Yesterday my tube mounts, GTO wire and end caps arrived. Woot! If there are any neon artists out there that are looking to buy reasonable quantities of neon parts, I highly recommend West Coast Custom Designs. They are super nice and ship right away and offer really reasonable prices.

I brought my pieces in from the studio and have been "living with them".  Every morning I walk past the pieces and think (or rethink) the decisions I have made. In doing this, I think I know where I want to go with these two pieces and I look forward to this weekend. 

This weekend there will be distraction relating to the time I will be able to spend in the studio. Looking optimistically though, the time is WELL spent - we're expanding the studio!  The current space is used for both construction and assembly which creates some logistical challenges (like keep saw dust from getting onto things that are being stained/glued etc.)

So... we're (we: my husband) building a separate studio specifically for grinding, sawing, drilling, painting, etc. Yup... this will be a VERY good thing! My role in this construction effort will be determined by my husband. I suspect I will be called upon to hold this or that while he drills or screws or fastens etc. but I also suspect there will be time for me to 'run with' the ideas that have been percolating in my mind since last weekend.

Last weekend was an extremely productive weekend.  I have decades of "stuff" that I have collected that I end up cataloging in my mind.  On those nights that I lie in bed unable to sleep or in the hours I spend commuting to work each day, I sometimes think about my art and what I will make with all my "stuff".  In my head I juxtapose that object with this object and imagine how I can pull it all together and resolve 'hiding' all the electronic bits that I don't necessarily want people to see/focus on. Or maybe I do... ? Sometimes in my head I get stuck on how to connect this with that or how I'm going to make everything work from a logistical perspective due to the weight of the whole piece or because of the dimensions of one or many of the objects that I'm working with. In my head I'm experimenting with assembly - imagining how an idea might work with wire, or screws, or bolts, or nails or glue or whatever method I can think of.

Last weekend, two of the many sculptures I had created in my mind, began their lives in the 'real' world in my studio. I was able to get to the point with each of them where I needed to step away and spend more time thinking. Sometimes when I start to execute something I had imagined in my head, it evolves because I notice something in the studio that you could never imagine without touching the things themselves.

I also needed to order some additional parts... those will be here Thursday.

Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. :)

Just as soon as I said I was going to focus on my art and this website, I've found myself spending time working on the website (and think I'm ok with leaving it where it for now).

I've submitted for three exhibitions... which is exciting. :)  The process has reminded me of how exciting it is to imagine the possibility of my work being represented in a public venue again. 

It's been awhile and it feels good. REAL good.

So much to do and so little time...

Being that I work in IT, it takes a lot to get me excited about working on my website. What? Spend MORE time behind a computer?  Exactly! In any case, it's one of those things I just need to make time for.  I have completed pieces that I need to photograph and upload so that all of YOU can see it. 

Speaking of my art being seen...

I am working on a new body of neon work that I am planning to exhibit at Zocolo Coffee shop.  I'm hoping for a holiday exhibition because there's something nice about having the neon (and the Christmas tree) brightening up the place.  Now I just have to see if they already have someone slated for that time (I hope not).

I've also thought about getting my work in the Oakland Art Hop and Art Murmur but the challenging bit about shows like that is that my work isn't exactly easy to transport and install.  In fact, it's a downright project to transport and install.

But... it's what makes my heart go pitter-patter, so... it's time to focus and submit for exhibition, and exhibit.