Instagram Round-up: Tucson

A few photo friends and I decided to meet in Tucson a couple weeks ago to talk shop, pick each other's brains, share new work, meet up with our photo mentor, and attend photographer Masao Yamamoto's lecture and exhibition opening at the Etherton Gallery. (And also do whatever else we felt like doing.) We created our own conference, and are already thinking about next year's plans to meet up again (all photo friends are invited!)  It was truly an inspiring week. Here is my short collection of Instagram images from the trip:

Our Lady of the Pinecones.  This little backyard shrine was tucked into an alcove at our Airbnb. She wound up meaning a lot to me, coming to represent the guardian of all the new ideas and plans for my art projects that surfaced during this trip. I don't have to worry about a thing, because Our Lady's got my back. 

This little guy was the first thing I noticed when I walked into the living room of our Airbnb.  He is the CUTEST.  

Backyard greenery.  I loved this.  It took us forever to figure out that the building behind this planter was a garage.  We thought it was the host's house because it looked too pretty to be a garage, so we were extra quiet and didn't walk around the yard.  The house manual kept mentioning a garage though, and finally we went looking for it, only to discover that it was staring right at us the entire time.  Lol!

Swan's house.  Four years ago I took a photograph of this tree.  I thought I should take one this time too.  I loved spending the morning on Swan's back porch, soaking up all I learned during my photo consult and waiting for Elizabeth to finish hers.  (While eating delicious, fresh-out-of-the-oven vanilla poppyseed pound cake.) (And helping Catherine un-stick a cholla from her finger.  Those things are crazy!)

Prickly Pear cactus, photographed on the drive up to Phoenix.  We chose to go the long way that wasn't a highway, so that we could stop if we saw something interesting.  There wasn't all that much time in between leaving Tucson sprawl and entering Phoenix sprawl.  But oh well.

We visited the Phoenix Art Museum, and got through it in a bit of a hurry as we were going to meet another friend of mine for lunch.  Even in a hurry, though, there is always something that makes you stop and really look.  I loved this sculpture by Tanoue Shinya. It reminds me of waves on a deserted island that's the texture of maple tree helicopter seeds.

I'm always drawn to big installation pieces, even if I don't understand what they're necessarily about. Things hanging from the ceiling, something that takes up an entire room, maybe video and sound and three-dimensional objects all combined into an experience.  This one was very straightforward and so beautiful: Mass (Colder Darker Matter) by Cornelia Parker. These were the charred remains of a church that was struck by lightning.  It even looks like it's in the middle of exploding. Mass. Science and religion in the same word.

The Lisa Sette Gallery.  After lunch in Phoenix, we popped in to see what exhibits were up and chat with Lisa a bit.  Of course, what do I photograph... ?  the doorway on the way out.

Patio chairs and table at the Airbnb. This was my favorite place to sit.  Sunshine-y but shady, and big enough for us all to share our projects, drink tea (or Woodford, depending on when you stop by), and cheer each other on to do all the good work we want to do this year.

Kitt Peak, looking out from my favorite cliff.  I hemmed and hawed about whether to drive all the way out there or not, but after taking Elizabeth to the airport I just couldn't NOT turn west instead of north.  I hope it's in the cards this year to go back and stay for more than a couple hours.

Thank you, Tucson.  You never fail to deliver just the right mix of art, outdoors, great company, and a kick in the pants to get my work done!

2018 Goals

I liked having a list of goals last year. I wrote them down, hung them where I could see them every day, and tried to plan my week so that they were included somehow.  I didn't finish all of them, and some turned out to be not very realistic, so I took that into account when thinking about this year's list.  Here goes!:

 - PASS MY FLIGHT REVIEW and take a friend for a ride (or visit one). Yeah, "learn how to fly again" was a 2017 goal that was waylayed for all kinds of reasons (a broken airplane being one of them), but yes, it turns out I DO still want to be an active pilot, and this year I am going to make it happen, dammit.

- BE A WRITER.  Since I've started blogging more often, I wonder about revisiting some of the pieces I've written.  Maybe they could be shaped into more polished, finished essays...?  Dunno.  But I want to shift how I think about writing so that it's not just something I do in service of another project. I want it to be something I am.  Or at least am becoming.  A writer.

- CREATE GOOD SCHEDULES, routines & systems. And make sure I take a "weekend". I love freelancing, but now that I have more projects I'm juggling at once, I really need to get organized. Not just with physical spaces (see my happy desk photo above), but with my time and daily routines, and with the steps I take to get a project done. I need a weekend too.  Two days that are somehow different from the rest of the work week.  I always seem to put off personal projects to work on "work," but then they just keep getting put off.  Maybe if I actually scheduled a weekend, I would look forward to that time and not feel guilty about not working. I guess it's a good thing to love what you do for work that the line between it and fun gets blurry. Any freelancers out there with advice? Let me know!

- SORT THROUGH MY BACKLOG OF PHOTOS.  I have YEARS of personal photographs that are sitting on my hard drives.  It's terrible, and I am DONE with that!! This year I'm going to sort through them all (or at least make a big dent) and then start making actual physical photo albums (remember those?) and prints to put in frames on the wall.  I grew up with a family photo wall  and I want one of my own.  (That's my Mom & Dad with our family wall, now split up between my brother and me.) This task completely overwhelms me, but if I do a little bit every day...

- BE A GOOD PEN PAL.  My Mom and Dad sponsored children through the organization ChildFund ever since I can remember, and when they died, my brother and I decided to continue their sponsorship.  We send our monthly contributions and occasional cards, but I really want to write letters more often.  It feels a little frustrating sometimes because there's such a time lag between correspondence, but what a dumb excuse. So this year I want to do a better job of keeping in touch with our sponsored child, Ana Luisa.  My brother's not a big letter writer, but this is my chance to be a pen pal again. 

- READ DAILY, AND NOT JUST AT BEDTIME.  Last year my goal was to read 25 books.  I got through that and a few more, but I found out that I feel guilty sitting down to just read during the day.  I wind up waiting until bedtime, and then I'm sleepy and can't always keep my eyes open.  Why do I feel guilty taking time out to read? I think part of it is that it doesn't feel "productive."  But I don't feel that way if I sit down to watch tv, so what's up with that?  A friend finally pointed out: "Writers read." Enough said!

- DAILY UKULELE.  By the end of the year I want to get through my lesson book and be able to play the Spanish guitar pieces that are at the back of it. I will get farther along if I practice even a tiny bit every day than if I lump it all into long sessions not as often.  It's really about creating a new habit: slow and steady wins the race!

- LEARN SOMETHING NEW.  My friend Kathleen is taking a stilt-walking class and it's inspired me to think about what I want to learn this year.  There are a handful of things I'd like to try: baking bread, learning Italian, etching & monoprint, crochet or knitting, sign language... ? 

- FINISH 12 SEWING PROJECTS.  One of last year's goals was to sew through my stash of fabric, but I think in the end it wasn't really what I wanted to do. I decided that instead of keeping it all in a box in the closet, I am going to give it visible shelf space in my studio, where I can be inspired by the colors and textures every day. Kinda like keeping your paints and canvas out where you can see them.  My new goal for the year:  12 projects. That's one a month.  I think I can handle that (especially now that I will schedule a real weekend every week.)

- FIX MY BICYCLE.  While I mean this literally (I sooo miss having a working bicycle and I didn't get around to fixing it last year), I realize it's also a metaphor for keeping my body moving and eating well. 

Whoa there!

- FINISH CLEARING THE HOUSE and finally have a housewarming party.  This was on my goal list last year and, no, I didn't complete it. I did a few bits and pieces and then all of a sudden it was December and my brother was going to come up for a visit. The guest room could no longer serve as a storage unit!  Panic!  I worked like crazy to get it done, and then my brother couldn't come after all.  Although I was sad I wouldn't see him, I was SO PROUD of finishing that room!  "See? You CAN get sh*t done when you put your mind to it." On New Year's day I walked around the house with a clipboard and came up with a list of 48 projects that also include things like "organize laptop files" and "sew up the hole in your coat."  Yikes. But I've finished 7 things so far!

Maybe it's my vagabond heart that makes me keep things in boxes forever. I've moved so often that maybe I don't trust anywhere to be really be HOME for more than a few years. Or maybe it's that going through old stuff is just hard sometimes. And also time consuming.  Regardless, stuff is literally standing in the way of my creativity. (see photo of my studio closet above... how am I supposed to get to my printer?!)  After finishing the guest room, I feel like I can tackle pretty much anything, so I'm going to unpack boxes, get rid of stuff I don't need, hang up artwork, and then celebrate with a -- FINALLY! -- housewarming party.  You're invited!

I hope your January is going well so far!

2017: This Year I...

Traveled to Seoul, Venice & Vienna, and a handful of places in the U.S., like this fire tower on top of Bays Mountain in Kingsport, Tennessee. 

I read at least 27 books (plus a few cookbooks) before I lost the piece of paper where I was keeping track.  Airplanes are my favorite places to read!

Bought a chaise and spent sooo much time in my magical fairy land (aka the front patio).

Celebrated a year of sewing by buying a new sewing machine.  No, I did not sew through my fabric stash (as was my goal) but that's okay.  I did make a few dresses...

Started unpacking boxes and hanging up artwork. The guest room is no longer a storage unit, so if you'd like to come visit and stay awhile, please do!

Took a walk almost every day.  Griggs Reservoir is beautiful no matter the weather or season.

Gave a few more Flying Adventures readings & artist talks, taught a class at the Ohio State School for the Blind, AND already have more on the calendar for 2018, including two museum exhibits and a workshop at CCAD's Summer Educator's Studio.

Took a solar plate etching class at Phoenix Rising printmaking co-op and know that this is how I want to print my next body of work. I became an associate member, so now I have no excuse.

Received a Greater Columbus Arts Council grant for a one-on-one book binding workshop at Cloverleaf Studio in Austin, Texas. I finished the first copy of the new edition of Flying Adventures (thanks, Jace Graf!).  Stayed in this amazingly cute Scotty camper Airbnb while there.

Got my first few website design jobs! Woo-hoo! This was an very DIY sign I made while at a conference.

Went on some new flying adventures with John, and figured out that, yes, I do want to get my butt back in the front seat, pass my flight review, and be able to call myself a proper pilot again.

Spent Thanksgiving week with my family in the mountains outside Asheville, NC, in the same house we used to rent with my Mom and Dad.  Ahhh the fireplace! and the hot tub beneath shooting stars.

Sang! I put my red velvet back on and finally got to work with Columbus superstar Colin Lazarski. I don't think there's anything I love more than singing holiday jazz at the Westcott House in Springfield.

Spent 24 days of December opening advent gifts from my brother. We made calendars for each other in honor of my Mom, who used to make them for us.

Finished the year with a visit to Pittsburgh. The Carnegie Museum is always an inspiration.

Best of all, there was snow...