march 7 2013
During this year off some of my days and months are loosely scheduled and others have some very specific deadlines. Right now I am on a strict schedule… with lots of obstacles occurring.
I have been waiting for the trees at Fairmount Park to lose their foliage before I photograph them for the “senior project” portion of my sabbatical (that will show in the DeVean Gallery at the Riverside Art Museum) The foliage has been dropping off with the help of the heavy winds and rain…the time is just right to get the photos I need before the spring growth.
Not going to be that easy…my trusty camera (that is with me at all times and used so much that all the settings on the dial have worn off)… broke!!! Thank goodness for the internet …found the exact model at a reasonable price. It works and I’m ready to go, again. Then the rain comes back…can’t wait until after the rains because I’ve scheduled studio time to make my solar plates. On top of that I’ve got a jury duty summons boxing me in. So yesterday I decided to get out early and spend the entire day taking the pictures I needed…I took almost 800!
pondering my project…
The picture above is me, once again, pondering my lunacy at calling the show “52”… based on the Powell Gallery showing what I did with my 52 weeks off and the DeVean Gallery exhibiting a printmaking*** show of my 52 favorite trees at Fairmount Park. I think I’m standing there wishing I had called the show “12” …what I did with my 12 months off/ a show on my 12 favorite trees! 
I really didn’t think through that even a portion of the process that only takes as little as five to ten minutes per tree (downloading, photo selection, making transparency) turns into a 4 to 8 hour project! It is a good thing I love these trees… even more so after my
ultra intimate day yesterday surveying every inch of each tree.
*** I’ve talked a lot about photographs yet I say that the show will be a printmaking exhibit. For my nonartist friends, I have decided to use the printmaking form of solar etching. You start with a photograph or art piece…from that you make a transparency…a solar plate is made off the transparency from a light box and the sun. From the resulting plate you make your prints.
Five months gone by…seven to go. I’m still very excited…learning so much…mainly, how much I don’t know!
All is good…all of the time…sue
Sue, I love reading your blog, and am now looking forward to “52”. As a non artist friend, I can’t imagine the painstaking task of choosing not only from 800 photos, but the trees themselves. Ideas like this deepen my appreciation of art.
Thank you. Peace, Jeff
Thanks for the update, Sue. Your comments are more meaningful to me now that I have walked the 52 trees with you. You are a hero to all who know you. I send a hug of continuing encouragement>
In support and friendship, Terry.
Thank you, Sue! Your blog helps me to find meaning and calm in an otherwise over-busy life. I look forward to your next post. —Leslie
Y’know…if you have 48 trees or, say, 37 trees, we’ll still love you, and you will still be a fabulous artist/person/mother/friend/partner/whatever.
The world will not come to an end, nor will you. Breathe.
Love the photo in this post with you in the foreground. What a beautiful setting. And what a great description of your process and progress. I’m sooooo hooked in to seeing what happens next! (Hopefully, it won’t include a long jury duty stint!)
Remember the song, “Mama said there’ll be days like this”, well, apparently you’re having several of those days. Courage, Courage Sue. You’ll get it done somehow. One of my favorite cartoons if one where Ziggy is standing on the top of a mountain yelling up at God, “You expect too much” — Actually, it’s not God but Ziggy who is expecting too much. Deep breaths!
Love the black and white photos and your “lunacy” looks more peaceful to me than anything. I can’t believe you took 800 pics! Can’t wait to see.
C-
Your project requires the patience of an animator, so be really nice to yourself. I’ll never forget making a 10-second and 30-second animated film during film school and thinking “This does not just require artistry, storytelling & craft, but Patience in humongous amounts.” Every little step takes you down your interesting path, and with each step the view changes a little, and that’s when the learning happens (especially when interesting obstacles present themselves). I’m so glad you’re sharing the process and journey.