It has been a while. The fun thing about a blog is looking back at all the posts of the past. Before I had a blog I would look back at my old journal entries. Little pieces of the past caught; a moment in a flurry of words. You can see the mood I was in by my hand writing, what time of day I wrote it (usually late at night judging by the rambling thoughts and occasionally illegible scrawl), and what was important to me then. Most of all it offers insight as to how I have changed.
It has been four years since my last post and in that time I have gone to college, gotten married, had my first child, moved five times and made a ton of art!
College is a strange place for art. In the past people just made things for themselves, for their patron, or for their god. I suppose that hasn't changed except now it is done in a class studio, for a grade, and under the jurisdiction of an instructor. I have had the privilege of being taught by some amazing artists including
Tom Eckert, Clare Verstegan,
Ellen Murray, and
Victoria Altepeter. None the less it is very different working in this sort of environment. It has pushed me to think much deeper about my identity as an artist,and how my art relates to me, the materials, and the process.
This wooden man was started over a year ago. He is a bit of a drone. He only goes in one direction, marching along, unable to turn his stiff wooden neck to look around. He needs no mouth for he has no voice. He is what happens when creativity is banished. There is so much more to life if only he would stop and notice the possibilities around him.
He thought he was finished a year ago (left). Now (right) he is actually done. From the blocky awkward form of a man to the detail of ears and fingertips. It is nice to see progress.
One thing college has done for me is give a complete portfolio of my progress over four years. I would like to share this adventure with you. from the beginning until now and then on in the future. Moments in a flurry of words from the life of an artist.
