Jona8than Green Art and Other Things

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)

I woke up and was tired, been tired from the get go. Last night's escapades at a studio party didn't help, but was fun and awesome. Though I will say I felt self conscious at times; I suppose it is just because I don't know these people well enough yet and I am not yet comfortable with them. I get anxious and come off too strongly, too wired up. It just takes time really, it has always taken time for me and other people to gel.

It was a good weekend of art openings and chatting with people. The new A1C Gallery had an opening which was really nice, it was called "Rock Can Roll" and was of contemporary Newfoundland artists. I really enjoy the space there, very intimate and cozy, it has a character beyond the white cube of most spaces.
Eastern Edge Gallery had an opening as well, and that was of Kym Greeley's show "TCH", another artist Scott Rogers arrives today to install his work in the gallery. It's a two person show, but he couldn't make it in time. Kym's work was great, looked really well in the space and she had a little picnic in the space. Everything was just right for the show.

In terms of work I have been a little slower this week, slower i the sense I didn't get at anything since Monday or Tuesday. Just really debating what to be doing for a while. The problem that causes that is I act like I don't have forever to make my art so I debate which piece to do first. I have many ideas, but end up trying to figure what to do next. When really, I have alot of art making ahead of me and should just work on what ever is available. So silly sometimes.

So tonight I am working on a intaglio plate. I just finished etching it and will probably go do an aquatint on it next along with some drypoint. Been looking at some soft ground possiblities for another plate or maybe a soap resist on an aquatint. The "drip" look of the soap resist is very neat.

Beyond that, there hasn't been a whole lot of going on. I hope to have the day off tomorrow so I can print all day in the shop. That would be swell.

What drives me as an artist is that I think everyone is unique, yet everyone disappears so quickly. "

Christian Boltanski

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.

Get By - Tali Kweli, playing in the room. Rap is the only uplifting music I have lately. The heavy music is good for these times too, but I'm unable to crush my enemies under my war hammer; thus viking metal lacks. So its rap. Trying to learn to hustle.

Unsure if I am going to be at Eastern Edge Gallery after September 5th, awaiting notification on funding and bureaucracy turns so slowly. So applying to a few new jobs this week as well as looking for a new apartment. Trying to keep the costs on the down side, but damn Holmes, seems impossible.
Feeling so restless as well. I hate the thought of signing a lease. Something that is keeping me in place. I don't want to have to give notice or frig around if I want to go. On the other hand though, this everything being up in the air does not lend itself to enjoyment. I'm lost and unsure what direction to follow. As I said before, it really goes with the current art work.

The new lithograph print is going well as far as I can tell, I was working at it for another few hours tonight after work. Really shaping up n getting the hang of the maniere noire technique. At least as far as I know - I'll be asking Mike tomorrow about it. Hoping to do the first etch on it tomorrow. Printing maybe Thursday or Saturday, would like to print while Mike is around. Not that familar with litho just yet to be totally comfortable printing this different technique.

Would love to have a whole month free just to print all day. I regret the times I had close to that and never had any ideas. That' the way it goes. September is shaping up to be quite good with the visiting artist Colin Lyons coming to St. Michael's. That ould be a great month to have no work to go to. Which I might yet. HaHa

Maniere Noire lithography is tedious and ardous. That is probably a very self evident statement to anyone who has done printmaking, particularly anyone who has done such technique in intaglio as in a mezzotint [ which is even more tedious and ardous].

But it is going good so far, I have been here since 3:30ish and have been scratching away at the stone. I would say maybe half of the scratching I need to do is done, and is helping me learn how to do it. I very sharp exacto knife is the best thing I have learned so far. Ha! I think it will look good when printed, and the technique will be made good use of.

The stomach grumbles despite sunday dinner today, and I am not totally wanting to catch the next bus home yet at 8:30. Especially when there is nothing to do at the apartment, nar uncluttered space to draw too or such. All my stuff is packed up and stored about my room; figured I would just have to repack in again this week or next.

I have to go to Blue Cross early tomorrow morning to get a reimbursement for my new glasses. This week will be a tight week, the account suffered a lot last week: bills, eating out due to work, gallery events, glasses, etc. I do get paid this Friday, so I hope to make it till then.

I'm home for the weekend, and got up noon [ Bukowski said it will add years on to your life, rising at noon]. Did a few things round the house, and went out into the shed to try and do some painting. I wanted to oil paint, but had not the time for it; so using acrylics, tole paint ones. Which is fine with me. The problem I am thinking is that I am using some of the cheap canvas. The question that arose as I painted, not liking the canvas board texture is "Why use canvas at all?". I prefer using paper, find cardboard nice to paint on, so why wasn't I using it?

Why should I cater to this precious object mentality, when I prefer cardboard for acrylic painting. I wouldn't use oils on them, just bleeds too much.

Maybe just realizing as well that things are getting tight, I can't afford to spend all this money on suppilies like I felt I could at art school. In art school, economics aren't suppose to enter the picture but out, well, a man has to eat. I think I have to reevaluate my art practice. Fiugre out what is necessary.