Travelmania

Okay I've been doing a bit of traveling lately. It's part of my job. I haven't had a minute to work on any artwork since...early August, I guess. I did teach a 2-day mask carving workshop at a Kodiak gallery: The Artist's Eye. That was fun! Then I finished up a few masks I'd started this summer - since finally receiving my tools from home (my other home in Seattle). I haven't had a chance to photograph those 3 new masks, but will endeavor to do so this weekend.

So, where have I traveled to since late June? Well - Anchorage, two weekends in a row, then Seattle, then all of the villages around Kodiak Island, which are: Larsen Bay, Karluk, Ouzinkie, Port Lions, Akhiok, and Old Harbor. I just got back yesterday from my second trip to Seattle this season. Next week, I travel to Kenai/Soldotna, then San Diego, Portland OR, Seattle, then in October to Seattle, Anchorage, Anchorge again, then in November to Anchorage (again), then Seattle. Hmm...then I think I wanna take a vacation to...somewhere warm and sunny, which will require travel again!

Not a whole lotta art involved here. But I'm thinkin' on it.



So - here is one work of art that came out of me - my son Alex. I got to visit him in late August, on a day trip I took on Amtrak from Tacoma to Portland. He's sporting his tats he acquired in Thailand earlier this summer.

New Work

This winter, I worked on a new series of shadow boxes. Since I didn't have my carving tools or any wood to carve (since everything was under several inches of snow at any given time), I made some gouache watercolors, then built the boxes for them. I sold the first two below at the Crab Festival Art Show over the last weekend in May.

"Tidepool Starfish", 6" x 6", gouache on paper, poplar box, glass beads. acrylic.
Front view.

"Kodiak Winter Crows" - 6" x 6", gouache on paper, poplar box, glass beads, acrylic, carved cottonwood bark, root.

The view from my cousin's living room is of the Baptist Church. All winter, there was almost always a crow or eagle perched atop the steeple. All of the birds were hungry, and hanging around town looking for scraps and garbage.

Front view.



















And here's the Father's Day gift I made for my dad:
"Little Red Dory" - 5" wide x 9" high; gouache on paper, carved cottonwood bark, foil paper, glass beads.
Front view

Side view