Jona8than Green Art and Other Things

A series of objectives

I am trying to refocus myself as of late. I have been a little distracted, not really sure of where I should be going or doing. Lost sight perhaps. Not entirely sure why, a variety of different factors that have added up.

While I was at the Banff Centre I had to make a list of short term and long term learning objective, goal, to achieve as part of the program there. I think everybody has had to do one of these because of some high school class or university. I felt at Banff Centre that this was flakey, but they insisted on it, and I did find by doing it I was able to shape my activities better and achieve more. Just nice being able to scratch something off the list. Even just writing it out helped.

Then how to achieve these goals can be figured out.

Short term

Finish the three chests by November

Finish the dresser's top and bottom rail, clean up by November

Start three paintings by December

Large etching by November 1^st for Arts and Letters Awards

Six etchings by December [or more]

Long term

Learn how to cut dovetail joints

Ship in a bottle

Prepare for solo show in May 2011 – 20+ pieces [drawings, prints, paintings]

Apply for residencies

Studio space

Trip to Europe

Posted this for myself but also maybe give people some insight to how I work. It can't be all good news, it has to be the inner workings.

Fridtjof Nansen, 1861 - 1930

One of the greatest Northern explorers. He drifted around the Arctic for over two years, made a mad dash for the pole, and then a long struggling journey home.

He went after this goal, a prize of prizes at the time. Pierre Berton's title "Arctic Grail" captures the weight of the quests by all the polar explorers. Countless explorers before him had gone after it, many had perished. There was such a gravitas about the North Pole. Yet he captures it right, what does it really matter if you achieve it?

I really wonder the same. Then again, I read that and wondered how I could convey it a print first. I don't know if I can, hasn't clicked in yet. Yet that is as much as my body of work is about as the rest of it. Actually, there is a lot wound up in this body of work. Sometimes too much.

My face is really dry. I think it is on part winter, 1 part printshop chemicals. Need to moisturize like a fiend. I need to make a trip to the grocerier as well soon. Also would like to pick up a bottle of wine for the weekend. Or liquor. Probably liquor. Wish more girls liked whiskey. Sigh.

I just finished eating 3 of my mudders homemade buns. She calls them rolls, I call them buns. There is probably a very distinct difference in the two, but they look like like doughy arses to me, thus buns is what I use. Should make little spinchter bread rolls one day.

Came back into town today, dropped my stuff off at the house and went to St. Michael's. Caught up on all the news and goings on, seein hat the b'ys are up to. The 2008 St. Michael's Printshop Playing Cards are done, looking good. Ace of Hearts looks pretty sharp. The decks of cards are $25 dollas each, so pick one or two up.
It was a good day printing, expermenting with colour in my prints. Using a la poepee colour method. Looks okay. Not really getting the colour saturation I want, looks good, but not quite what I want. So have to work on that. Was nice there today though, busy, a few people working. Good energy around. The newsletter will be out soon, which I managed to get my ol'mug into. A lot of stuff on da bop there.

Came home early though, feling a little tired and not wanting to work through it. Trying to regnerate some ideas now. Trying to find that little twist for my imagery. Almost finished my Zizk book, so letting that sink in and see where it goes. Had a little sidenote on perspective and vanishing points used in artwork, how it is a example of the "Real". I don't explain it very well, but got me thinking. I'll try again one day.

I'm going to be in the Eastern Edge Gallery's Member's Show coming up. Looking forward to that. Show off to all ya mofos here in St. John's. haha. I got a lot of stuff besides that I need to crawl on top of soon.

A pretty young thing is suppose to get abck to me about some idea she had last night, so waiting on that too.

So I have done this before and while I may not always achieve everything I have put on these lists, it does allow me to focus a little more. Goals and projects change over time as do values and so forth, nothing is set in stone. That's why I type them on the internet, allowing me to edit them at will!!

1) My first goal is to continue making more prints at St. Michael's. I would like to accumulate a good body of work from there. Would like to make the goal of six editions. It's easy to make six prints, it's the editioning that gets tricky.

2) Drawing. I would like to draw more, just sole drawing, least once a week achieve a good drawing or small series.

3) Read a little theory once a week, then kick it to the back of the brain.

4) Get my comic book with Paul Muller photocopied and out there.

5) Assemble my portfolio, get good documentation of it.

6) Bookwork started.

seven) Do something with my Chuck Norris Journal

8)Save up money for traveling and such

9)?

10) ?

11)

This was the Top Eleven list of things I wanted to do the summer. Since summer is over, I figure I would review what I have done.

1: Make lots of prints at St.Michaels' this summer - been doing okay, wasa slow period for a while as I got used to St. Johns and working. I seem to be doing a lot more now

2: Make a piece of furniture [preferably] or something under the brand "Team Shake N' Bake" with brudder. - Not done, failed there. Lack of a lot of things

3: Drink a Booster Juice once a week - sometimes more!

4: four drawings once a week, despite any odds - this had its variables, and I think I have focused my time into my printmaking

5: Through communication with others, engage in art work producing capabilities through the mail with bon amis. - not done there

6: Get an ordinateur- preferably a Mac - nope

7: Do some video work - nope

8: Write a short story or perhaps some poetry, and better not be flakey. - nope, just this flakey blog

9: Find a way to Berlin, hang out with the harlow trip peeps and meet beautiful german girls - just a dream there

10: Go on a living spree, party like a skeet skeet muthafucker - a few times; not as wild or much as maybe needed

11:... make sure my apartment doesn't turn out like this - my apartment is pretty cool now, better than the other place.

So now I should come up with a list of Top Eleven Things for the Fall season to be chasing after.