The answer is always the same for the artist-Diversify

As an artist, I have been concerned for some time about the increasing abundance of images and designs due to the internet and spread of technology. I wonder what will happen to the value of individual works due to this reality of millions and perhaps billions of images and ideas available at anyone's fingertips, due to the internet. Things could go in many different directions, as is always true of guesses about the future.

As original, physical works of art are concerned, it could be that this accessibility could cause their continued devaluation. On the other hand it is also possible that after a time of adjustment, original art could rise in demand and value, as many of the creative and talented minds switch over to using their skills in a digital medium. I used to think of this as good news for myself, as I would stay working in the physical realm but the more I look into the virtual and tech worlds, the less motivation that I seem to have to make physical art. The capabilities for expression are already becoming too great for me to ignore. All the more reason to diversify and be prolific in my abilities, as should we all, both artist and "non-artists". The days of being one of the few that hold the secret knowledge of blacksmithing or anything else for that matter are almost over.

How I Heard About Second Life

        After having my annual art exhibit at the Epic Cafe and since none of my work sold, I decided to take a break from painting. It is difficult to maintain the same level of motivation to do something, year after year, when it fails to produce so little energy ($) in return. In other words, when the art fails to pay for its self, to the degree that the artist cannot afford paint, never mind rent, it cannot continue. Some people may have other income sources to support their artistic pursuits, such as family, a spouse, trust fund, etc. People with these privileges tend to have the perspective that art must be done whether it sells or not, or even that the selling of art somehow ruins it's creative aspect. However, I have had the experience that lack of resource and money has been a bigger drain on my creativity than anything else.

            About 4 or 5 moths ago I saw a "Frontline" on PBS called "Digital Nation"  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/   where there was a small segment on "Second Life"(SL). The show sparked my curiosity and it also mentioned that SL was free. I decided to try it out and I have been busy exploring that world ever since. Second Life has been a very eye opening experience. It has also proven to be a continuation of my journey as an artist and a thinking human. I am interested in the progress and evolution of our species. Second  has raised many questions for me and answered some of them as well. For a few years now, I have been interested in where the relationship we have with our technologies and where it is heading. I have been soaking up many documentaries, lectures and podcasts on the subjects of technology and become very interested in the ideas of Transhumanism.
THIS ENTRY IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

Indoor welding

Today I tried out welding and grinding in the studio. I cleared out the front half of the room and it worked out great. I finished up the fireplace cover, except for the patina.

Tonight, while working on my sewn shoe piece, I listed to some podcast of essays by Emerson. I love what he had to say about art. He was talking about how when an artist is working on a particular piece, in a particular medium, that is the only thing that seems to exist, worth doing for that time. I don't think that he was referring to the commonly talked about "being fully in the moment" focus that is said to be experienced by artist while they make their art. Instead, he was commenting on something more specific that I have noticed many times. When I am excited about welding the next, new table, I seem to lose interest in paintings and the other way around. I have found this with gardening (as he mentioned) and building my patio. Recently I was excited about a new style of painting but I quickly became consumed with my present sewing piece and the thought of taking a break to paint before it's done seems impossible. Luckily I'm almost done with the sewing piece and I'm pretty confident that my 2 large canvases, that are waiting, will have plenty of inspiration when I get back to them.

"Dinner Party" Oil on wood 17" x 19"

Sold to Kym Cutter, Oct. 2010 directly after completion.

This painting come about when I was listening to someone once gain tell me of all the ruthlessness that goes on in their family. I kept answering "JACKALS!!!". I was thinking about doing a painting on this, how people can be so vicious to each other as if fighting over meat. I like the stereo type of jackals, but I don't necessarily believe in projecting negative human traits onto animals. Besides, when I looked up jackals on google images, they had a sleek and graceful form that seemed to contradict the feeling that I wanted to paint. So I abandoned the jackal concept and just kept the feeling. This is what came out.

Yesterday I drove Bryan's truck to the junkyard and found the perfect piece of mining screen for the fire place project. I was so happy to see it, as I was really worried about the chances of them having the right one. It was a lot of fun. I had never actually been the one to drive on the welding errands and we stopped by Starbucks on the way. Also swung by Home Depot for a wire wheel and some spray paint. When I got home I cut up the mesh. It was clogged with gravel, which I would have left. It looked very cool and organic, but I know that the client wanted more of a minimal, sleek look, so I tapped each hole out with a hammer and a nail. It was quite an undertaking and took a few hours but after all-What's a few hours? Worked on the piece again today, but I felt worried about making noise because Bryan was sleeping and the neighbors were enjoying their Saturday back yard. I'm almost done with the piece and hope to finish it tomorrow. The noise is an issue that I would like to figure out. Maybe I can try to work inside. That could solve the whole thing. After all this is an art studio!

Tonight I watched "The Godfather" great movie.

Resources

I'm really excited and also really stressed out. I have a commission to do, but it seems to be more of a struggle than I would like. Here's how it started. While in the relationship and artistic collaboration with Christina, we made an amazing table. Then we put that table into the Epic Cafe, with my business cards on it. I got a phone call from a guy named Craig. He wanted me to do a bunch of metal work for him. So Christina and I met with him at his house to talk over his ideas and take measurements. Craig wanted a simple fireplace cover and a plain steel ladder made. He was also interested in having us make a custom steel and ceramic table for his back porch. We set up an appointment for him to come over to Christina's house and look at our work, as well as seeing examples of the furniture and tile. During the following week she and I broke up, so I assumed that the job was impossible to do, considering that she had all of the resources (metal, welding equipment, tile and transportation). So, I emailed Craig and cancelled the projects. He then replied, asking if there was any way that I could find another place to weld and move forward on the projects, even adding that he wasn't very interested in the tile portion of the work anyway. The reason that I had cancelled in the first place wasn't that I didn't think I could do the work, but rather that I assumed that my lack of resources would make it too complicated and that no one (like Craig) would want to hear about those complications and obstacles that I have. This is why I was so suprised and grateful for him being understanding and willing to work with me. So I made a frame for his fireplace cover and yesterday he came to pick it up to see how it looked in place. We talked again about other projects that his still wants me to do. I am really glad that I can drive now because recently the main problem has become "How can I go and get the materials to do this work?" Some times I get very overwhelmed and I feel as if my nervousness is noticable when I talk to him, but I just need to focus on doing the next step. It will all work out.

Privilege

Today I finished the painting that I am calling "Privilege". Oil on wood, 17" x 19". This painting was a lot of fun. I started out by painting the whole surface black. Then I started 'drawing' with white oil paint. Once I got my subject matter and characters laid out, I began adding the color. I'm always excited when I am able to bring my favorite aspects of drawing into one of my paintings. I think starting with the black underpainting, helps me to be able to draw with the paint. At a certain stage in the painting I switch my perspective over to looking at it as an actual painting. But it's good to start with seeing as a drawing.

Iron Street Memories

"Iron Street Memories" 23" x 27" mixed media. Completed on October 14th, 2010. This piece is made out of reclaimed materials and objects. For example the background material and white embroidered shapes came from taking apart a box spring mattress. It also has remnants of a previous oil painting on canvas that I cut up. I found several used ball caps in a free clothing box on the end of my street. I used the bills of the hats to add some 3 dimensionality to the piece. I cut plastic garbage bags into strips and braid them together to outline all the different shapes of the work. And then I sewed everything together with dental floss.

This piece is a visual expression of the small subculture I experienced in a specific place and time, when I was around 14, living on the streets in Bellingham, WA. A bunch of us kids stayed in an abandoned house on Iron Street. Rumor had it that the house had spent seven or so years with a continuous and revolving occupancy of transients, punk rockers and whoever happened to be passing through town. We called it the Iron Street Squat. A lot of us kids would pass the time drinking 40's of Old E, sewing patches onto our clothes with dental floss and practicing graffiti in sketch books and on the walls of the building.