On our way to VSC- Day 1

We decided that instead of flying directly to the Vermont Studio Center, we would take a couple of days and to a New England road trip. 

Day one: we landed in Philadelphia and headed to my brother and wonderful sister in law's house. The above photo is a close up of one of their two hairless dogs. 

Packing for the Vermont Studio Center

Packing. How do you decide what to take to a place you have never been? This reminds me so much of packing for my first summer camp. I was about 8 years old, and I was both excited and scared. What to take? What if I forget to pack that one thing that is totally necessary for this experience to work, like underwear?

Well, I've done lots of research, and I have also had the luxury of talking to some local artists that have been to VSC; Sally Warren and Billy Hassell. They both said it was a totally wonderful experience on all levels. 

5 X 7 Arthouse fundraiser 2009

The 5 X 7 Arthouse fundraiser is happening in Austin this Friday. These are the two works that I put in this year. They are my usual organic shapes that have been camouflaged with a gritty umber texture and then cast into a pail blue cube. The image becomes visible only when the object is tilted towards the light. It's a nice work but it's probably not eye catching enough to stand out in the 5X7 arena.

There is a big group of Dallas people going down for the event. Unfortunately I am staying here because all of my travel bucks are tied up in going to the Vermont Studio Center next month.

More On Hall of Fame

Here is another entry for the More On Hall of Fame. This is a close up photo of the back leg join from a very hansom oak arm chair, circa 1890.

This leg join  has three kinds of glue on it, dried stripper, Four split wood dowels, four 3" long nails and five 3" long brads.

Here is the probable story of this chair.

It was originally constructed using wood dowels and animal skin glue. Over time the glue started to let go, this caused the chair to squeak when someone sat in it. To "fix" the squeaking, someone squeezed more glue into the loose joins, this acted like a wedge that helped to spread the joins further apart. Then someone added a few 3" large nails, which they pounded directly into the solid wood. This split the wood and caused more glue joins to fail.  Later someone submerged the chair into a strip tank. This removed the painted finish that someone had applied to the chair and also filled the all the joins with paint stripper.  With all the joins now loose the person refinishing the chair shot every join with enough 3" long brads to kill the squeaking. 

All this chair ever needed was to be simply dismantled, cleaned, and then reconstructed with animal skin glue. Basically, a day at the spa.

 

Vermont Studio Center, Making the decision

When I applied to the Vermont Studio Center way back in June of 2008, the economy and my life style were a bit different.

When I was granted a partial grant to attend VSC, it kind of threw me for a loop. I knew I would go to VSC if I received a full grant to attend, and that I would apply to some other residency if I didn't get a grant. But it never occurred to me that I might receive only a partial grant, or that our family income this year would be cut by half.

So for the last few months I have been walking the fence. Should I go, or should I put off doing an artist residency for yet another year?

Well, the VSC deadline for the deposit is next week. I have been filling up pages with pros and cons, and having long talks with friends about the extended finical hardships that this month in the woods would create.

Then a patron of the arts, who will remain anonymous, made a generous donation to the Send BFS to VSC fund. So now the issue finances have been reduced to a less head pounding red beacon, and I can now focus on the art related merits of this a enterprise.

What do I want to accomplish with this opportunity? Well that answer is in the pages and pages of notes I have been generating for the last few months. Hopefully VSC will be just the place to flesh out some of those ideas.

Speaking at the Texas Library Association Conference

I've been practicing on my portion for the presentation "You have a What? Preservation of the Unusual Objects in Your Collection." 

This is one of the programs for the Texas Library Association 2009 Conference. I am presenting with Carol Roark who is the Archivist at the Dallas Public Library.  The program is being hosted by Michelle Mears who is the Archivist at UNT.

I am speaking about the importance of knowing what your items are made from and on the effects of slow damage. That's a lot of info to cover in just 20 minutes. So lots of slides and quick talking. 

There are some slides posted on my web site as well as a list of resources.

Just Below the Skin comes to a close

Just below the Skin closes today. I'll start dismantling the installation and filling all those tiny nail holes on tuesday. The opening had a great turnout with Steve having to flick the lights at 9:30 to get people to leave. 

I am hoping that I will get another chance soon to install Just BElow the Skin in other locations. Because of the way this project is made, it would be a new experience in each new location.