Newton’s Apple / Gravity Installation

I worked on an apple installation this morning. I started small to get to know my materials better. I realized that the narrow rods are very bendy under the weight of the apples. I want them to be narrow so that they’re both nearly invisible and they don’t destroy the fruit. I want to do a much bigger one. I need to figure out how to create an armature that can withstand the weight without being too visible. I also want a little more blue sky, is that too much to ask?! The apples do look great in the environment, and I appreciate that they’re the state fruit of Washington where I live. Of course, there is tons of conceptual baggage to deal with, with apples. Right now I don’t really care about that!

Apple Collection for a New Installation

Temporary outdoor intervention going in on Friday. Stay tuned for more photos.

Sunday with the D800 in the Country

#NikonD800 practice on a sunny Sunday afternoon roaming around in the country. I like that my favorite images from the day all kinda have a similar color palette.

Waiting Around in Tacoma

I had to drive down to Tacoma yesterday to pick up some giant cardboard sheets for my next gallery installation. I took these images while I was waiting for the forklift guy to bring my order around. A couple weeks ago I was talking to the photo tech at UW about my camera setup and the struggles I’ve been having learning the Nikon D800 — especially the fact that a lot of my photos come out slightly blurry. I know the standard rule of thumb is 1/60 shutter for handheld shots, but he told me the D800 is much more sensitive than that. I tried these images at 1/80. They look fine low res on screen, but I think even 1/80 is too slow for the D800. Next I’ll move up to 1/100 and see if I can get crisper images on that setting.

Today’s Artist Statement

My current work maps weight and time in relation to place and space. I use a variety of materials like string, flagging tape, paper, cardboard, liquid, glass, steel, and rock to make my mark. Each location where I create my installations is chosen carefully. I consciously sense a place through the act of meditation and living with it. The work I make is in response to the one-of-a-kind relationship I'm experiencing with each place at that moment. Once an intervention is complete, it is quickly removed. It becomes a memory of a relationship shared with the place itself.

The idea of "place" is important — what are the qualities of a location that make a person feel grounded? What is home? How big is it? How transient is this feeling—the feeling of belonging and of being a part of something bigger than oneself? I believe that having a sense of place is impermanent. The old cliché holds a lot of truth: "You can never go back home." But I also believe that it's possible to nurture, appreciate, and underscore these fleeting experiences. I do this with my art-making practice. 

A Rainy Day in the Seattle Suburbs

It’s a rainy day in the Seattle suburbs, but at least the birds are singing.

Signal Fire Residency: Campfires

These are some of my favorite fire images from my residency in Arizona with Signal Fire. A couple years ago, I started taking photos of our campfires. Now, I’m reenergized to continue this series. Deer Creek Canyon, Mazatzal Wilderness, Tonto National Forest, Arizona

Signal Fire Residency: Water

Here are some more images from my residency with Signal Fire. It occurs to me that the work from this residency revolves quite naturally around themes of nature: earth, water, fire. Look in earlier posts for earth, and stay tuned for fire images to come soon! Mazatzal Wilderness, Tonto National Forest, Arizona

Signal Fire Residency: Cairn Village

I just returned from a week backpacking in the Arizona wilderness. I was on a residency with Signal Fire, a fantastic organization that takes artists into the wild to think about the relationships between art and nature and landscape. Each day, one participant led a “deep play” exercise for the group. When it was my turn, I invited everyone to collaborate to create a cairn village in the riverbed. The whole process was meditative and mindful. We worked in silence, and then surveyed our work. In the spirit of “leave no trace”, I tore it down once I got the photos. I was conflicted, because despite the ideal of leaving no trace I’m drawn to the comfort that cairns bring. A cairn represents other human interaction, coming upon one indicates that I’m not lost. Even though I might be the only person for miles, there is a kind of conversation that happens through cairns between strangers and over time. There’s something really special about that relationship. Stay tuned for more images to come. Mazatzal Wilderness, Tonto National Forest, Arizona, USA

My Dog, Running with a Stick

I love this photo of my #dog, Kala! She loves her morning run/walk. #dog #dog walk #chasing sticks #running

Today’s Project: Shadow Play #01

Finally! After at least a month of non-stop rain, it’s #sunny! I’ve been collecting #shadow images of my #dogs for a while now. This is the first set of shadow #stencils from today’s work. Gotta try some different surfaces and color combinations. #shadow #art #sun #dogs #stencil