Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Up up and away!

It seems to me, that the cosmos is finally urging me to make my own way in life. In everything I do, there's this underlying necessity to do it my way, my pace, my speed, in my time. The time is now, the speed is whatever I choose. There's a feeling of freedom in all of it, but there's also a feeling of sadness. The road, if I make it my own, will be lonely and rough, but fulfilling. I'm starting to realize that no matter what I do in life, it has to be alone. All of my decisions and life goals involve long periods of solitude and independence. And that is just so I can fulfill my goals.

Some examples include, the bus/traveling, being an artist, owning my own business, curing my disease. All of these things are extremely personal, extremely one-sided journeys. All of these things are goals that I need to achieve for myself, all by myself.

I could go so far as to say that no one gets it and no one understands, so how could they help me... But that would make me bitter and resentful. And I'm not. All I feel is the calm that comes with the resolve that I'm in it for the long haul and that I must perservier, on my own, and make my own quiet victories within myself. I stare destiny in the face and I know what I have to do.

I look at my life and I know that I am ready to take the next step forward. On to a new place, a new way of life and new friends. And it will be so much easier to be who I have to be without the history so deeply ingrained in where I live now. I'll move on and no one will know anything about me except my present self. It makes me happy to think about how easy it will be to be myself around these new (or old and just out of touch) people that I'll be around.

New me, new place, new perspective; and then new love and new life.

In lieu of all of this, I will begin looking for jobs in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco in December. I'll state my availability for April at the earliest (giving myself time to wrap up the show which will end the last day of Feb.), unless I get a freakishly good offer for a full-time with benefits. I'll continue to downsize myself for the impending move and I'll take it all as it comes. And keep aware that it is, in fact, coming soon.

The art update is as follows... I've contracted some kind of creeping crud plague cold sickness thing. So the work has become slow. I have the skirt for my costume done, and I've done an uncolored sketch of Deva. I've also mapped out 3 stencils going on 4 (or 5 if you want to separate colors). I think the stickers are completely bunk at this point, I just can't afford them. Perhaps a simplified version would be cheaper. The costume is about a week from being finished, and I only have a couple of days... We'll see what happens...

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Theotokos and Bodhisattva

Here are the final sketches for 2 tentative oil paintings. They'll be featured in the February show, tentatively titled MythoLogic.

Here's Theotokos:


and Bodhisattva:


Two more pieces will complete the series, Deva and Prophet.

I'm also working on my sister's new brand identity for RePiet Massage and The Elementals (4 oil paintings on wood panel, one for each of the 4 Greek elements) for my Dad's birthday, which will be displayed in my room/the guestroom. My sister will also be receiving 4 angels for Christmas. And my costume isn't done yet... And then there's all the other stuff for the show.

Speaking of which, cheap vinyl window stickers. Do they exist?

Work work work!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Bird Shaman

I've started work on my Halloween costume. It was conceptualized last year and totally dropped for lack of time and energy. It involves lots of leather and will look something like this rough sketch...The mask will be the most challenging part. I can sew for the most part, but I've never made a mask before. I'll credit my friend Megan for the technique I'll be using; I'll make a wire frame and sew leather directly onto the wire. I'm going for carrion crow. They keep making appearances in my life, leaving feathers, dropping bits of lemon rind at my feet, stuff like that.

Both Megan and Marchelo get credit for inspiring this piece. Chelo made something similar, a sort of white shaman with a staff and skull mask, but his had a cloven creature's head. And Megan is adept at making masks, I think she made his (don't quote me on that).

There's a lot on my plate now, I have 5 or so small pieces to get done by November, and 10 or so more to get done by February. These involve lots of paint and sticker printing and all manner of time consuming things. But, at least I'm making art again.

By the way, there's a show in February that I'll be having with my two room mates. I'll post more information once I have it officially set in whatever stone it needs to be set in.

On to blueberry muffins!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Overture

I suppose a statement of intent would be a fitting introduction to this blogging venture. The purpose of this pinprick point in cyberspace is to record my adventures as an artist, vivid dreams, significant life events, and, quite possibly, spontaneous outbursts of poetic prose.

I graduated the University of Arizona with a degree in Fine Arts in May of 2008. This is supposed to designate me among the professionals in my field. However, now that I'm free of my undergraduate fetters, I have more questions and quanderies than I ever had as a student. Life outside my little corner of campus isn't hard, but it is much more organic in it's trailblazing. Thereby making it unpredictable.

The title of this blog came about on a camping trip to Arcosanti, AZ. During my stay there in June, I discovered that there were things at night that, combined with the quiet of the desert, created a cacophonous symphony of rustlings, buzzings and chirps. I'd always known the music was there, but I'd never experienced it as profoundly as I did at that particular moment. And it is unique to the night.

Speaking of night, there's very little of it left now. And I am not a night-chirper. Good morning.