Way back machine-2008

Self portrait in my studio-2008

It’s interesting to look back at images of older work that I may have forgotten about and seeing the precedents for some of the things that I’m doing now. I usually have two, maybe three different on-going projects happening at once. Some get started one year and I’ll pick up on those themes again sometime down the road. Other things get more regular attention, and still more I drop altogether.

It’s all changing all of the time. It isn’t a “there” that I’m after, it would be no point in my making art if there was. Largely, it’s the experience, and trying to make some kind of sense of that experience visually. By experience, I mean the journeys involved in making art, the concurrent concerns of life and the questions raised by all of it.

Life + art=why(?) + what if(?)

Second Skin

Second Skin

Self-left 8.16.10

"Self-left (8.16.10)"
One of a few new self-portraits that I've taken lately.

Studio break: 6.23.10

Taking a much-needed break. There are times in the studio where I'll work and suddenly realize that I've completely zoned out while studying a painting in progress because I've forgotten to eat for a long period. The watermelon was all that was left of the food I had, but with the heat of the day, the most welcome.

where's my clone?

58/366: three of me

I managed to split myself into three today for this shot. You wouldn't believe how much I was able to get done in the studio.

Took a bunch of shots in the studio today, three of which were the inspiration for this image. It didn't start off like this, but after looking at the poses, I thought that they belonged together in one shot. I was excited about the prospect of multiple images but my 'shop skills are pretty minimal. So, when I got home, I immediately enlisted the superior photoshopping skills of my wife.

I also shot some video footage of me going from one pose to the other. I haven't done any video stuff in a long time. When I did, I was just starting to learn. I'm going to play around with it and see what I can come up with.

moving forward

22/366: new resident

Not art-related, but big news, anyway.

Yesterday, my wife, Eva, became a resident of the U.S.

Yesterday morning we went to our interview at the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) office. It had to be the most intense 40 minutes we've ever had together. Intense as in scary; our future in the near term was in the hands of this one person. If there was one thing he didn't like or thought was questionable about the validity of our relationship and marriage, she might have had to leave for a time. Luckily, our paperwork was in order and our answers to his questions consistent.

When the words, "As of today, you are a resident of the United States" came out of his mouth, referring to Eva, a weight the size of the Titanic was lifted from our shoulders. We walked away hysterically numb but elated.