Crunch Time

This picture of Linds sums up our current mind frame: stressing, trying not to get sick, and making the most out of studio time.

And there's this other thing we've got called art history, seminar, and the classes we teacher assist.  I've been here a month and I still have to remind myself what time those classes meet.

The cardboard installation piece turned out to be a bust.  We had our first open studio and I presented that work.  I didn't get negative responses, I didn't get many responses at all which I took as negative, but from hearing myself talk about it, I knew I was done with it.  Done as in, I put that out there, I'm not in to it, moving on.  The painter Dana Saulnier was a guest speaker at the gallery here a couple weeks ago.  One thing he said that struck a chord was, "You know when something is working or not.  It's if shit, you know it and you say, 'I did it, it's out of me now and I can move forward and work on something different.'"

I knew coming here and having absolute freedom to create whatever I wanted would be a challenge.  You'd probably think differently but sculpture is so open that it's overwhelming.  We aren't painters, already supplied with paint, brushes, and canvas.  Anything can be our canvas.  Where do you even begin?  

I was encouraged to step outside of my comfort zone with metal and go in new directions.  This has scared me to death, so much so that I'm not producing nearly as much work as I should.  And not only that, I'm surrounded by other artists.  I see what they're doing and feel intimidated by the amount of creativity pumping through this place.  My destructive fear has become my closest friend.  Even though there's really no room for that in creativity.

Midterms are about two weeks away.  My plans are to make two to three pieces.  One being a hanging quilt made out of pine needles that connects to a baby blanket at the bottom, which would fall to the floor.  The other piece may be made out of clay, wax, or fabric.  Or maybe all three.  Variations and trials are good.  The good thing is that nothing has to be completely finished by then.  That should be comforting but it's not!

We are strongly encouraged to keep up with other artists, especially contemporary work.  This is a good thing to do as it probably helps when you discuss your own work.  However, it ends up being on the bottom of my to do list.  And maybe that's why I'm still struggling with how I talk about my work.  I definitely feel like I'm the weakest in the bunch as far as that goes, and as far as theoretical knowledge.  I don't bring a lot to the table.  But I do listen.  That's my strong suite I think.  And I have a couch in my studio that people sit on.  I provide that as well.

Out and about

Rock climbing with Hil

Cake eating and Cedar swimming in GA for mamas 50th birthday

The grad class. Slowly taking over Clemson.

Cursing cardboard.

Jay Z Picasso Baby

 

Joyful Solitude

-There's a paper due tomorrow, thus, the blog-a-thon.-

 

 

Tif reads the book above to May. It's cute, you should check it out.

 

In art seminar class last week we had to have five photos that represent who we are.  Naturally one of mine was of my boots.  They sort of became a thing while at Lander.  I'm pretty sure everyone there thought I may have been a little butchy but so be it.  They are great boots and I got them on sale.  And they've saved my toes from small welding flames on numerous occasions.

They got extra use on Saturday when I took Cedar to Table Rock.  I figured we better go now before the semester hits full force.  It was his first time hiking and he did a great job.  He previously got neutered on Tuesday and he was supposed to lie low for a week. But they obviously don't know Cedar.  He is energetic and resilient. So off we went.

 

The weather was nice and it wasn't overly crowded.  We did pinnacle trail and didn't see a soul for a good hour (we did however see a bear off in the distance, that cut our hike real quick).  The fog was heavy that morning so we didn't get to clearly see the beautiful view of the skyline.  But there wasn't a lacking of all the other wonder.

Humans.  We have the best of intentions but we just don't get it do we?

Dumpster Diving

The thing about the MFA program at Clemson- from what I can tell so far- is trial and error.  They are very interested in grads trying new things, especially materials.  Since I've done a fair amount of metal work, I feel pretty comfortable in that.  But as a second year mfa student told me last week, the motto for the program is "embrace the uncomfortable".

 And since sometimes the pictures go in the order that I want and sometimes they don't, I'll just have to make do with what they're doing right now:

Cardboard is the material of choice right now. Roger Wohlford would be so proud.  I'm a teacher assistant for a 3D foundations class that uses a lot of cardboard.  Last week the students and I (mostly I because that's what t.a's do...whatever the professor doesn't want to do), broke the previous class's big cardboard sculptures down and walked them to the dump.  At this point I didn't realize cardboard and I would soon be forming a unique relationship.  So a few days later, when I reach that understanding, I go dumpster diving for leftovers.  Cardboard leftovers, not food. Although there were some spaghetti noodles in there. 

The picture above is what's happening in my studio. Oh I need to post a picture of the studio! These cardboard boxes have sort of become symbolic over the last couple of years.  Now they're dancing all over the studio, interrupting mine and my studio roommate's space.  I'm not sure where this is headed but since the theory around here is to "just get started, you'll figure it out that way," we will see where it goes.

 

 

This is where I was surviving while staying with Tif in Gville. That's a crib.  She's having another little girl in about two months.  But I guess you figured that out by all the pink stuff.  Getting to her house every night and seeing that bed before going to sleep really put some thoughts in to my head.

 

This "crib" by a sculptor named Robert Gober is just fantastic.  It's been another source of inspiration.  So simple yet there's so much going on there.  Sometimes I think the overthinking kills it.  Simplicity in life is a great thing, simplicity in sculpture is a much harder thing.

Step Up Weeks 2 and 3

Welcome to grad school: there are not enough hours in the day.

The last couple weeks of small group were a little disappointing.  And by that I do not mean because of the people-the people are great (we had Cook Out and pancakes- woot woot!).  I wasn't very inspired by the clips we watch because it seemed like they didn't directly relate to the handbook we follow.  The handbook is more about ourselves-which I understood Next Step to be about- while the clips seem to be more about the church.  Not to knock it, but I find myself zoning out when listening to it. 

In a way, sadly, it's creating an opposite affect for me.  I find myself having a harder time listening and engaging because the sermon from the recent clips sound more like a "Welcome to our church, here are some stats" kind of thing.  I know the stats, I know the church.  But I'm still wondering what God wants my next step to be.  That's the whole point really.  Maybe I'm not seeing it yet.  Maybe all those numbers will involve me in some way and maybe that's through service. 

I hate to say this, but I'm struggling that the church I love is a megachurch.  Because lately, it feels like a megachurch. And maybe it's not them, maybe it's a weird thing with me right now.  I often hear that the devil loves to get us distracted.  Maybe I'm distracted.

Hm.