dedicated to lunch
A few days ago Sam Hodges – friend, ceramic sculptor, and lab tech at one of the local community college campuses – mentioned in a text conversation that they were in the throws of the crazy end-of-semester firing schedule. I laughed in reply that I didn’t miss that craziness. Nope. Not. One. Bit. Truth be told, I was blissfully unaware of the semester’s ending date ::aaahh::
That being said, I’ve struggled a bit to find structure in my studio schedule. For 30 years my M.O. was divided into Fall and Spring, MW’s and TTH’s, sixteen weeks of instruction and one finals week. Now, my schedule is dictated by self-imposed deadlines and lunch (I’m pretty dedicated to lunch)
A potter friend who recently transitioned into full-time studio work after years of running a hugely successful pottery business advised me to allow myself to sit still for a bit before jumping into the studio full-time.
dessadog studio
It is sound advice but I had a deadline (already) with the 17th Annual Ceramics Studio Tour just weeks away. So, I busted it to fill the shelves, develop demos and get a few cats corralled. We had a great tour again this year. A belated and well deserved ‘thank you’ for those of you who were able to stop by the studio that weekend.
After the tour I was determined to inflict some sort of structure (other than lunch) to the work day. However, I wanted to approach my studio time with the intention to just create – allow for some experimentation, run tests and get buried in research. That lasted scarcely long enough to get my hands dirty. My head got way ahead of things; making way for several productive studio visits, resulting in three workshops and as many exhibitions committed to the calendar.
And so, deadlines (and lunch) have created this odd rhythm in the studio. Some would welcome the flexibility. I’m sure I’ll appreciate it eventually. But right now it feels loose and unpredictable like a stray dog.
Get out and see art! You’ll see my work at the following exhibitions
draw: the art of curiosity and innovation
An interactive exhibition celebrating a variety of creative media, styles and techniques that incorporate drawing. The “draw” experience includes fine art displays by local artists, exploration stations for doodling and art making, live artist demonstrations and multiple workshop opportunities for all ages.
May 25-September 1, 2018
Gallery at TCA
Tempe Center for the Arts
700 W. Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe, AZ 85281
Family Art Workshops:
Saturdays | Noon-2pm | Gallery | Free | all ages welcome
5/26: Open Studio Drawing with Matthew Dickson
6/2: Tiny Bubble Paintings with Ryan Carey
6/9: Mandala Mania with Kyllan Maney
6/16: Nature Sketch Books with Beth Shook
6/30: Word Art with Chris Jagmin
7/7: Giant Spirals and Mandalas with Jamie Glasser and Kyllan Maney
7/14: My Father’s Head– drawing the human brain with Monica Aissa Martinez
7/21: Open Studio Drawing with Matthew Dickson
7/28: Fashion Illustration with F.A.B.R.I.C.’s Angela Johnson
8/4: Mark Making Robots with Bobby Zokaites
DRAW-A-THON: a one-day celebration of all things drawing!
Sat., June 23 | 10am-10pm | Free | all ages welcome
**I’ll be demonstrating drawing proportions and distortions with grids, 6-10pm
CA 101 2018
an international mixed media exhibition
June 1-June 10, 2018
Friends of Redondo Beach Arts
200 N. Harbor Dr.
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Instagram @dessadogtoo