I'm still in the US. I had a couple false starts, thinking I had a job but they ended up not working out. So I am still looking for a job in Korea.
In the meantime I have gotten back in the studio. Mostly I am working on lockpicks. I am also studying Korean quite a bit lately, usually a couple hours a day. And I try to exercise every day, but the past week I have not been doing much.
Despite all my talk about making a vessel for the Cheongju Craft Competition I never did it. I just didn't come up with any design I felt was worth using a $900 piece of silver on (a 12" x 12" 22 ga sheet of sterling from Rio Grande would cost $903.67 today). I don't get nervous about using expensive materials anymore (except for fragile stones), but I just didn't spend enough time working on designs and making prototypes and felt it would be a waste of the material.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
suprise from Rio Grande
I got this framed certificate from Rio Grande in the mail today. I wasn't expecting anything more about the 2011 Saul Bell Award since I was only a finalist.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
trip to California
I visited San Diego May 18 - 25. I lived in Oceanside (45 min. north of San Diego) from Nov. 1999 - Dec. 2004. I went out there to go to GIA, then worked there a few more years. I left to go to grad school at the U of Iowa, with the intention of returning to the San Diego area as soon as I finished. I finished grad school at the end of 2006, and have been putting off returning to California since then. Currently I am putting it off till I spend at least one more year in Korea, but who knows what will happen after Korea.
Anyway, I haven't been back since I left in 2004, and I have missed it and I really wanted to visit when I got back from Korea. Actually visiting California was one of the only things I was looking forward to doing this summer.
I didn't do much during my trip. I drove around a lot. I like to drive and I like driving in Southern California much more than in the Chicago area. Much nicer scenery. I spent about $200 on gas during the trip. I went to places I used to go to, ate at restaurants I used to eat at, and met a couple friends.
View from outside my old apartment building:
Oceanside:
One of the best things I did during my trip was run one of my old running routes near my apt in Oceanside. I am not in as good of shape as I was when I lived in CA, so all I could do was run a three mile route that used to be the minimum I would run. Southern California is a great place to run because of the weather, and my neighborhood was especially good. On the west side of I-5 the area was all flat, if I wanted to run hills, there were some really steep ones on the east side if I-5. I wish I could start running again, but I have never enjoyed it much anywhere but in California. This video is the 3 mile route I used to run a lot:
South Carlsbad:
Approaching Laguna Beach, I think:
Laguna Beach:
Someplace that brings back memories in Laguna Beach:
While I was going to meet a friend I happened to find the Palos Verdes Art Center. I was in an exhibition there called Wearable Expressions in 2008:
The Getty Center in LA:
View of LA from the Getty Center:
Furaibo used to be one of my favorite restaurants. I was happy to go there again. It's on Sawtelle Blvd, a Japanese area in LA.
This is the corner of Sawtelle and Olympic Blvds. I always liked this neon aquatic scene.
Random San Diego picture (Mission Beach):
I went to the San Diego zoo. I had never been there before, I couldn't believe it cost $40 to get in!
Below: Cavendish's dik dik
I don't know what happened but three ducks, two males and one female flipped out on some female duck and attacked her. Eventually she was able to fly away.
Secretary bird
Los Angeles
So my trip was really good. Not much had changed since I had left. After my trip I was wanting to move back there even more. So I'll try to do that someday after I settle down a bit. I have trouble staying in the same place very long, even California. I don't know what I'll do after at least one more year in Korea. There's a couple other things I am considering.
Anyway, I haven't been back since I left in 2004, and I have missed it and I really wanted to visit when I got back from Korea. Actually visiting California was one of the only things I was looking forward to doing this summer.
I didn't do much during my trip. I drove around a lot. I like to drive and I like driving in Southern California much more than in the Chicago area. Much nicer scenery. I spent about $200 on gas during the trip. I went to places I used to go to, ate at restaurants I used to eat at, and met a couple friends.
View from outside my old apartment building:
Oceanside:
One of the best things I did during my trip was run one of my old running routes near my apt in Oceanside. I am not in as good of shape as I was when I lived in CA, so all I could do was run a three mile route that used to be the minimum I would run. Southern California is a great place to run because of the weather, and my neighborhood was especially good. On the west side of I-5 the area was all flat, if I wanted to run hills, there were some really steep ones on the east side if I-5. I wish I could start running again, but I have never enjoyed it much anywhere but in California. This video is the 3 mile route I used to run a lot:
South Carlsbad:
Approaching Laguna Beach, I think:
Laguna Beach:
Someplace that brings back memories in Laguna Beach:
While I was going to meet a friend I happened to find the Palos Verdes Art Center. I was in an exhibition there called Wearable Expressions in 2008:
The Getty Center in LA:
View of LA from the Getty Center:
Furaibo used to be one of my favorite restaurants. I was happy to go there again. It's on Sawtelle Blvd, a Japanese area in LA.
This is the corner of Sawtelle and Olympic Blvds. I always liked this neon aquatic scene.
Random San Diego picture (Mission Beach):
I went to the San Diego zoo. I had never been there before, I couldn't believe it cost $40 to get in!
Below: Cavendish's dik dik
I don't know what happened but three ducks, two males and one female flipped out on some female duck and attacked her. Eventually she was able to fly away.
Secretary bird
Los Angeles
So my trip was really good. Not much had changed since I had left. After my trip I was wanting to move back there even more. So I'll try to do that someday after I settle down a bit. I have trouble staying in the same place very long, even California. I don't know what I'll do after at least one more year in Korea. There's a couple other things I am considering.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The National Locksmith
There are several photos of my lock picks in an article on making lock picks in the June issue of The National Locksmith. The author contacted me about using my photos about a month ago, I gave him permission and forgot all about it till today when I got an email from my friend whose father is a locksmith and saw my picks in the new issue. I saw the online version of the magazine. I'll try to get the printed magazine from my friend's dad when he is finished with it.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Upcoming show in Seattle
My work will be in a show during the SNAG conference in Seattle this month. It's called "Art by Attrition" and it's at KOBO at Higo gallery. The theme of the show is artwork made by the subtractive process. The show will be May 26th - June 25th, 2011.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
going to california
I'll be visiting California May 18 - 25. I used to live in San Diego and I haven't been there in almost 6 1/2 years. I keep planning to move back there someday, but other things always come up that I want to do first.
If I am going to make a new piece for Cheongju I need to hurry, the deadline is June 8th, Korea time.
If I am going to make a new piece for Cheongju I need to hurry, the deadline is June 8th, Korea time.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I'm home
I got back to the US on Saturday (4/23).
I unpacked enough of my studio to start working on some new lockpicks today. I was kind of burnt out with my work when I left for Korea last year, and I was hoping after a year off that I would go back to the studio feeling good and ready to work again. But I really don't feel that much different. It doesn't feel like it's been a year, and I don't mean that in a good way. I mean it like, I needed a break, and after 1 year I still don't feel like it was enough of a break. I'm planning to go back to Korea for another year this summer, so maybe I will feel better after that.
I'm not really happy to be back here. I wanted to come back to the US for a while, I just hate the Chicago suburbs and wish I could spend my time someplace else. I was ready to leave this area after being here for less than a day.
Anyway, while I am here I am going to make some lockpicks and a silver vessel for Cheongju. I can't believe the price of silver, $47/oz. I'm glad I have a lot of silver I bought when it was cheaper. I bought the 12" x 12" sheet of sterling I will use for my vessel when silver was around $10/oz.
I unpacked enough of my studio to start working on some new lockpicks today. I was kind of burnt out with my work when I left for Korea last year, and I was hoping after a year off that I would go back to the studio feeling good and ready to work again. But I really don't feel that much different. It doesn't feel like it's been a year, and I don't mean that in a good way. I mean it like, I needed a break, and after 1 year I still don't feel like it was enough of a break. I'm planning to go back to Korea for another year this summer, so maybe I will feel better after that.
I'm not really happy to be back here. I wanted to come back to the US for a while, I just hate the Chicago suburbs and wish I could spend my time someplace else. I was ready to leave this area after being here for less than a day.
Anyway, while I am here I am going to make some lockpicks and a silver vessel for Cheongju. I can't believe the price of silver, $47/oz. I'm glad I have a lot of silver I bought when it was cheaper. I bought the 12" x 12" sheet of sterling I will use for my vessel when silver was around $10/oz.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)