Awake and Reasonably Alert

Hey, look at this! I can type sentences without falling face down into my keyboard...

Ah, the early evening blog. Though there are many more important things that should be getting my attention right about now.

It is cold, windy and snow-flurrying here on small ponderings mountain tonight, simply delightful weather. The woodstove is humming, sweaters are on, cats in place, and the dogs curled up. Bring it on. A good night to read and write.

In lieu of New Year's resolutions, I decided that for the first time I'd set some artistic goals. After all, I'm not getting any younger. Now to many this might not seem like big news but for the few that know me its huge. If you follow this blog at all, you know I'm wide ranging and scattered about media; I write, paint, draw, make mixed media pieces, dabble in sound and video, and of course work with clay. This thrashing about is more a product of interest instead of inattention. But the truth of it is that I am the type of person that can't be proficient at anything unless I do it every day. And we've established there just isn't time and/or energy to do EVERYTHING, much less do it well. So, this year, I will focus.

I will work on two specific projects this year.

The first will be predominently clay, but with a small ponderings twist. For several years I've been making variations of 2 specific forms in various sizes. I don't know why, I just like to do them. After my last firing I realized I am getting quite a few of them..I might be up to 20-25 pieces. These rarely sell, but I really like them. I only this winter realized the origin and why. I also finally understood what I need to do with them: I need to make more, I need to make them bigger and I need to show them all together. So that's what I'll do.








I"ll make a bunch more, with some varigation but maintaining the same idea. The total display will contain pieces ranging in size from about 10" to approximately 6'. Yes, 6 FEET. I will make and fire life sized forms. I've never worked on that scale, so it should be interesting. Now comes the twist: I'll build pedestals so everything gets shown between heart and eye level. The pedestals will be not be museum-like- they'll be made from found materials, preferrably quite weathered and worn: barn siding, rusted metal, old pallets, wire. This will require carpentry and welding/metal fabrication both of which I can and have done. The pieces will be shown on the pedestals in a space to be determined; I'm hoping to find an abandoned industrial space of some age, like an old mill, warehouse, barn, granary, storefront or whatever. I'll design and build active lighting (not like a gallery, but something that creates an effect of light and shadow) and will create a soundtrack which I'll install as a sonic sculpture in the space, all invisible. Finally, there will be some kind of invisible kinetic element that will help to bring the space alive. In short, I want to create a total environment that people can walk into and immerse themselves in.

All this will require a huge amount of work and I'll do all if it myself. I'm sure I won't make a dime, and will probably end up spending every spare nickle to get it together. I'd love to be able to put this show on around this time next year, but if it takes longer to pull it off, thats ok, as long as I am making forward progress. I'd rather do the showing somewhere out of my immediate vicinity- an urban setting might go over better. But of course time and money will dictate that. If its got to be at the old cotton mill down in the village, then that's where it will be. I hope to photo and video all along the line and keep you posted on the progress. And of course I'll invite any one of you that want to come for the grand opening.

But wait, theres more!

The second project (because the first one isn't near difficult or expensive enough) is the first Small Ponderings Documentary Production. You know all my silly little movies and sound pieces I've put up? Well, ultimately there was a point, I was learning how to use my meager equipment in hopes to put together a for-real documentary. Last night I got the call, and it is going to happen. I will be doing a documentary piece on Joe Hollis and his Mountain Gardens, where he works and applies his philosophy of Paradise Gardening. This is Joe's life work, and I am thrilled that he has agreed to let me be a part of it for the next year. I plan to film the gardens and working processes for each season, as well as do in depth interviews with Joe on his philosophy and the evolution of the project over the past 25+ years. My goal is to have the production finished, edited, and compiled as a dvd movie by this time next year. If it doesn't suck too bad (assuming I don't fail completely) Joe will have copies to sell on his website, and will show it as part of his lecture series in his travels around the country. I might try to enter it in some small local film festivals. I've already started on this project so I can get all 4 seasons in this year. Again, I'll do everything myself, writing, video, sound, editing, and dvd production (don't you just LOVE digital freedom???) If time and energy allow, I'll put shorts on the web for viewing.

Either of these projects could easily take up all my waking hours to do well. So, just for the challenge, I'll be working on these and keeping to my day job. So if anyone has any idea of how to squeeze more hours into a day, let me know.

Now, if you're still reading and not bored to death I want to thank you. But I also want to solicit your help. These are demanding tasks I've set before myself. There's times when I'll want to bag it. But I think talking about these projects here gets them out of my head and out into the world. It's the first step to their realization. So feel free to ask about their progress, question my effort, or when I put up samples of work in progress, comment on the results. It'll keep me honest, and keep me focused. A little encouragement goes a long way in stuff like this.

So that's all the news that isn't from here on the hill. The rest of the evening will be spent reading tech docs to determine if you can in fact go from recorded mini disk straight to mac via usb, or if you have to record the MD live time via output.

This is my life: random acts of seemingly pointless activity.

Have a great evening, laugh as much as possible, and believe in the power of love.