Archive for July, 2009
An Artist’s Dilemma: So Many Choices…
like a kid in a candy store... so... many... pencils
The photo above represents a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately, “how much is too much?”
For me, though the seemingly infinite choice of pencils above is ponderous, the real question comes only days before departing for my very first artist residency and a proposed work of staggering proportions.
Let me backup a little: an integral part of maintaining one’s balance sheet as an artist comes in the form of grants, or rather, the pursuit of grants, because any artist who has tried can tell you: there are far, far more artists than there are grants to be won. And so we must look beyond the dream grants, those that simply hand the artist funds and say “do whatever you want!”. We must look towards those that offer the artist something less tangible than cold, hard cash: we must look at the residencies. Residencies come in many shapes and sizes, but the one I’m attending offers the artist a room to sleep in and a studio to work in, all whilst surrounded by thankfully few distractions.
The work that I referred to above, and which I hope to start and complete by the time my residency expires is to be a 6ft by 6ft, deeply detailed illustration. I’m nervous: and not because it’s a big drawing, but because I intend to use the same level of detail throughout as I would on a drawing 1ft by 1ft. Forget about needing a new eraser when I’m done: I might need new eyes!
So as I prepare to dive in, I ask myself again, “how much is too much?”
I suspect I’ll be able to tell you in about a month – one way or the other.
Paris: Have Artist, Will Travel
click to enlarge images
Ahhh… they say travel is good for the soul and I would tend to agree. On the other hand, I know from personal experience that travel is good for the creative part of one’s self, and that is the reason I find myself sitting in a miniscule 6th floor apartment looking out over the Paris rooftops.
After a daunting 3 plus hour delay and a grueling overnight flight we touched down at Charles De Gaul Airport in the suburb of Paris known as Roissy. From there we made our way into the city proper with only a few minor hiccups.
As we emerged from the metro at the St Paul stop, the marvel of Google Map’s new street view option exploded in my head: I had been staring at a 360 degree panorama of this street corner for months. Needless to say, I felt confident as to where I was going.
Upon entering the appropriate building we encountered Maria, a small and seemingly frail elderly woman who showed us through an inner garden to our apartment, escorting us into the tiniest elevator I had ever experienced (two would need to ride face to face as there was really no room for turning around). It was with great joy that we inspected the apartment, and even greater satisfaction when we threw the windows wide: pure Paris!
I can feel the creative juices percolating within.
Methuselah’s Plate: Homemade Pizza
pizza pre-flight
I like to cook. I like to eat. This is a good combination.
Homemade pizza is an incredibly simple dish that never ceases to please the crowds.
With just a few “specialized” implements you can really take your game up a few notches. I’m thinking: rolling pin, granite counters, and a pizza wheel, which unto themselves aren’t all that specialized as they can be used for any number of other kitchen adventures.
A pizza stone and peel are, however, an all-together different story: if you’ve been in a pizza parlor then you’ve seen a peel, and the stone is just what it sounds like: a round, flat ceramic stone on which you cook the pizza (think crusty bottoms). The peel is the giant wooden or metal spatula that your local dough-thrower uses to retrieve that crispy pie from the ovens.
Living in New York City has many benefits and drawbacks, but one of the benefits for someone that likes to cook is the proximity to inexpensive restaurant supply stores open to the public. You can pop in and purchase a bewildering variety of no-frill, pro-quality cookware: pizza peel included for $12.99.
The real challenge is not GETTING the pizza peel, it’s USING the peel. Words of wisdom from a man who has seen pizza fall on the floor: use lots of corn meal and dress your pizza after you place the naked dough on the peel. Trust me.
In the image above we’ve made a traditional pie, as well as a sausage, basil, and red onion pizza: me… I like the meat.
VIDEO: Carnivora – Stained Glass Sculpture
Over the last several months, as money has been raised, as objects have been designed and lyrics written, as jewelry has taken shape and residencies secured, the train keeps a rollin’: Carnivora style.
Though the project has often been about management as much as the creation of art, the single greatest pleasure for me has been seeing items come to life: springing from my mind to the page and on into the real world.
Below you will find a short video showing the application of some of the finishing touches as one of many pieces comes to life: in this case, a stained glass sculpture.