DAY 50

I posted new collage 12x12 pieces on the other blog site www.12x12x100.blogspot.com as a way to celebrate the 50 day mark. And I've got photos of the St. Cloud exhibition where I have displayed the first of the 12x12 pieces, two rows of 12 of course.

See a slideshow of the exhibit on Flickr. The light in the gallery was low, and I didn't want to use flash on all the shots, so the photos are a bit grainy - sorry. But you get the idea.

Wrestlers

Day 50. Half way there. I wanted to do something big to mark the middle, the half way point.

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So I bit off more than I could chew. I was a good tourist on my first trip to Europe, and when in Rome, I purchased this widely reproduced souvenir sculpture of The Wrestlers.

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That would have been back in 1991? I was living in Athens, Ohio working for the Department of Residence Life so I had the summers off.

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That spring I had gone to a conference in San Francisco and met Ignazio who invited me to come and see him in Switzerland if I planned my trip to Europe. I thought - why not?

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We ended up traveling together staying with his friends part of the time with stops in Zurich, Basil, Paris, Leon, Rome, Venice, and Milan - 3 weeks in all. He speaks Swiss German, French, English and Italian so I had a built in translator.

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Italy is really HOT in August.

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If memory serves me properly, I purchased this souvenir on my way to the Sistine Chapel.

Wing Nut 049

RICARD 048

Everyone in my household is sick, hacking and coughing, so I attended the Coalition Gallery opening reception by myself tonight. The show, LINEAR THINKING, is really great.

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And I was greeted at the door with a check from a sale of a painting from my show.

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I decided to take myself out for a nice meal at a favorite restaurant, Le Bouchon.

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The seafood gratin was just right; rich and a bit creamy but not at all overpowering the seafood. And it was the perfect accompaniment for the main course, the halibut prepared with a very light and simple flavor with sauteed vegetables and wild rice. It was one of those dishes that has such subtle flavors - was it a light vinegar, lemon juice, or herb infused oil that made the entree sing? The Sauvignon Blanc was just the right choice to pair with it.

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So prior to all this, I was realizing that the day was slipping away and I had yet to do my drawing. On the way to the restaurant I was looking for a scrap of cardboard or paper to draw on. Luckily I still had a pencil in my coat pocket even though I had been warned about the dangers of carrying around a pencil in a pocket.

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When I sat down at the bar and was digging through my pockets, the bar tender asked if I needed a piece of paper. So I said, actually, what I would really like is a piece of cardboard like you find backing a note pad, or sketch pad. He instantly reached around and handed me a small piece of cardboard that must have been waiting for me to come in. Ask and you shall receive.

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He also generously let me position the small pitcher of picks, and added a story about it. Jean Claude Poilevey, the owner of the restaurant, brought it and other decor for the restaurant from his mother's country house in France.

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Thanks Mike!

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It was a beautiful evening - the wait staff and I chatted, I enjoyed flawless food, and I ended up with a wonderful drawing (I added the white high lights when I got home).

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Butter Knives 047

Three Pickle Forks 046

What could be better than a pickle fork?

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Three pickle forks!

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I am loving the forms, details, and just the objectness of these things.

Another Pickle Fork 045

This one reminds me of Poseidon's staff, the trident.

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Nona and I went to see The Lightening Thief and do NOT recommend seeing it. We didn't regret going because it had some entertainment value. The kids in the back row had loads of fun giggling, running up and down the stairs in the theater, and being shushed by someone. I couldn't blame them for being restless, and they were having a good time in spite of a lame movie, so more power to them.

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Now I'm going to have to eat more pickles just to get to use these new finds. They might end up in a collage too. We'll see.

Pickle Fork 044

These tiny yet ornate forks have such character.

Perfume Bottle 043

Ring 042

The well traveled ring, purchased as a souvenir of a trip to Italy, given as a gift in Cincinnati, then passed on to spend some time in St. Cloud.

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Where else will the ring go?

Fish Replica 041

I was staying with my friend Nona while setting up for the show at SCSU and so I had new objects to draw.

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She has a collection of fish that a friend carved from wood, added tin fins, and painted as exact replicas of all sorts of tropical fish.

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I had helped her hang them from the ceiling years ago in her apartment in Athens, Ohio so for me these beautiful objects carry that memory - and for Nona, memories of the friend who gave them and stories along the way.

Taking the Show on the Road

Although I have not posted my drawings for the last two days, I have been making them. I installed my artwork at the Atwood Gallery on St. Cloud State University's campus on Friday and I can NOT wait to get pictures of the 12x12's on the wall. I brought the first 24 of the collage pieces so that I could install 2 rows of 12 (get it, 12x12) of the 12x12's...
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I have a camera and took pictures of the drawings I've done but I don't have a quick and easy way to edit them and get them on the blog...so the whole world will have to wait. I know you have probably heard the reports about the world stopping its revolving.

Toothpick Holder 040

I've been using acrylic white paint to pull out high lights in my drawings and I've noticed that I'm using more and more paint with more and more variations of tone by adding more water or wiping off.

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It leads me to realize that I'm interested in painting more and I haven't been, so it will be coming soon.

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This, I believe is part of the salt and pepper shaker set I drew a few drawings ago - small and also made of aluminum or pewter, and also given to me by my mom, passed down from family members.

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The bottom is weighted so that it is less likely to be tipped over (like somebody's coffee cup).

Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, and some pawns 039

This really cool chess set has wood pieces that are fitted into chrome bases that are rounded. Each square of the board it concave to let the piece settle into it. When I moved the board to get it in the right position for drawing it, all the pieces rocked around, wobbled like weebles, but they didn't fall down.

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The added challenge was that I was in the lobby of the Blackstone Hotel and apparently they do a styling change in the evening and switch to low light, or no light as it felt at the moment the lights went down. They set out candles all through the lobby, but I was finding it a real challenge to even see my sketch.

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I was there to install an art show in the Art Hall at the Blackstone. It is an artist from NYC called Kaves, and it is part of a special event tomorrow night - Outlaw.

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The work looks great in the space and it should be a terrific event.

Corkscrew 038

Slide Show on Flickr

Click here for a SLIDESHOW

Keys 037

Jonagold 036

Muselet 035

Artichoke 034

Ross steamed artichokes tonight and as I was preparing to sit down and make my drawing for the day, I asked him what I should draw - so I drew for my dinner. I was able to relax and take my time with this drawing and really enjoyed it. The aroma from the steamed artichoke reminded me of my reward.

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Who ever heard of president's day being observed on a Friday, but I discovered that the university indeed wasn't open.

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Making such an abrupt change in plans was disorienting but fun as the day revealed itself.

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What Not To Wear was doing the Friday night marathon and that is always cathartic although, when will they bring on a male in need of a $5000 wardrobe make-over? Last semester one of my students said she liked my sweater and that the "grandpa-style" sweaters were really in right now. And I thought, sure, for the young kids it is hip to wear grandpa sweaters, but not the look I was going for.

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Then there were 52 puppies saved from a puppy mill and they are 52 little lives in need of intervention. ABC7 News Story with the details. And the South Suburban Humane Society is where the puppies are being helped.

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Every day it is important to look for surprises, things you couldn't have predicted, events that can fill your mind with wonder. It is an amazing life.

Wrench 033

I did this drawing while I was sitting my gallery hours at the Coalition Gallery today. I borrowed the wrench from the gallery tool box.

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I'm reading an awesome book "Callings - Finding and Following an Authentic Life" by Gregg Levoy. The part I read today was talking about the importance of mythology, and even thinking of our lives in terms of myth - the big picture, how our struggles are like the universal struggles of mythology, our triumphs much like the triumphs of mythology, and the cast of characters in our lives much like those that appear in the myths.

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It reminds me of other great teachings and techniques that frame our lives and experiences in a way that gives us perspective and purpose.

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And in terms of callings, I couldn't help but think of this project as a mini calling within the larger calling to be an artist and find an authentic life. This ritual of drawing something every day and fueling the creative process is in a small way connecting to and documenting something more.

Oil Can 032

I kept waiting to see if the school where I teach on Wednesdays was going to close today due to the big snow storm. They didn't so I went in expecting most students to stay home. I guess the roads weren't too bad except for those who live in the more rural areas.

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I had a small group and ended up having some great conversations about the creative process, brainstorming project ideas, and then just hanging out for a while.

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In the painting studio down the hall there are a number of still life objects for students to use as subject matter, so I browsed through it and found this oil can. It has a really nice copper color. I loved the raised letter logo "EAGLE" on it.

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More students brought in cardboard for me, that I was very excited about and a pencil wasn't hard to find. I managed to find a small paint brush and some white paint, so I was all set to make my drawing for the day.

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I like remembering the sound these cans make when they are being used. The ping that the metal makes as it flexes and gives, clicks and clacks. Not that I have used these that many times in my life, but there is still a strong association. I think they were pretty common in cartoons, and maybe the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz used one too.

Clothespin 031

I kept looking at the drawing and thinking it was too simple, although I usually like that.

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Suddenly the thought arose to shade in the shape at the bottom of the drawing.

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Once that was done, the upper part of the sketch needed something.

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I tried to vary the texture of the marks used to shade in the two areas.

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Where does this stuff come from?

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Paint Can Opener 030

I ran across this paint can opener in a drawer and it reminded me of the days when I had my own business doing custom paint finishes, murals and decorative painting.

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Today two of my students brought in cardboard from used up sketch books - the kind of cardboard I am using for my drawings - and I was so excited to get it!

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Between that and finding a HUGE supply of old LP's at a thrift store, AND getting another donation of books for my upcoming installation art piece, it was a gold star kind of day.

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Pablano Pepper 029

Ross made a really delicious dinner tonight, chicken in mole, and had a pepper left over. I think it is a Pablano. Dark green, glossy skin that is highly reflective.

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I was using a new cardboard surface and wasn't sure I liked it as well because it is a lot smoother. But after working with it for a while, it seems to serve the purpose. The white highlights don't stand out quite as much, but it still works.

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I wrote an article today reviewing a show we saw last week at the Elmhurst Art Museum. Three artists who are working in very different ways. I really liked each one for different reasons.

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I feel fortunate to know so many artists and be able to see such diverse work all the time. I feel inspired by how each person finds their own thing, their own voice, and it brings me back to the observation that whatever we engage with becomes engaging. To say it sometimes seems untrue - anything? But to practice it and to become engaged, really tuned into something is the key.

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I feel it when I'm drawing. The reflections in the skin of the pepper were so cool. I was sitting at the kitchen table and the TV was on so the blue light it emits was reflecting into the shadows and reflected highlights. The gradual curve of this pepper, its uniqueness and its individuality in this moment as it was on the table with the light hitting it a certain way and my position to it...trying to find the right proportion for the line as it recedes away in space - and watching how it relates to the edge of the paper.

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I did capture the characteristics of the pepper and at the same time I could see where I was way off and it was only an estimation, and therefor more interesting. I kept moving, getting up and down, the light changed, and it is alive. So the drawing becomes about the moment and less about the thing.

Pods 028

I can't remember what type of tree produces this type of seed pod. I love the form and don't feel like I really captured it quite right. Perhaps I'll try them again another day; I had spent so much time on this drawing I decided to go ahead and use it for my daily post.

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I spent more of my studio time today on the collages and as they dry I'll be posting them on 12x12x100

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I was listening to a really great radio program while I was working (This American Life) and the story was about the objects left behind in an abandoned house, the discovery and associations others made in trying to solve the mystery of what had happened to the original owners, and when some salvaged letters and memorabilia were given to long lost relatives years later the emotional weight that those objects carried.

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It reminded me of my own childhood and how all the kids of the neighborhood explored the woods near our house. Our imaginations developed stories and legends about the old abandoned car, the mill house barn by the river, and the rock cliffs.

Creamers 027

My mom gave me the larger one, but the two smaller personal size cream pitchers came from Amsterdam. The ZB or BZ logo is for one of the train lines there I think. Mari, Peter? Can you tell me. I looked on line and didn't see anything obvious.

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It was the Queen's Day city-wide flea market in 2007 and toward the latter part of the afternoon, everyone wants to go and put their orange clothes on and drink beer, so they abandon the leftover things that didn't sell right there on the street. There are piles of perfectly good stuff everywhere and then the garbage trucks come around and gather it all up. We were finding really cool stuff and it wasn't really like dumpster diving, although I'm not above that either. I had to limit myself to small items that would travel well. Thus, the cute little creamers.

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I would love to go back for Queen's Day again.

Sprouting Bulb 026

Sprouting blub of garlic, that is. In keeping with the Costco surplus theme, the bag of garlic has been around long enough that it is sprouting. And just like other bulbs, it represents spring, life, new beginnings and persistance.

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An artist friend Stephanie Dean is a fine art photographer who explores, among other things, Modern Groceries. Our cultural relationship with food in an age of modern agriculture has been detached, distant, and dysfunctional as we accept marketing gimmicks that push processed foods, hide toxic practices from view, and waste fuel and energy moving product all over the world.

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More about Stephanie Dean here.

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Where has this garlic been? Where did it come from? According to the package, Christopher Ranch in California, the garlic capitol of the WORLD -

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Michael Pollan's book The Botany of Desire talks about how plants have manipulated us into cultivating them, increasing their numbers, and insuring their survival on the planet. This head of garlic and its brethren, although being consumed, are being cultivated, cared for, and catapulted into a secure footing on this planet because of our desire for them.

Limes 025

As Costco shoppers we often have large amounts of certain things and at the moment we have a surplus of limes.

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Maybe I instinctually chose limes as the subject of today's drawing because they represent the celebratory beverages that limes go in, because today is day 25 - one fourth of the way to the goal and cause for celebration.

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Maybe it is because I also found out today that my work will be shown later this year at a prestigious location (more details soon) - a cause for celebration.

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Also today, I had the images shot of a favorite piece, Ask, Tell, Broken so that Giclee prints can be made of it. Since it was recently purchased and will be going to a private collection, and since it has always been a favorite piece every time I show it, having prints made of it made sense.

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I have a lot to celebrate in my life and most of all are the great people who are making it all such a fantastic ride - you know who you are, and I love you!

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Slice up some limes!

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Day 25

Here we are on day number 25. One fourth of the way to the 100 day mark. So far so good. Well, actually, so far real good in terms of creative energy.

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As I've mentioned previously, the drawings created in this project are going to be used in another way, combined with other materials, into collage pieces.

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I wanted the size to be uniform to allow for a connection between the pieces in the series so I am using old LP record album covers as the starting point. It is often good to have a starting point and something to react to, adjust, alter, and rearrange. Portions of the original cover design are allowed to remain while other parts are covered up. The new design is inteded to use the drawing as one element in the composition and to bring about a gestalt where the harmony of all the parts working together is greater than any one part would be on it's own.

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I am posting images of the collage pieces on a new blog called Twelve by Twelve by One Hundred click here or type in the url http://12x12x100.blogspot.com/



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As I began to imagine what it was going to be like to have 100 of the drawings, and then make them into collage pieces I began to realize that there would be, potentially 100 of the collages as well. This idea is very exciting. And it is also very exciting to imagine where, when, and how I can display them as a group.



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So check out the collage work and as always, post comments and feedback - I'd love to hear it.



Jeff

Candle 024

Salt and Pepper 023

This little salt and pepper set is something my mom gave me that belonged to a family member - Aunt Minnie, Grandma Sager? Help me out Aunt Nancy!

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They are metal, I guess aluminum or pewter. A personal size, only 2 inches high.

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I have them on a small display shelf in the kitchen near some paintings that my grandmother made. I get a sense of nostalgia from them that is comforting. Even though my memory of who they belonged to, and my memory of those now deceased relatives is foggy at best, I still like the idea that objects carry a meaning with them that can effect us.