I made it to the end!

So much for updating my blog on a regular basis during my residency...lol.

Well it has been an interesting week. My mind is so full of information that I can not think, it is too painful. However, that could be a result of my last night with my classmates. There is something magical about drinking beer and sake in a sushi restaurant and singing karaoke with your newly made family.

More when I return to Minneapolis and have time to recover my brain.

Cheers!

Ready, set, GO!

Today was the official start of my graduate program and what a day it was. I have meet some wonderful people in my class and have seen some great work by all of the graduate students. What a diverse and interesting group of people.

One of the students in my class lives with her family in Thailand, she is from the US. Another if from French speaking Canada. Found out another guy is from Minneapolis. One traveled from Alaska and the list goes on.

Had to give a small introductory talk about my art and where I hope to go with it. I am starting to formulate the direction of my work and research for the fall.

Listened to 4 of the graduating students talk today and got a feel of what I am working towards. I am really excited about things so far, however tomorrow we get in to the critiques and that can get ugly but honest.

Will report back soon.


TO ART!!!! CHEERS!!

On the road again.....

Hello all! I made it to Boston and am all settled into my abode at The Artists' Residence. Not much of a view, a nice clean quiet place to study, which I have actually been doing since I have to do a bit of catch up work before I officially begin on Friday.

I will make a quick note on how much I love this city. One of the things that I noticed as I was meandering for a bite to eat was that couples actually hold hands or have their arms around each other as they walk down the street. People are outwardly jolly and talkative. I don't know if it is just me, but I am not seeing this happening in the Mid-west. Anyway, beautiful city, people and I tell you pizza that the Mid-west will never master! HA!

Back to our regularly scheduled blogging....

I hope to keep everyone updated over the next 12 days as I try my best to further my education. My plan is to post daily and if I can find a cheap digital camera I will be posting some photographs of my adventures.

Feel free to send me an email with comments and support to either of my email addresses.


Hope all is well back home!

Cheers!

and the list is getting longer.............

Happy to announce that the painting to the left will be in the MacNider Art Museum's Area Show:41. A big thanks to Holly for being understanding and letting me exhibit this painting before it finally makes it to the final destination at her home in Apex, North Carolina.


If you get the chance, stop by and see the show. It opens June 19th and runs until August 31.

I have been working on the To Do list for grad school. Each day I have another thing to put on the list and if I am working on this list another item comes off. I am looking forward to that moment I am on the plane and getting ready for take off. By then I know I have done all the readings, writings, shipped the art, and packed my bags for my brief move to Boston.

The regular emails from the program on the next item to consider has been very exciting. I will be in a class that looks at photography in the digital age (next set of readings I will be doing this weekend.) Here is the description:

This seminar will explore the increasingly complex relationship between photography and digital culture. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the profound effect the shift from analog to digital technology has had on varying modes of image production and distribution. Among the many topics to be explored will be the diminishing veracity of the photographic image and the relationship of digital technology to issues of image authorship and copyright.

Class time will be evenly divided between discussion/critique and hands-on studio work.
We will look at and discuss a wide range of artists, including those committed to capturing the photographic “decisive moment” and others more interested in exploring the fictional qualities of the medium.

Other things on my To Do list have been the task of finding a studio space to work out of in Minneapolis. To find something that is suitable and priced to fit my budget has been challenging. I will post the location once I have one!!

It happened!

I am happy to announce that I have been accepted into the grad program I applied for. I will keep everyone updated on what will happen next. I have a few ideas for funding it and think everyone will be excited about the project.

Back in action

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I posted. Vacation was a blast, had a week of work, then contracted the ugly influenza and have been out the last 7 days. Glad to report that I did get back to the studio two days ago and finished a painting. It has been posted and ready for comments.

I have been working on a few new ideas and experiments in the studio with no great results. I will have to rework my process and hopefully will be onto something soon and have a great new body of work to talk about. As of yet, I do not.

The one thing that I am excited about is getting back to my Wednesday figure drawing workshop in Minneapolis. I saw a post by Hillary and contacted her this week, I will get to attend at least the next two weeks. My skills are really rough, but I have fun just the same. Rumor has it that this weeks model is male. I am liking it already!

It's in the mail

I did it! I really did it! My application is in the mail and Lesley University should have it in there hands by the end of today. What a great feeling to mark that off my list. Now on to the next.

Today is my last day in Minneapolis until March 25. Saturday begins the long trek across our grand country to Orlando. The kids are excited, I am excited, and Melanie is excited! I love to road trip and hope to make another trek this summer to the east.

I will blog daily if I can on the adventure and my creative inspiration from the journey.

Before I forget, the Richard Prince Retrospect will be opening at the Walker Art Center on the 22nd of March. The exhibit began at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, will be in Minneapolis for the next few months then on to a gallery in London. It looks like an interesting show.

I see the finish line!

It is a great feeling to know that I am coming to the end of my graduate school application. I finished the last of the painting for it over the weekend and will be finishing my essay of intent tonight. A few finishing touches and edits and off it goes.

My exhibit of work is up and looks great thanks to Catherine at Coffee Cat and I don't want to forget a big thanks to Marc Weber for his beautiful music during the event. If you happen to be in the area stop in and have one of Cat's tasty March coffee specials and see my work.

I have posted my recent paintings on my web site today. Plan on having a few more when I return from Florida. I am looking forward to the plethora of inspiration from the trip.


That's all for now.... back to the grad school grind.

Progress....

The past few days I have been working on my last few paintings for my graduate school application. My approach to this series has changes since I began painting it in the fall of 2006. They technique is becoming more loose and painterly and it pleases me to see the results that are beginning to show. When I return from Orlando after Easter, I will be posting this series on my website.

I have a new work in the early development stage; a photography project dealing with the reality, daydreams, and nightmares. I will begin compiling information for this project tomorrow, as I will be recording my nightly dreams for photographic interpretation.

It was a success!

As I reflect on the events of the past weekend, I am filled with a sense of joy and fulfillment. The past weekend River City Artists had their Winter Art Sale. I have been working on this project since the beginning of December and to have it finally come to fruition and be a success for the studio and the community gives me a gush of joy. I am grateful for the opportunities to bring joy into the lives of other artists and the public through art. This is my calling and I embrace it will all my soul.

I was also able to attend the opening reception for fellow artists and friends Traci Bittner and Scott Borcherding. Two truly talented people and I am glad to call them friends. If you are in Mason City, IA over the next month, stop by Toast Bar on North Federal Ave. and take a look.

Today, I developed a new project idea on my drive back to Minneapolis, the drives give me hours to think about art. The installation will be developed more after I wrap up my latest painting project. As I am taking the night off, a much needed rest, I will begin tomorrow the daunting task of completing six new oil painting in ten days to complete my portfolio to submit for my graduate school application.

Look for them to be posted towards the end of March.

My lil' ones

Working as an artist, I find there are parallel feelings with that of parenting.

Today, I headed over to Nash Framing to pick up my work for the up coming show at Coffee Cat coffee shop in Mason City. When Neal unwrapped my paintings it released a feeling of joy. It was like my kids were all dressed up and ready for their first school performance. Their clumsiness had disappeared and they we polished and read to shine bright!

Sometimes, I think of my art work as my other children. I raise and foster them from a blank piece of paper or canvas through their terrible teen years and finally rewarded with maturity, where I am proud of the fine works of art that they have become. Once they have reached this stage it is time marry them off with patrons that will love and adore them for the rest of time.

I know my statement sounds cheesy, however I have met so many artists that put blood, sweat, and tears into their work just like a parent puts into their child. The next time you are looking at someone's art remember each piece came from within the artist and are like one of their children. Adopt a work and love and adore it, for that is what this artist created it for.

On the up swing

Ahhhh, feeling good and energetic today. Sketched a few canvases for my grad school application and I am ready to hit the ground running! Once I get started it all falls into place. For me, I am fortunate that I have that ability.

Received a call from Neil, a customer of mine, and he said my art has been matted and is ready to pick up. This is great! I have a show starting this Saturday at Coffee Cat in Mason City. If you are in the area stop by and take a look. The work that is on my website as "New Work" will be represented.

Have a joyful day!

Where is the motivation...

I am getting ready for my grad school application and I am feeling blocked. Ok, maybe not blocked but at least lacking motivation. I know it is the usual creative hang-up, however I need to work out of it. It wont be long and I will need to be submitting my info. So, I am working on a few other pieces for the upcoming River City Artists Winter Art Sale.

What I need one of my biggest fans to work by my side. Who is my youngest son, Evan. On occasion he is with me at the studio while I am painting, working on his own pieces. There are times I notice in my periphery vision that he is not working but watching me. It energizes me. He tells me, "Dad you are really good. I hope I can be good like you someday." I reply, "making art is not always easy, so you need to practice." I finish with, "you are great!," and I hang his latest work on my wall.

Ok, I am feeling a bit more energized thinking about the last time I painted with Evan. Gotta go. Time to make art!