We Built This to Leave; Sharon Arnold, Ryan Molenkamp, and Trevor Johnson

It's done, it's hanging, and it's ready to go for your viewing pleasure. After six long months of bending my head over new work, I can lift myself up and take satisfaction in a job well done.

I'd like to invite you to come out to Vermillion this Friday Nov 6th for our long awaited show We Built This To Leave, featuring Ryan Molenkamp , Sharon Arnold, and Trevor Johnson.

We've been working hard, we're super excited, and we're very much looking forward to seeing you all there!

We built this for us, we built this for you, we built this to leave.

Vermillion
1508 11th Ave (Pike and 11th in the heart of Capitol Hill)
Opening reception Nov 6 6-11pm
Exhibition will be on display Nov 6th - 29th

Sharon Arnold 20 B/p/M ink, Rives Heavyweight 2009

Ryan Molenkamp, Sharon Arnold, Trevor Johnson
installation view at Vermillion, 2009

Sketchpad Notes, on Undergrowth

un·der·growth \ˈən-dər-ˌgrōth\
n.

1. Low-growing plants, saplings, and shrubs beneath trees in a forest.

2. A growth of short, fine hairs underlying the longer and thicker outer hairs of an animal's coat; underfur or underwool.

3. The condition of being less than fully grown.
4. The detritus which crowds the truth in a piece of art being created.

"the clarity of the well marked path is sterile. to find the path, to
follow it, to examine it, and to clear away the tangled undergrowth; that
is sculpture."

--Guiseppe Penone

what's left behind are only the necessary details 19 November 2009

Behind the Scenes, as Well As the Times

I realise that for some, a lack of consistent posting either in time or subject can result in blogger death. For example, Penelope Trunk of Brazen Careerist recently admonished those of us who are scattered and remiss, and I had to laugh because really, the only point of this blog is to talk about anything related to art and well, that's a... widely cast net.

But while she makes a few good points about blogs without a point, artists-as-bloggers are a different breed. One could argue that like many bloggers companies entities (whatever), we're pushing a product - ourselves - but I believe we're also using this as a supplement to our studio practise. This blog and what I write about reflects who or what I'm looking at and how, and in a way, demonstrates how it's feeding my work. While the best writing always comes from what affects us the most, for me, that's going to be quite an eclectic variety of things and uh, may or may not include some good writing. Neither good nor bad writing are happening currently, but when this blog is quiet you can trust I'm working overtime in the studio and I'll have something to say relatively soon. Good and bad. [we're smiling, here]

For now as I endure my self-imposed art-producing exile, I look forward to my coming freedom and return to the keyboard some time in November, with possibly erratic bursts of verbal enthusiasm throughout the next three weeks.

Dear reader, bear with us artists-sometimes-writers. We're a wistful lot, torn between dayjobs, harebrained ideas, overanalytical processes, and daydreaming. And sometimes writing. But mostly dreaming.

Indian Head Test Card! Please Stand By....This is Only a Test.....
image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Devil's in the Details

Footing, installation diagram 2009
scanned image of a pencil and ink sketch