// April 29th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
I do a little pinhole photography. I need to do more, when I can make some time. Next up, final critiques and final grades. After that, restart work on my sculpture and, putting a proposal together on a 50K web site.
// April 28th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
I arrived at the park at 10:30 am not expecting to see anyone and, I didn’t see anyone wanting to see me about my project. I talked with the local naturalist about returning to do a walking tour and she liked the idea. I took more pics. I walked around the park a bit (there was another event taking place at the boathouse/park office where I was waiting). I walked back thru the boardwalk and see the Director of Parks & Rec. for Miami-Dade County. We introduce (although we’ve known each other since the late 80s) and talk about the art work and the installation AND the park itself. The Director used to visit this park when she was 8 yrs. old. Anyway, she liked what I had done and is encouraged that things went well. Then, she went off to one of the other of four parks and, I did another walk-thru and returned to the univ. to grade my students works. Pics later, okay. :-)
// April 28th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
I had a big phone argument with the woman organizing this exhibition. That it happened isn’t surprising. She has a large reputation for being difficult. And, you know, county employees are difficult to fire without a big fight so she has kept her job for a long time. She gets things done but, often takes credit for things that she did not do. Another part of her reputation. She claimed that the work could not be seen. Proof is above it can be seen, along with the guardrail from the boardwalk so that it’s evident the photo wasn’t taken out in the tidal area. Anyway, time to get dressed and out the door.
// April 24th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
As I may have previously mentioned, I have to reapply to have my contract renewed and, the deadline is Friday. Today I spent most of the day working on rewriting one page, Philosophy of Studio Art Practice and, sorting through images of student work to be sent in with my application. Good thing I started having some of them give me digital copies of their photos. I started filling out the online application, which I do not like one bit even though individual text documents can be uploaded. I guess it’s good in a way to remove a certain bit of styling but, it just doesn’t feel right, like there is something missing from the process. As long as I retain my job, that’s all I care about right now.
When students came into my office today asking for their negatives, I told ‘em to line up so I can do it all at once and not get each class mixed up. Did they? No. I told a couple that came late that I warned them two weeks ago to keep everything they need to reprint images because I might get pushed for time but, I wasn’t expecting the university to push a deadline on us (three people) right before finals.
Nothing is easy right now. I had the park exhibition with an unexpected deadline, application with unexpected deadline, and right after finals I have my Philadelphia project deadline to deal with. Have mercy. I do not believe working under pressure is the best way to get work done although, many make that pronouncement.
// April 23rd, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
One gauge of the health of our coastal waters is the number of ospreys. When I first moved to Florida (1976) the number of ospreys was way down. Pesticides had endangered them as well as a number of other species. Ospreys have come back strong and, it’s interesting how they don’t seem to mind living so close to us dangerous humans. I saw four different nests all within a few miles and an arms reach. The nests were probably 30 ft. off the ground at the most.
I was over on the Gulf Coast (Naples) over the weekend visiting a very good friend and his family that just recently moved there from Hollywood (FL). Naples seems to be a much larger retirement community than I remembered from the 80s. The growth there is unbelieveable.
// April 17th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
I did two raku firings today and, still didn’t finish my last two pieces. Maybe I can get them finished on Thursday? I’m not going to do it unsupervised! Lighting the kiln is enough to keep me in my place, a novice if there ever was one and, away from doing things I know next to nothing about. I did a different raku glaze this time, white crackle, that turned out kewl.
// April 14th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
The metallic glazed raku provoked comments but, the last image of a pit fired piece was uncommented. I continued work on pit firing, this time trying to get more of the effect I happened upon in my initial testing: smokey, crusty, rough, unfinished, fossilized, and flaking. Well, there’s no flaking but the other things I got. The piece above really took on the fossilized character and, I love this even better than the fancy metallic raku. I’m sure the popular consensus is for the metallic glazes that are slick, shiny, glossy, not the ash-covered, smokey, unrefined, fossil looking piece. Whatever…
More metallic raku is in the works also, some white crackle raku. Firings beginning Monday.
(4 ΒΌ in.=11cm – an approximimation)
// April 11th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
This closeup image was done last week of a low fire pit firing where the clay was smoked with horse hair. I’ll do more of this type of thing tomorrow although, I won’t use horse hair. I’ll reek of smoke in my clothing all day long and, I’m going to a lecture in the evening at Miami Art Museum (after class). Should be interesting…
// April 10th, 2007 // No Comments » // Blog
Okay, here’s today’s firing, my very first raku. I love raku and I love how these pieces came out. I have more to do but, not all of them will be raku. Some will just be pit fired for a smokey effect. I’m thinking about fossils now, like trilobytes.
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