Change Is Good

Okay, so who’s in charge of time around here? ‘Caused I’d like to talk to them about how fast it’s been moving. I mean, seriously, how did it get to be the end of March already? How is it that it’s already Spring? Not that I’m complaining about the Spring part. Winter, as short as it is here in the Bay Area, is still long enough for me. But, really, time is just flying by.

My dad used to say to me when I was a teenager, “It seems like just yesterday you were born.” I’d role my eyes. Whatever, Dad. But now that I am an adult, I totally get what he means. It seems like just yesterday I was, well, twenty years younger!

Anyway, it wouldn't be a big deal except that of course I am stressing out all of the time about my Bottle Cap Bar and how long it is taking me to make it. I feel like I need to work on it All Of The Time. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. It does keep me moving, keep me motivated, keep me working.

But then the rest of my life (yes I do have one and I do other things besides sort bottle caps, punch holes in bottle caps, screw bottle caps into discarded wooden furniture, etc.) seems to get in the way of my getting as much work done as I’d like. I have been working recently again at Artesa. Just temporarily. The money is helpful since I didn't receive a grant for my project this year. So, it’s a good thing. But it does keep me from working on the Bar.

I have been having A Lot of anxiety about the Bar lately. To the point that I actually decided yesterday to rethink the concept a bit. I was making way too much work for myself. And I am talking about difficult and painful work. Challenges are important but I am not sadistic.

I had actually been avoiding constructing the front wall of the Bar even though I had all of the bottle caps hole-punched, laid out and ready to go. Stringing the bottle caps onto wire and assembling the wall is so incredibly Hard, I cannot begin to explain it. So, I’d do just about anything else instead. Like build a bench, for instance. But there the bottle caps would be, in my garage, waiting for me. Eventually I had no choice.

Earlier this week I started on the hard part and just about had an emotional breakdown. I can barely do this work. It’s Too Hard. How am I going to do this one, smaller I might add, wall? And then do it again? Two More Times?! I had to regroup. So, I did and I came up with a design for the two side walls that is different but easier then the front and back wall. All in all, I think the effect of the walls together will be good.

I enjoy making art, ya know? Why torture myself? Well, any more then I already do. I have been having so much fun making the furniture that goes inside the structure and dreading making the actual structure itself. Not good.

So, the plan is to finish the wall that I am working on now and then move on. I have made some changes to the way I am putting it together that makes things a little bit easier on me. But still, it kind of sucks although it’s going to look incredibly cool. So it’s worth it for that.

Now I feel a lot less pressure regarding time. Some of the design changes I came up with will reduce the number of holes to punch in bottle caps so that’s a time savings right there! Anyway, it’s all good for now. Until the next round of Freaking Out!

Cool Non-Bottle Cap Related Activity of the Week:

My new volunteer gig.

One day a week, for four hours I am volunteering for a research project that is training dogs to detect certain types of cancer in breath samples. My job is to walk and hang out with the dogs when they are not being trained. Like that’s tough! Check out this cool video.

Free Stuff

So, here is the thing that I am loving about what I do. Lately I have been running across stuff put on the sidewalk outside of people's homes with a "free" sign and it's been perfect for my art.

First, there was the two chairs that I found one morning on my walk with Jasmine. They became my Bottle Cap Chairs. They were perfect. I love them.

Then, today I was walking Jasmine on the same street that I found the chairs and in front of a different house on a different block there were two items on the sidewalk with a "free" sign. One was a wooden headboard and the other was a wooden closet door. Both, to me, screamed Potential. I had to grab these.

First on my mind was that the headboard is going to make a perfect bartop for my bar. Yeah!!! The closet door I am going to save for another project. But I couldn't take the headboard and leave the door. Come on! That's just insulting. To the door. His re-purposing will come soon enough, I am sure.

So, anyway, I am totally stoked about this "free stuff" business. It's really making my artmaking fun.

Also fun has been the project I have been working on this week. It's a bench for the interior of the Bottle Cap Bar. I made it using reclaimed wood from building projects and wood I had on hand. Nothing new was purchased. This week I have been covering it with bottle caps and it looks so awesome. I love my job.

I will post images of my "furniture" soon.

New Saying of the Week:

Everything Looks Better Covered in Bottle Caps.

So far that's proven to be true.

Another Juried Show

So, I got one of my latest bottle cap sculptures in the Marin Society of Artists Open Craft and Sculpture show. This is my third time in the show since finishing art school. I am happy to have my sculpture, Bicycle Wheel and Bottle Caps, on display. I am quite satisfied with it.

I was gonna have photos posted of that piece and my Bottle Cap Chairs (which wasn't selected by the jury) by this week but I couldn't get my documentation done because I ran out of white backdrop paper and the two places I can easily get it from are out of stock and I'll have to wait at least a few weeks. So, I'll do it when the show is over at the end of the month. It's not like there's a major rush. I just like having my portfolio up to date.

Anyway, here's the details for the show:

MSA Craft and Sculpture
March 8 - March 29
Public reception: March 8, 2 - 4pm

Marin Art and Garden Center
30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
Ross, CA 94957

Gallery hours:
Mon - Thu 11am - 4pm
Sat & Sun noon - 4pm

Conversation Starter of the Day:

Why doesn't anyone ever say, "You make my life a Dying Hell"?

And what is the difference between a Living Hell and a Dying Hell anyway?