I Resolve To Be Less Annoyed (Yeah, Right)

Everything about the first sentence in an article in the Datebook section of today's Chronicle by Carolyne Zinko titled Tips on making New Year's resolutions bothers me.

You know you're going to break them - but you've got to make them.

What?!?  So, basically what she's saying is: You are a bad person and you have to resolve to be better but really you are a total loser who will never change.

I don't think so.

Personally, I think that instead of looking forward to the New Year resolving to fix what's wrong with us we should be taking the time to look back on the Old Year and congratulating ourselves on all of the things we did right.  Go on, make a list.  Big or small, no accomplishment should be left off.  I bet you end up with a pretty long list.

I had my share of personal and professional challenges this year and, in fact, I wouldn't rank 2009 as one of my best but I still ended up with quite a number of successes on my list.  I am especially proud that at various times during the year I had a total of twelve works of art installed in public locations across the country.  And, of those twelve sculptures, seven are still on display.

Other top achievements include rebuilding my website, buying my very first welder (with money I made from my art), forging new friendships while strengthening old ones, and finding peace and happiness by becoming more at ease with myself.  Not too shabby, if I say so myself.

So, here is wishing a heartfelt congratulations on all of your achievements from 2009.  May your 2010 be full of fun, good health and happiness.  Here's to all of the exciting adventures and new successes yet to come!

Happy New Year!

New Year Mispronunciation Prediction of the Day:

Twenty-Oh-Ten.

You heard it here first. I predict that until we get the hang of the fact that after tomorrow we are no longer living in the Naughts people will accidentally say "Twenty-Oh-Ten" instead of "Twenty-Ten".

No Fear

When you live your life ruled by fear then the world is, indeed, a scary place to be.  But we, as humans, can't help but have fear in our lives.  It is what keeps us alive, actually.  Because without fear we wouldn't be alerted to certain, instinctive cues that keep us from, you know, getting eaten by that lion hiding in the brush.

But wait.  We aren't a primitive society anymore so a lot of our fears aren't reactions to things that could make us die.  For instance, I have a fear of falling.  And that makes sense in that if I were to fall, unprotected, from a great distance then I would most likely die on impact.  But there are all sorts of "safe" ways to fall such as jumping off a high diving board at a pool, riding an amusement park ride, or  parachuting out of an airplane.  I won't do any of those things because of my fear of falling, though.  I won't even downhill snow ski or mountain bike ride.

But that fear doesn't keep me from fully enjoying my life.  I don't feel like I miss out on anything by not engaging in those activities.  It's when we let fear keep us from experiencing our full potential that we miss out.  Like trying out a new career.  Or making a commitment in a new relationship.  Fear can hold us back.

I battle fear pretty much every day when it comes to my art making.  I am constantly afraid of not knowing what I am doing and looking like an idiot in the process.  But I go forward anyway because I've only got this one life to live and I want to make the most of it.  I mean, what's the worst that could happen, I die from too much art?  Would that be so bad?

Awesome "No Fear" Video of the Day:

Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill April 2009

All I can say is: WOW.

1999 Dining Circa 2009

You know a lot has happened since the dot-com heyday: people got super rich on paper then lost it all; the Twin Towers blew up; two wars; failed banks; lost jobs, etc. etc. etc.  You know the deal.

Funny anecdote: There was this one computer start-up company that Eric worked for in SF in the early 00's that had, like, no customers but had no problem burning through their venture capital.  The first year he worked there the company holiday party was in one of the historic mansions in the city.  There was an elaborate buffet and lounge area on the main floor; downstairs they created a jazz club complete with only top-shelf booze served at a bar carved out of a huge block of ice.  There were tons of people; employees could bring their entire family.  It was amazing!  The next year the party was in-office.  During the day.  Pizza.  Employees only.

Times changed pretty fast when things went from boom to bust.

So, Christmas Eve dinner this year at Murray Circle in Fort Baker was like a trip through a time machine.  Don't get me wrong; it was a good thing.  The setting is beautiful.  The service was great.  The food and presentation were top-notch. We had an excellent meal and evening.  But it all just seemed so.....inappropriate.

This is a restaurant on par with Gary Danko or Michael Mina.  (And it's on my side of the Golden Gate Bridge!)  But this would make so much more sense ten years ago.  The prices are incredibly high for the amount of food you get.  And don't get me started on the highly marked-up wine list.  Who's buying a bottle that costs four figures these days??  I've recently heard about people paying for corkage on their Two-Buck Chuck.

I am struggling to find a low-paying, part-time job right now.  The opportunities are slim and the competition is fierce.  Times are tough all over.  Fortunately, right now Eric and I can afford to shell out over $125 a person for a special occasion meal that doubled as a gift to each other.  But really.  This is so not practical.  Not right now.

What a weird world we live in.

Sustainable, Cost Effective and Delicious Fish Recommendation of the Day:

Trout.

The high price of wild Alaskan salmon got you down?  Try trout.  It's cheap.  It's available.  It's easy to cook.  And it's Yummy!

Halibut is great, too.  Though a little pricier.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Last month when I revamped by website and made a concentrated effort to beef up my Internet presence by creating a Facebook Fan Page, I also made a pledge to myself that I would write in my blog more frequently.  Which is why there are 15 posts from November and 16 (so far, not counting this one) posts from December.  And, like, an average of 2 per month for the rest of the months of 2009.  I'm feeling pretty good right now about continuing to honor my pledge.

I wanted to get back into writing in the blog more so that it would help me improve my overall writing skills.  It's good practice for me to express my thoughts and feelings (art related or otherwise) in written form because I firmly believe that as an artist it is my responsibility to be able to clearly explain my art.

I don't buy the concept of "the art speaks for itself."  That's just lazy.  All artists make art for a reason (or many).  And no matter what those are they should be explained in an articulate way.  The viewer deserves it.  That's not say that art can't have room for interpretation but there needs to be an underlying idea in order for the work to be strong.

So, when I write in this blog about what I'm making or the experiences I am having then it is preparing me for when I write formal artist statements for grant proposals or art submissions or the like.  This is critical stuff.  This is how I convince people (with money) that my work is important and necessary and the world needs to experience it.  This is how I support my practice.

And it feels like it's helping.  I've been spending the past couple of weeks developing my Burning Man grant proposal for 2010 and so far I think my written statements are coming along very well.  To be able to clearly express what I want to do and why makes my chances of getting funded (while, unfortunately, still pretty slim - damn economy!) that much better.

So, here's fingers crossed that this pays off for me financially. And expect my commitment to writing more frequently to continue into 2010 and beyond!

Underrated (and Often Ridiculed) Musical Genre That You Should Give Another Listen To of the Day:

Prog Rock.

King Crimson, Yes, Rush, Genesis, Pink Floyd.  Hell, I'll even throw in Styx.  It's all great.  If you don't believe me then listen to this podcast from an episode of Sound Opinions that explores the genre.

By the way, I highly recommend Sound Opinions if you are at all into popular music.  It's a great little radio show.

The Artist As Instrument

It's happened to me so many times now I've lost count.  I hesitate to speak openly about this because it feels so personal.  But it really is an important aspect of my art practice.

What I am referring to is the experience that I sometimes have when I am making art where I feel like what I am doing is not in my control.  It's out of my hands, so to speak.  I am just an instrument - a physical being that is here for the express purpose of bringing art into the world.  The forms are pre-existing, living in some unseen world, and my job is to give them a physical structure and presence in our reality.

I know, I know.  Sounds a little meta-physical.  A bit too new-agey for my taste, actually.  But it is truly how I feel.  In fact, I have had the feeling so strongly, a sensation of such release, that there have been times when it's made me physically exhausted, caused me to break down and weep.  It's as though by the act of my sculpting some force moved through my body and, by my hands, poured out into a new form.  It's very intense.

My hands are moved by unseen forces that guide me, that bring forth the sculptures that ultimately become my artistic expression.  Where does this come from?  Where do these forces exist?  Is this my greater purpose, to bring into being these unseen shapes and forms allowing them to be experienced by all?

I have no idea.  But I do know that from this experience I receive intense pleasure and satisfaction.  It is as though I am tapping into an unknown, unseen force greater then us all.  The Underlying System that makes all of this (our Universe, our World, our Existence) possible.  I suppose you could say that this is my form of spirituality.  And you know what?  I'm a Believer.

Recent Art Image of the Day:

"Lily"

Formed from the ruins of rejection and abandonment, Lily is full of hope and represents the potential for renewal and rebirth.

Another piece pulled from the unseen world.

The Truth About Reindeer

Over the past few years I have become more and more interested in simplifying my Christmas experience.  I just don't relate to all of the excess.  I can't understand the need for some people to decorate their homes with a millions lights or put blow-up Santas and snowmen on their front lawns.  I no longer desire exchanging presents and greeting cards with every person I know.  I don't experience the stress of retail shopping or the time-consumption of cookie baking or the expense of holiday travel because I've pretty much eliminated all of that from the equation or at least have gotten it down to the bare minimum.

It's nice.

This year we didn't even get a Christmas tree which has been our tradition since before Eric and I got married.  I have boxes of ornaments and other decorations sitting in my garage right this minute and I am wondering their purpose in the first place.

A few years back Eric and I stopped exchanging gifts and now we just go out to a lovely dinner some place nice on Christmas Eve.  That is the best gift I can think of - a special evening together.

But that is not to say that I am a Grinch.  I still hang a stocking by the chimney with care.  I entertain myself by singing carols during the weeks before Christmas.  I enjoy spending the day with family on Christmas day.  I savor the too many hors d'oeuvres that threaten to ruin my appetite for dinner and the pumpkin pie I never have room for but manage to polish off anyway.  I love watching my nieces and nephews tear into their gifts.  I laugh as I see who gets the "joke gift" that's been passed around for so many years now that I can't remember who started it or when.

The holidays are fun.

So please, Joyce Campbell, Ph.D, explain to me why you had to get all literal about "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" in Dear Abby?  Does it really matter that "the only reindeer with antlers at Christmastime are the girls" so the song is wrong because Rudolph is portrayed as a boy?  What about the flying? What about the red nose?  If you need the song to be so accurate, then explain how they fit in.  Or even Santa, for that matter.

Just because you are some smarty-pants doctor (of what, I'd like to know!) with an over-abundant knowledge of reindeer doesn't mean you need to ruin a perfectly good fantasy Christmas song.  Shame on you, Joyce!  I hope you get coal in your stocking this year.

Greeting of the Day:

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Yeah, I know, not everyone celebrates Christmas and it's more P.C. to say "Happy Holidays" but Christmas is so commercial these days, it's hard to remember there is even a religious association. So.....Ho Ho Ho!

Cute But Evil

In recent years I've started to dislike when people call me "cute".  I don't get in-their-face about it.  I just smile slightly and say, "thanks".  But it's not how I would like to be perceived.  I want people to see me as a strong, smart, serious-minded woman with a penchant for dark humor (and dark chocolate) who's capable of anything.  For me, "cute" just doesn't equate to that.

I realize that I am not helping myself by wearing cat ears and a pink wig in my profile picture.  But c'mon, it's a costume.  My name, after all, is Kitty.  Shouldn't I be allowed to dress like one occasionally?

Yesterday I read a very interesting article in the December 2009 edition of Vanity Fair magazine by Jim Windolf.  It does a great job of summing up our nation's fondness for "cute".  Personally I don't get what the fuss is about but then what do I know?  I'm just a girl called Kitty.  Maybe if I watch the Hahaha YouTube video enough times it will start to make sense.

Cool Photo of the Day:

My air compressor.

Eric took this picture when we were at my studio on Sunday after he replaced the electrical plug on my air compressor for me.  Is that cute or what?

Spinning Sun Flower

I have been having sooooo much fun lately making these weird looking flower sculptures out of whatever recycled materials I have on hand (saves on materials cost) or find for cheap at the salvage yards (Urban Ore in Berkeley is a fave).  I've even been using my own previous sculptures and abandoned art projects.

I recently disassembled Spin 'Em!, my Center Camp Cafe art installation from Burning Man 2008, and have been using the parts in new work.  And remember earlier this year when I spent so many hours punching holes in bottle caps and stringing them on wire to make walls for my freestanding Bottle Cap Bar but then ended up ditching the whole project because it wasn't working out?  Well, that effort was not in vain as those wall pieces are slowly being incorporated into these new flower sculptures.  Like I mentioned before, I am the Queen of Resourcing!  Nothing goes to waste.

Here is a picture of Spinning Sun Flower taken outside my studio building right after a downpour.  More images to come.

First Day of Winter Advice of the Day:

Make soup!

Here's a recipe for a delicious split pea soup.  I just made this last night.  Enjoy!

Split Pea Soup with Carrots, Cilantro & Cumin
serves 6

3 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp whole cumin seed
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) green or yellow split peas
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken broth diluted with 3 cups water
1/2 pound carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise if large, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 Tbl chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seed. When the cumin seed begins to darken and give off its aroma, in less than 1 minute, add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to release its fragrance.

Add the split peas, bay leaf and broth-water mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are very soft, about 40 minutes. Stir in the carrots, cover and simmer gently until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

List Mania!

As 2009 draws to a close Top Ten Lists abound. So, here's my contribution to the unnecessary.

Kitty and Eric's Top Eleven (this one goes to eleven!) Albums of 2009 That We Own of the Day:

In no particular order.

Backspacer by Pearl Jam
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
Raditude by Weezer
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
Middle Cyclone by Neko Case*
It's Blitz by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Commerical by Los Amigos Invisibles
Secret, Profane & Sugarcane by Elvis Costello**
No Line On The Horizon by U2
The Resistance by Muse
21st Century Breakdown by Green Day***

* Special note that this selection would be NUMBER ONE on Kitty's personal list
** Extra awesome that we saw Elvis Costello perform at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, CA in September and it was INCREDIBLE
*** Extra, extra awesome that we got to see Green Day perform this album in full at the DNA Lounge (a super small club) in San Francisco BEFORE the album was released

Good year for music lovers!

Timothy

Disturbing Song of the Day That You've Never Heard but is Totally Awesome:

"Timothy" by the Buoys.

Reassurance

Since I signed the lease on my studio at Big Art Studios I have had a bit of buyer's remorse.  Not because the place isn't awesome or full of really cool people or where I want to be.  I've been worried about making the commitment.

I'd worry about taking on a new monthly expense, especially when I don't have a consistent stream of income.  But then I would remind myself that I have savings that will get me at least through the middle of the summer and that I've always made things like this work out in the past.

I'd worry about commuting to Oakland.  It's not a quick drive from my house or even AT my house so it would be easy for me to procrastinate and never go and what's the point of paying rent on a space if you aren't even there?  But then I would think back to when I was going to CCA and that drive to Rockridge in Oakland is even longer then where the studio is and I managed to get my ass there all of the time.

I'd worry that people would find out what a rank amateur I really am in this art biz thing and that everyone would know how much I am actually faking it.  But then I would remember may latest success which was bringing art to the Phish Festival.  Now that was definitely legit.

Still, no matter how many times I would go through these rituals, convincing myself over and over again that this was the right thing to do, I would feel the doubt creep back in.  And then yesterday happened.

After finally getting my act together and out the door just before noon (why or why does it take me so long to get my day going when I usually get out of bed between 6:30 and 7:00 am?!), I was headed to the studio with a plan.  Or at least a somewhat plan.  I had a vague idea of a sculpture that I wanted to make.

And that is exactly what I did.  I put in about 7 or 8 hours and a sculpture I did make.  And I love it.  Well, mostly.  Of course there are things I wished I had done differently but for the most part - It's Awesome.

I finally have gotten my studio into some semblance of a work space and so I was able to get into my zone and get to work. Sure, I've got ideas about how to make the space even better but that just comes with time (and money).  I could probably keep tweaking things until I eventually move out, which hopefully won't be for a very long time.

It just felt so good working yesterday. So right.  I knew without a shadow of a doubt that that was exactly what I needed to be doing and exactly where I needed to be doing it.  I have so much hope for 2010 and beyond.  This is the beginning of something great!

Awesome Art of the Day:

George Sherwood - Kinetic Sculpture

This guy's art is amazing and inspires me to keep working, to keep trying.  If I could make something even a quarter as beautiful as one of his sculptures I'd feel like I was doing something right.

Never At A Loss For Materials

It's been over a year since I posted my simple little request in the Jack Rabbit Speaks, Burning Man's email newsletter, asking for bottle caps.  It was absolutely unbelievable the response I got from that.  Tens of thousands of bottle caps came to me in less then three months.

And I am still getting emails asking if I need bottle caps. Though I am not actively seeking them out I always say "yes" to contributions.   I have so many I'll be able to make art with bottle caps for the unforeseeable future, that's for sure.  Amazingly I know it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how many bottle caps are out there in the world, too.  We just love our bottled beverages.

Recently I've been hard at work hammering out the details for my next Burning Man art installation idea.  I am really excited but I don't want to talk about it until my project proposal is finalized and submitted.  I will say, however, that not only will it include bottle caps but all kinds of random recycled materials as well.  Anything I can get my hands on, really.

So most likely sometime after the first of the year I will be putting a new post in the Jack Rabbit Speaks asking for more stuff from the community. Stuff that would normally be thrown in the garbage or taken to the dump will, hopefully, be coming my way and made into art.

A bit scary when I think about it.  At least bottle caps are small so even a very large quantity doesn't take up an enormous amount of space. But who knows what might come my way when I open up the doors to include more kinds of junk.  Yikes!  I'll make it work, though.  I always do.

Graphic Designer for Hire of the Day:

Me!

Need a logo made? I'm your gal. Proficient in Illustrator and Photoshop. Just ask DJ Gordo!  Personalized bottle caps, too!

Blue Moon

Weird.  Last night I had a dream, for the second time, about the fact that there will be a Blue Moon at the end of this month.  December 31st, to be exact.

In case you don't know, a Blue Moon has several definitions.  Most commonly, though widely considered inaccurate, it is the second full moon in one month.  The corrected definition is that it is the 13th full moon in a calendar year.  Finally, the oldest definition according to the Farmer's Almanac, is that it is the third full moon in a season that has four full moons.

It's also the title of a very pretty song by Rodgers and Hart.  And a yummy Belgian-style beer that tastes great with a slice of orange.  But I digress.....

Anyway.  The fact is, a Blue Moon is uncommon.  The second full moon in a month, the easiest kind of Blue Moon to occur, happens only every three years or so.  Once in a Blue Moon, as they say.

Why does this matter to me, I am wondering?.  It's never really come up in my consciousness before.  Yet here I am, aware of the upcoming Blue Moon and, even, dreaming about it.

Maybe something magical is going to happen for me!  You never know.

Additional Blue Moon Fact of the Day:

Two Blue Moons (two full moons occurring in one month) occurring in one calendar year happens only once every nineteen years or so.

The last time that happened was in 1999, in January and March.  Twice in a Blue Moon!

Why Do I Care?

Why do I care so much about the things that bother me when they usually are of little significance?  Specifically, why do I care that my Facebook Fan Page is currently not working right (well, actually it has never worked quite right since I set it up)?

But most recently it is very, very messed up.  I have a few fans now and they just are not getting the content I am posting.  There was a privacy change in Facebook this month and wall posts since December 1st  have gone missing, photos are not accessible to fans, new posts are sometimes being published in feeds and sometimes not, and on and on.  It's really frustrating.  And lame.

'Cause here's the thing - most of the stuff that I am putting up on my Fan Page is just for fun.  It's not news that is super important.  It's mostly photos, like of my new studio.  Or fun stuff like pictures of Eric working on my art bike for me.  Or my latest creation, the DJ Gordo logo.

It's not like I am sending out information about an upcoming event where my art will be on display or whatever. I just don't have anything like that going on right now. But it will come up and when it does I want to be able to easily post that on Facebook and feel confident that the people who are my fans will get the info. Simple as that.

But not so simple. Facebook Fan Pages seems to have more bugs then a bait shop. It's just not very fun. And again the question arises - why do I care?

Well, I care because I am an anal-retentive freak. I care because I want things to work right.  I care because I hate wasting my time on things that are out of my control.  But I can't fix these problems. Only Facebook can. And until then, I'll just have to deal.

However, I can be a little more casual and irreverent in this blog (post photos, etc.) which seems to work all of the time. And I can, and will, put important information like dates for upcoming art exhibitions and images of newly completely art and whatnot on my website. So, what me worry, right?

Good Advice to Myself of the Day:

Quite wasting time worrying about your damn Facebook Fan Page and get yer ass in the studio and make some Art!

It's Hard Out There (For A Starving Artist)

On most days I can't complain. I have a good life with few struggles.  I am in the rare but fortunate position of not having to worry about my art career putting food on the table and keeping shelter over my head.  Thanks to my finance and budgeting skills and a fairly simple lifestyle, Eric and I are able to live comfortably on just his salary.

Thank god he's got his job. And, fortunately, it doesn't look like it's going away any time soon.  But you never know, and even if that happens we have savings, a fall back plan.  We've been pretty frugal with our money since Day One of our happy life together.  So, we're good.

But when I decided to ditch my boring but steady career as an accountant and try my hand at sculpture I made a promise to Eric that it would be self-sustaining.  I would always find a way to cover the cost of making my art.  And I have continued, to this day, to stick to that promise.  (Well, except for my student loans, most of which were paid off with carefully timed home refinancing).

Lately, though, I've run into a little bit of a financial hardship.  I currently don't have any steady income (art or otherwise) and now I've got this monthly studio rent expense.  Fortunately I do have some savings, enough to cover my rent until June.  But that doesn't cover my materials cost or pretty much anything else and that sucks because I've got lots of art ideas in my head and though I do my best to use extremely cheap or, ideally, free materials most of the time there are still certain expenses.

So, I have been dutifully looking every day on Craig's List for a part-time job.  The pickings are slim.  I send off 4 or 5 resumes a week but pretty much get no response.  I imagine the job posters are getting slammed. Well, actually I know for sure one was because they kindly sent a follow up email to all of the people that applied for their job opening saying that the position was filled and that they had been, well, slammed by responses.

It makes me nervous, for sure.  But at least I'm not starving.  Not needing this job because I got laid off and haven't been able to find work in months and the mortgage is past due and the car needs new tires and how am I going to pay off my credit card debt.  I'm fortunate and I keep having to remind myself of that.

Worst case scenario, if nothing works out by summertime I'll just move out of the studio.  It's not what I want and I am going to work my ass off to make sure it doesn't happens but it wouldn't be the end of the world either.  I'm just going to keep having faith that everything will work out.  And I wish that for all of the other people out there competing for the jobs that I am applying for.  Hopefully we'll all get through these tough times.

Movie Recommendation of the Day:

Star Trek.

I'm a geek but not such a big one that I saw this movie in the theater.  Actually I would have loved to have but it's very rare that I see any movie in a movie theater unless it's on the IMAX and has Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter in the title.  Tron Legacy will be an exception.  So, I saw Star Trek for the first time on DVD the other night. Oh man.  I loved it.  I think it helps if you have an over-familiarity with the television series which I do.  But even if you don't, it's a great movie, super story and all-around fun.  If you don't mind geeking out a little, I say Check It Out.

Purposeful Repurpose

Yesterday I came to the realization that I am a Number One, Primo, Consummate Repurposor.

Dude, is that even a word?  Repurposor?

According to Webster, no.  Hell, the word "repurpose" is not even in my hard bound dictionary.  Though the copyright is 1987.  The on-line version of Merriam-Webster defines repurpose as "to give a new purpose or use to".  So, logically, wouldn't it follow that someone who does that - gives a new purpose or use to something- is a repurposor? Or would that be spelled repurposer?

So, let's go with it.  This word exists in my world because that is what I am.  I like to make art out of stuff that people, myself included, would otherwise throw away.  Actually, I love to reuse things in most aspects of my life.

That big plastic bag from Amoeba?  Finally, something large enough to hold the huge bunches of chard I like to buy at the farmer's market every week.  The paper that I printed a rough draft of my latest artist statement on?  Turn it over and print again.  Holes in your socks?  Cut off the feet and you've got arm warmers!  It goes on and on.  Hopefully we all do this a little bit in our lives.

Last year I spent hours and hours and hours trying to make bottle cap walls for a free-standing bottle cap bar that I ultimately abandoned because it starting getting too hard and stopped being fun.  But the work I did, the partly constructed walls, were still in my garage.  I can't stand the idea that maybe this was a wasted effort.  No Way!  This art will live to see another day.

That is what I spent a good portion of my yesterday afternoon doing.  Salvaging abandoned art so that it can be repurposed, that is, become new art.  And it's not just the bottle cap "walls".  I am planning on deconstructing Spin 'Em! and turning it into two different sculptures.  Even the Bottle Cap Tree may come out of retirement to be deconstructed and then reconstructed and used in a new way.  Why not?

Who says there needs to be such a short birth-to-death cycle when it comes to the stuff in our lives.  It can all just be reborn again and again until we get it right.  Wait.  Isn't that, like, Buddhism or something?  Well, call me Zen but I like it!

Super Cry-Baby Weather Complaint of the Day:

  Oh.  My. God.  It's freezing here!

Yeah, yeah. I know. Get over it, you wimpy Californian. You want cold? Go to Chicago. But still. There's frost on my back deck this morning. Frost!

Is There A Maximum Capacity For Ideas In The Brain?

Lately, the ideas for the art that I want to make next year have been coming at an alarming rate.  Exploding in my head.  It feels like what I imagine is happening in the head of a comic book character that can see the future.  Scary and overwhelming but totally awesome and exciting.

I can't really explain any of it right now, though.  I just don't have the words.  But it's all coming together.  It's what I have been building and building up to over the last 6 years and I didn't even know it.  Old work becoming a part of new work.  Past ideas and concepts that I did not see as related are blending with new ideas to become a larger whole, a more complete body of work.  It's fascinating to be in my head these days. Heh.

When I was in Art School a teacher once told me that the key to success as an artist (and that is definitely something that is loosely defined) is to Keep Making Art.  No matter what.  Don't spend too much time fretting about selling the art or wondering where it's going to be shown or what the next opportunity is going to be.  Okay, you do need to spend some amount of time on that.  But the point is, if you don't have any art to show or sell then there's no point in focusing on that other stuff anyway.

So, that's what I've been doing since graduation.  I Make Art.  It's what gets me through the tough times.  Helps me deal with the self-doubt, the insecurities.  Allows me to get past The Fear.  Most of the time I have no idea why I make what I make.  I just have a consistent understanding that it is What I Must Do.

And so far so good.  At least I'm still having a good time (mostly).  So, let's get to work.  These ideas aren't gonna make themselves!

Art Book Recommendation of the Day:

"Art & Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland.

I'm sure that if I looked back on previous posts in this blog I would find that I have already mentioned this book.  But it's worth revisiting.  Anyone working in any field of creativity would get something out of reading this.

American Steel

The American Steel building houses Big Art Studios and my new "home away from home".  So far I have dropped off two full truckloads.  This weekend Eric is going to help me move the Big Stuff (i.e. Gorilla Racks, work tables, etc.).  Then the real set up and organization can begin.  Slowly but surely I will soon have an awesome studio in which I can do my work.  Yay!

Halloween 2010 Costume Idea of the Day:

Jimbo Jones from "The Simpsons".

I was looking at myself in the mirror yesterday while I was wearing my usual knit cap with the skull and crossbones on it that I found years ago on the ground in a gas station parking lot in Booneville (Yes, I washed it first!) with my medium-length brown hair sticking out and a black t-shirt and I reminded me of Jimbo from "The Simpsons". I could totally be that for Halloween next year!

"Way to breathe, No Breath!"

Space: The Fillable Frontier

Yesterday I took over a truckload (and by that I mean my truck was completely loaded) of Stuff to the studio. It was made up entirely of bottle caps and other raw materials. I was a little worried because as I was packing up I thought to myself, "This is only the beginning."

I've got A Lot of art related Stuff. The decision on what to take to the studio, what to put in that, let's be honest, deceivingly large 700-square foot space, needs to be carefully and thoughtfully considered. Otherwise I may just fill it so full there will be no room to actually work.

That's what we do, right? We fill up our empty spaces. Nature abhors a vacuum, or so they say. It's why this country has so many huge homes, huge closets, huge purses, huge bellies, huge lives. We love us our stuff and, by gosh, it needs to go Somewhere, right?

So, I am just going to take this one truckload at a time. And really think about what I need to have there and what I don't. This is about being able to get my work done, not storing my Stuff. Maybe I should have a Fire Sale.

Unexpected Music Recommendation of the Day:

Shakira's She Wolf

Eric has had a crush on Shakira for a really long time (I love teasing him about it). So, naturally we needed to buy her latest album the week it was released. I gotta admit, I'm liking it. A lot. It's true that her "Hips Don't Lie." This Latin pop star knows her dance music.

I Want Justice

So the day after I got back from the Phish Festival I was in my office working at my computer when I heard a tremendous BANG! I looked outside and saw that the trailer that I had borrowed to transport my sculpture to the festival had been hit. I ran outside and saw a vehicle pulled over less then a block past my house and I started running toward it. Either this was the vehicle that hit the trailer or they at least must have seen something. I needed to talk to the driver.

But as I started to near it, the car drove away. I continued to run after it as it drove toward the busy four-way intersection by my house. I kept thinking for sure it's going to pull over now. It was pretty clear I wanted them to stop. As I was running, barefoot, in the middle of the intersection I saw a sheriff's vehicle stopped at the light. Yes! They would help me get this person to pull over.

I continued to run after the car and simultaneously waved my arms frantically at the sheriff figuring as soon as the lighted changed he would come to my aid.

Nope. Nothing. The officer just drove away. Did they not see me? Does the sight of a barefoot woman chasing a car on foot, waving her arms frantically while running in the middle of a busy intersection not warrant some notice? What, did I need to be bleeding from the head, too?

Needless to say, the car got away. I just couldn't keep up. I am no Roadrunner. I never got the vehicle license number, either. I just never got close enough. Also, I didn't have my glasses on. So, even though I filed a police report there is nothing the CHP can do. It's a drag.

Fortunately, the damage to my friend's trailer is pretty minor. We should be able to fix it ourselves. As for the other vehicle...well, their plastic bumper hit and bent solid steel. Let's just say the majority of the debris that was on ground did not come from the trailer.

But Dammit! I hate it when people don't Do The Right Thing. In fact, it upsets me more then anything else in the world - Injustices. And what's up with the sheriff not stopping? I was more upset about that then the fact that there was a "hit and run" right in front of my house and I was unable to do anything about it.

So I wrote a letter to the Marin County Sheriff's Department a few days later detailing the incident and expressing my frustrations at not being helped by the very people that are there specifically to serve my community. Side note: I live in an unincorporated part of Marin County so the Sheriff is my local Fuzz.

Well, yesterday a very nice officer from the Sheriff's Department called me in regards to my letter hoping to get more detailed information so that he could find out exactly who the officer was and why they did not help me. It felt so nice to be taken seriously. He was truly upset by the situation and determined to resolve it.

Now that's Justice.

Excitement of the Day:

Today I am taking over my first load of stuff to my new studio.

I wonder. How many thousands of bottle caps can I fit into 700 square feet of work space?