Direction

It is so good to review. The process of photographing my work and applying for opportunities has forced me to look carefully at the work and think of the next direction. In addition to galleries, I applied to a sculpture exhibit and to the residency at the Kohler Art Center. The Kohler application caused the most intense inward review. At times, my thoughts about gallery work and thoughts about the residency seemed to pull in two different directions. I want to do big bold work for the residency. For galleries, I am thinking of discreet objects and vessels. I have a life purpose statement that reminds me to make my deepest work. Focusing will help produce that deepest work. I just realized that I can make almost anything with these clay/fiber techniques. I have the ability to make anything. That thought is very freeing and very frightening.

When substituting for a 5^th grade art class on Friday, I discussed Frank Gehry. It reminded me how I love his use of architectural structures with an undulating wall over the top. His fish sculpture at the Walker Sculpture Garden has always been one of my favorites. Then I remembered a drawing I did for my outdoor piece in the Quad Cities. I had a geometric structure to hold the piece up and a flowing branch wall over top. This building idea, along with thoughts on how to get more movement on the surfaces, are somehow clues to a direction. I’ll see what happens in the studio. Too much thinking and I will not engage in the process. I remember students in grad school who were totally frozen as they waited for the mother-lode idea.