It has been a long time since I did a blog entry. There are a billion reasons, but the most relevant is that I simply became busy with the process of becoming a better Professor, Artist, Mentor and Professional. I have developed as a Professor moving from Associate Professor to Full Professor with a few interim positions in Department Chair, Gallery Director and LASC Coordinator. The past few years have been full of course content development, major development and new major creation, advising and mentorship, thesis guidance and professional development... I also taught my courses, you know, the whole reason I got into teaching in the first place. I have found after all these years that the teaching part of my job is only about 10 percent of what I do. They don't tell you that when you get your first adult teaching job, or if they do, you are just so happy that you got a job that you don't really hear or understand them. But even given that, I wouldn't want to do anything else in the world. I truly like teaching Art and Interdisciplinary Studies. Next to making art, it is what I was meant to do with my life. I was made for this.
My art has continued during the past 4 years or so as well with many shows, new works, new investigations developing into new bodies of work, commissions, grants, awards and new associations with other artists and organizations. Developing as an Artist is multifaceted and is part of every day of my life. Some I can do without much effort but some I need to focus on, consciously putting in effort and often putting myself into a situation that is out of my comfort zone (like talking to people at gallery openings... people... especially a lot of people... yikes!) But, knowing that things like that will help me move forward as an artist, I have done my best to at least try. I still have a lot of work to do in some of those areas.
Now here in the beginning of 2020 I find my self on sabbatical from my teaching until next September. As I proposed when I decided to take a sabbatical, I am taking the time to do a few specific things. Firstly, I plan to continue to research and develop a body of work started a few years ago that focuses on Endangered Species. I hope to spend some time visiting zoos, aquariums and other organizations that are certified for their conservation efforts and programs. If it is at all possible, I hope to actually speak with those who work in conservation and work with the animals and hopefully get behind the scenes with the animals and document them close up. Then I will take the research and documentation back to the studio and use it as source info for my artistic works. Some you can see here ENDANGERED SPECIES SERIES
My art has continued during the past 4 years or so as well with many shows, new works, new investigations developing into new bodies of work, commissions, grants, awards and new associations with other artists and organizations. Developing as an Artist is multifaceted and is part of every day of my life. Some I can do without much effort but some I need to focus on, consciously putting in effort and often putting myself into a situation that is out of my comfort zone (like talking to people at gallery openings... people... especially a lot of people... yikes!) But, knowing that things like that will help me move forward as an artist, I have done my best to at least try. I still have a lot of work to do in some of those areas.
Now here in the beginning of 2020 I find my self on sabbatical from my teaching until next September. As I proposed when I decided to take a sabbatical, I am taking the time to do a few specific things. Firstly, I plan to continue to research and develop a body of work started a few years ago that focuses on Endangered Species. I hope to spend some time visiting zoos, aquariums and other organizations that are certified for their conservation efforts and programs. If it is at all possible, I hope to actually speak with those who work in conservation and work with the animals and hopefully get behind the scenes with the animals and document them close up. Then I will take the research and documentation back to the studio and use it as source info for my artistic works. Some you can see here ENDANGERED SPECIES SERIES
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