how to implement this as a way to creatively share my art; for right now, I’m using the two week free trial from Metasteps.com to what sort of sea legs it has.
A few things to note:
You don’t need a VR headset to access the gallery, but the link above does not work on mobile browsers. There is a Metasteps app that you can use to access the gallery on your phone should you so choose.
If you aren’t used to moving around in virtual space, navigating can be a little tricky at first. There are navigation control instructions once you’re in the gallery. I’ve found the easiest way to maneuver is to use the mouse and click on the spot you want to move to. To change directions, hold the mouse button and drag until you’re facing the right way.
You do not need to create an account to visit the gallery; however, you will if you want to leave a comment in the gallery.
Click on any given image to move closer to the image, see the image in full screen, or get some background information on the image.
I’d really appreciate it if you could take the time and tour my virtual gallery- and I’d really REALLY appreciate it if you could share your feedback with me when you do! Like I said, you can create an account to leave comments in the app, but you can also send me an email at [email protected] with your thoughts.
I appreciate you checking it out, friends!
New Product alert!
I’ve added stickers to my product repertoire. The stickers below were printed by VistaPrint but I’m working with a local printer to have future stickers locally sourced. In either case, for now these will only be available at in-person events. They’re a great low price way to support my work and display my art!
Also STICKERS.
LinkTr.ee is li.ve
I’m keenly aware that to follow a creator in 2026 is a bit of a chore. There are all these different platforms, apps, and websites, each with a little something different. It’s a lot to keep track of!
No fear though, friends- following along on my journey just got a little bit easier. I’m now on Linktr.ee, which means that you can conveniently find all of my website and social links in one place. It also allows me to easily highlight certain aspects of those elements. For example, if you go to my Linktr.ee as of this writing, you’ll see links to this edition of The Weekender, a link to my virtual gallery, and an ‘On Display’ page on my website, which lists all of the art shows and publications I’ve been a part of.
Please check it out! I’m gradually increasing my presence in each of these spaces and I have it on good authority that you’re not going to want to miss out 😎
100 Day Project Update
Here’s where my main 2026 100 Day project stands after about two and a half weeks:
As you can see, the canvas is filling up nicely. It’s possible I could have gotten away with writing each lyric only once instead of twice, but I’m well on track to have a final project that looks exactly like what I was thinking- a jumbled mess of colors and word fragments, so no regrets.
The process has been incredibly enriching. It’s helping me to carve stronger pathways between music and my sense of self, which is an important part of my creative process. I’m also having a lot of fun finding unique voicings for the different lyrics I’ve chosen.
Google Business
Thanks again to everyone who has left me a review on Google Business. I’ve crossed the 10 review threshold, which is quite helpful in terms of improving my local rankings- and that is important because basically, unless a business is one of the top 3 in their local area, they are 🫥
Then again, maybe you’re one of those crazy people that has heard the myth of ‘Google Search Has More Than One Page’.
Valentine’s Day Sale still going!
Folks, I’m not one for alarmism; I’ll merely point out that this is the LAST WEEK of my Valentine’s Day Sale!!! 14% off of everything in the store through Valentine’s Day. 💘
This week, I’d like to spotlight Dreamer and fellow photographer Tony Pelletier AKA Vision And Tone. “But Jason”, you might be thinking, “Tony is another photographer! Isn’t he…competition?”. To which I have a two word response:
Tony is a friend and a fellow Finch and I’m a Ride-or-Be Moderately Inconvenienced (let’s not get carried away folks) for my fellow Finches, all of whom are talented photographers and cool people. I wouldn’t be the artist I am today without their support and encouragement, so I will shout any of them out from the rooftops every day of the week and twice on Mondays.
If our group were the Avengers (and there’s a lot of compelling reasons to believe we might be), Tony is Iron Man but, like, if Iron Man was Matt Murdock but also Matt Murdock wasn’t blind because it’d be pretty crappy to shout out a photographer buddy and compare him to a blind guy.
What I mean is that Tony is super knowledgeable about all sorts of different gear- not just camera stuff, but camera accessory stuff too. Every time I go out shooting with him, he’s got some sort of neat gadget that doesn’t necessarily directly relate to his camera but still creates a better photography experience for him. And he’s willing to do whatever he needs to do to get the shot that he’s looking for, even if it means leaving Myles and I to explore an even icier spot for long enough to make us wonder if we were going to have to reconstruct timelines and get our stories straight. Tony is also a curious person, and his curiosity within our group helps all of us grow in our understanding of the craft. I’m really glad to know him!
I wanted to shout Tony out this week because he has a gallery show running this month at Second Story Studio, (who, spoiler alert, will have their own moment in the Dreamer Sun). There’s an artist reception on February 20th, but if you’re in Marquette at all this month then please pop into the Studio and check out his awesome photos.
To Tony- thank you for being a dreamer!
Even though Punxatawny Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, things are starting to thaw in the world of art business. Applications for summer markets and fairs are starting to come on line, so things will get busy on the back end. Stay tuned for more information about that, and also more growth as an artist and bring you the fruit of that growth! 🙂
See you around,
Jason
