Whats going on in the studio???

 Well... Not a lot, but I have a few projects I'm working on. 

  I'm beginning this journey back into the studio by making familiar items such as the butter dish and "mini senior show". 

  First... My love for butter has driven this two year

obsession for the dinosaurs butter dish you see here.  Those of you that know my family might find it amusing since I live with a dinosaur.   This one is for Bill and Ani, but I think my T.A. from haystack is going to get the next one to replace the first one I made. (it is not too pretty) 

  I started making cups last winter break when

I was considering scrapping the sculpture/installation shit to throw pots for my senior show.....  That dream suffered an untimely death.  Sadly so did these cups.  Only one made it from this litter, but I'm having a lot more luck with the second round. 

   Just to recap butter dishes and cups.....

  And finally "mini senior show"x 30. . . . .

This is number one of 30.  There will be 30 "mini senior shows" when I'm done.  My plan is to etch something on all 30 of them but, (thinking, thinking, hmmmm) I still don't know.  Wow 30 is a pretty big commitment I don't know if I'm going to make it... I'll keep you up to date on the progression of 30 "mini senior shows". 

  I'm also doing some promotional work for the Wellsville Ceative Art Center in exchange for studio space.  I actually thought I was going to be leaving the studio this month, but now it looks like I'm going to stick around for a bit.  :O) 

   I feel like there is more to say...........

Monday Night

By far tonight was the coldest of the season. A Whopping -9 degrees afflicted the streets of Alfred. I dreaded leaving the warmth of my apartment and the company of my pup for the desolate cold bar that was awaiting me two minutes away. I arrived a few minutes early surprising my fellow barkeep and myself. My expectations had not left me disappointed, the bar was cold and dead, but with a much needed hug from Mike, the bartender I was releasing, it made coming to work on a night like this a bit more bearable.

On this night there wasn’t going to be the thankful visit from Dionne or the amusing entertainment from the group of guys that came to play pool. School was done for the semester and friends had moved on or gone home for break. The next five hours would be spent on a barstool clinging to the company of a space heater. The events of the weekend had left me in a funk and unfortunately there would be little distraction from my thoughts.

I began to settle in to my shift when I saw a book that Jade had undoubtedly left from her shift the night before where she was perched on the same barstool clinging to the same space heater. About a month ago, in my attempt to keep my mind from resembling the atmosphere of this bar, I had vowed that I was going to start reading.  Dionne had given me the Kite Runner the week before and I had finished it in two days. The part of me that wanted to escape reality couldn’t wait for the next book.  So instead of facebook stalking or searching for the boots I’ll never buy I close my laptop and pick up Fast Food Nation and begin to read. Not exactly the novel I was expecting, but nonetheless a vessel to fuel my mind.

My studio!!!!!!!

   So I decided the only way I was going to make it through the Alfred winter was to find a studio and here it is.  I'm renting a space at the Wellsville Creative Art Center.   It is about 20 minutes from Alfred, but it is a great space at a pretty great price.  The hours are funny, but I'm hoping once I get a decent amount of work out I can talk the guy into letting me have 24 hour access. ???  It doesn't look like much now, but once I start filling those shelves I'll post another picture!  :O)

Professional Five Year Plan

After Reading my friend Dionne's blog entry about our 5 year plan I realized that my first entry ever was somewhat inadequate.  :O)

In the last few months I have become increasingly thankful for my friend Dionne and all of my friends that put up with me.  Her positive attitude and ability to be gracefully blunt has helped me keep my sanity in an environment that sometimes seems impossible.  I have a bad habit on dwelling on how bad life can suck and then I start to feel guilty that I'm not more appreciative of the life I have.  One of those days Dionne was there to guide my outlook on life to a more positive place.  This is when we created our five year plan together.  It helps to look at this every once and awhile and realize that I have so much to look forward too.  Life might be a little hard right now, but one day it will all be in the past and my future will always be there.

• Apply for in the Public Realm Grant

• Leave Alfred

• Travel Out of this Country (Canada doesn't count)

• Be in or Have Finished Grad School

• Attend at Least Two Residencies

• Obtain Teaching Experience

• Participate in at Least Three Group Shows a Year

• Two Solo Shows in Five Years

• Have Work Published in Magazine or Book

• Have At least a Quarter of My Income Come From My Work

• Participate in Community Outreach Programs

• Gain Arts Administration Experience

• Apply and Hopefully Obtain Artist Grants.

• Dionne Made Me do This.  -Thank You