This is a good opportunity to start getting back into posting on the blog. Since my semester away experience last summer, I have not posted anything so I'm going to make it a habit to at least jot down a few lines at least once a week. This is my last spring semester as a graduate student. I am hoping to finish strong, and do my very best in all that I put my hands and mind to. This semester is different where I am teaching a 3D Design class. We had our first critique this week on plaster linear forms. I really enjoy teaching and seeing their ideas being worked out. I am also auditing a seminar and video class while making work for my thesis exhibition later in the semester.

I have some really exciting news! I found out this week that I will be having a show at Tyler Junior College where I will set up some sculpture pieces. It's going to work out where I will have the spring break to install. I have entered into two other juried shows so hopefully those will work out as well.

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl! I can't wait to relax for the evening and see the game and the commercials. I love seeing the Super Bowl commercials!

Cadillac Ranch

On the way back from New Mexico, our family wanted to stop by and see the cars located out in a field right before Amarillo (Cadillac Ranch). We had seen them out there before, but had never actually stopped to see them up close. (This is a very popular site for passersby traveling down the road). There are a total of ten cars embedded halfway into the ground with the tails of the cars tilted at a diagonal angle. There are a lot of spray paint cans that people can use to write and color on the cars. Even though spray paint is a very thin layer, the buildup of paint on the cars was thick from all the coats. It was definitely worth going out to see the cars. It is totally unexpected coming across the cars while traveling hundreds of miles down the road because they are not advertised by billboard signs. If you ever go out that way past Amarillo, be on the lookout on the left side of the road!!

Santa Fe

Today we (family) went to Santa Fe. I went to the Center of Contemporary Arts, a couple of art galleries, and SITE Santa Fe-a contemporary art museum. At the CCA there were several interesting sculpture pieces used with non traditional materials. One was titled Hammered Heart where just the heads from hammers were used to make a heart shape. Another piece was made of rulers that were bent and formed into chain links. This was a neat piece. I was excited to go to SITE Santa Fe this time because I saw some very interesting work on their site. This was the third time I have been to this museum. Three artists exhibited their work--IT BLEW ME AWAY!! The museum floor is made of concrete and one artist, Ruben Ochoa, cut out blocks from the floor and constructed these incredible sculpture works with rebar all bent underneath holding up the concrete blocks. These towered above a person's height. I wish I could of taken pictures, but was not allowed to. You can see pictures on their website at: www.sitesantafe.org
Also, Brent Green had three video pieces and a huge installation work, which were terrific. The third artist was Klara Kristalova who showed stoneware works.
Santa Fe is a difficult city to drive in and locate buildings. The problem is that all the buildings and restaurants are made of adobe and they ALL look the same. They just have signs on the buildings and by the time you notice them, you have already passed them. The city is situated around mountains so it is nice scenery. Buildings are not tall at all in Santa Fe in contrast to New York-no comparison whatsoever!!

Flight back to DFW

Thursday August 6th I flew on American Airlines from Hartford, CT to DFW. The flight was at 6:15pm on eastern time, and I landed at DFW before 9:00pm central time. At the airport my girlfriend Patty picked me up. I was so happy to see her after being gone for a month and two days!! She drove me back to Commerce and had already fixed supper (delicious spaghetti). It was about 11:00pm when we got back to Commerce. I would like to mention the fact that Patty means so much to me-she cleaned my house spick and span and organized everything while I was away. Thank you very much Patty for all your time and efforts! Friday, I unpacked, washed clothes, and then repacked for our family vacation to Glorieta, New Mexico. We arrived today (Sunday) at Glorieta and just settled in. We are going to go to Santa Fe this week, and I am planning to go to Site Santa Fe (a contemporary art museum). Meanwhile, we are enjoying the mountain scenery and will soon be doing some of the fun activities offered in Glorieta. This is the perfect place for peace and quiet and for rejuvenation from the hot summer. More updates and pictures are soon to come!

Yale Summer Session Exhibition

Last night I went to the opening of the show Summer Session Exhibition. It was a good show with sculpture, photographs, drawings, and paintings. I put two of my pieces in the show. Today was the final day of class. We met in the Gallery to have critiques. After the critiques Michael showed us his video work on a screen. That went to about 5:30pm and so only an hour was left. Towards the end of class he gave us some paper and black paint to draw something on. I poured some paint onto the paper and started to let the drips run onto the paper in different directions. I was really pleased with the result, which only took about 30 seconds (see below). The experiences of going to NY and taking this sculpture class at Yale have been so incredible that I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. It has been the best time of my life seeing sights and meeting people from all over the globe. It's sad it has to come to an end in only five weeks. Tomorrow my flight back to DFW leaves at 6:15pm, and I land in Ft. Worth at 9:03pm. I will not be in Commerce very long as I will then be leaving Saturday morning to go to Glorietta, New Mexico as well as Santa Fe for a family trip for one week. I have traveled a lot this summer including Marfa, TX and seeing Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.

Healing

Today I went to the Yale Art Gallery and took some pictures of the two pieces that I installed yesterday. The staple piece (below) is in a cylindrical form packed solid with all the staples and pieces of metal removed from one utility pole. I think the title Healing is a very appropriate name to call it. The act of removing staples is in a way like "plucking staples out of our lives" that have hindered and nagged us for long periods of time. The staples removed were old, rusted, crooked, sharp, and darkened symbolic to bitter thoughts we won't let go or actions that are hurtful. During the process of pulling out the staples, I couldn't help but think about the cross, rugged and splintered just like the utility pole was. After the staples had been pulled out, tiny holes remained in the wood like little scars. Those staples served the purpose of only to attach thousands of flyers to that utility pole. And after the flyers were ripped away, the staples were considered dismissable and rejected forever embedded in the wood. Now in a gallery room setting in a sculptural form the thousands of staples can be "realized" and valued to a higher degree. After the removal of staples the process of healing begins.

Installation of sculptures

Today in class we primarily set up in the Yale Art Gallery for a show tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. Each of us set up some of the pieces we've made. I installed the Staple piece titled Staples from One Utility Pole. It sits on a pedestal, and I packed the staples into a cylinder shape. I'll take pictures of it tomorrow. I also installed the three clay forms onto a wall. At the beginning of class I recorded an audio of popping bubble wrap-this is part of the Lawrence Weiner assignment. One more class day-its gone by so fast!