March 2010
Oh my --
another year gone(+ 2 months)??
Yes! And the
first two months were exciting!
The First Puerto Vallarta International
Sculpture Symposium was a success! It ended February 13th with an
exhibition at the Peter Gray Museum. Jose Carlos Cabello Millan, our
sculptor from Spain, was the first to have his piece acquired for the University
of Guadalajara's permanent collection. By the end of February, four other
sculptures were added to the museum collection including my own! It's a
great honor to have one of my pieces at the campus.
Carole Turner and I
had a few days of solitude after all the artists left before we went our
seperate ways. Carole to Oregon and myself, to California. No
talking about the symposium for a month!! Then we'll talk about
2011.
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July
2009 in Marble Colorado!! Fantastic Marble/marble symposium. Working in the glorious
mountains of Colorado beside the Crystal river was heaven. There's no place on
earth I'd rather be.
I
always feel a surge of electricity run through my body as I begin to
pass the blocks of white marble along the road as I get closer to the
town of Marble. My blood races.
The marble blocks and
the smell of the crisp mountain air, were enough to make me forget for a
moment that I'd lost my ATM card somewhere on the way from Boulder. It didn't
matter anymore.
I
finished a piece in time for Bev's show at the Redstone Art Center and blocked
out a couple more for the road before my time was up. The closing party
was one I will never forget. I lost my earrings and my flashlight but hey,
I danced nearly every song and ended the evening with a full heart.
A
full heart for the road will help me through the rest of this year. Thanks
Madeline & Kathi for making it possible, Scott for his wit and his
funnel, Paulie for the zen of flatness, Josh, Petro et. al for your help,
and to Bob Seivers for saving me a killer carving space. A special
thank-you to Dan for loaning me $100 to get me back home. I love you stone
souls!
April 2009:
Since
updating my website this winter, a lot has changed. When it began to heat
up in Mexico, instead of moving north to Colorado, I headed north
west. These days I am living in Santa Monica, California. And like
Puerto Vallarta, I am a short walk to the ocean. What's even better is
that my sons live nearby and we are able to see one another more often.
They are my finest works of art.
Going from the beaches and the streets
of Mexico to the beaches and streets of California I remain
the foreigner. The culture shock is palpable.
Knowing little about my new home, I have decided to jump in to the
flow. I hope I find a niche for myself here in L.A. I am actively
looking for a studio space. Until then, I'm off to the beach with a log
and wood chisels.
Colorado remains a summer
destination. Once there, I hope to carve and commune with friends.
And- Europe keeps whispering, I have my hands over my ears, but I can hear
it calling. There are people I would love to see. Who knows? The
question always is, will I stay someday?
Be sure to check the symposium
pages for any updates.
Anyone wanting to barter time
in my house/studio in Puerto Vallarta for theirs, please send me an email. I'd
especially like to go to Europe!
Happy
Spring!
Dana
January 2009: As another year passes
and I continue to try to live the life of an artist, I am again astonished that
I move forward despite the constant flux between being a confident creator and
an insecure sensitive one. There
has never been any doubt that I am an artist, at least not within myself, but in
the great scheme of life, the question remains, Why do I do
this?
So many hours of labor, a sale, no sale, a
show, a compliment, a criticism, money, attention, frustration and the
ever-present gnawing of the imposition of real life, and still, I keep producing
work and throwing it out into the world hoping someone will be moved.
Why do I keep plugging away? I am no Michelangelo, or Canova, no Brancusi or Moore. I am but an infant in the sophisticated world of masters. But I do-- exist. And just like they did, I take a stone and make it into something from the depths of my being. And my voice is heard by at least some.
So--- just when I am sure I've made an error
in choosing this convoluted road toward a nebulous goal of making a life that is
true to myself, I am given the opportunity join my peers in the act of
creation. I drink in the energy
that flows between us and enjoy the experience with a measure of attention. They are my tribe, even if I have not
met them before, even if I never see them again.
It's a strange trip I am on, and I intend to
stay the course as long as I can remain as energized and relevant as I feel this
moment.
And to those who have seen my work and have sent
me an email, or paid me a compliment, or brought one of my pieces into your
life, I say thank-you. It means
something to me that you are moved.
It is t he morsel of sustenance I
need when I have doubt.
Until next time, happy carving.
Live this moment as if it were
the most important moment of your life.
I am.
~ Dana
The
Penza International Sculpture Symposium 2008
As one of
two Americans invited by the city of
Having been to several symposiums in the
Billed as the largest sculpture symposium in the world, organizers
overcame incredible logistical odds to present us with a first-class event. We were welcomed with great respect and
appreciation. Valentina Dusavitstaya and Yury
Tkachenko created a smooth production, which included close cooperation with the
city of
The accommodations were comfortable and the service impeccable. Every meal was gourmet -no need to take out the emergency peanut butter or the hot sauce I thought I would need to sprinkle on my inedible Russian food. Every evening we were entertained by local ethnic singers, dancers and musicians. No night passed without dancing around tables past midnight, then lingering in small groups to talk, or sing, or just sip vodka. Okay, so we had a lot of vodka too.
Sleep came
slowly at first, with so much to digest.
Here we were, fifty-two strangers with sculpture as the commonality
between us. This was not the
Afterwards when we talked about the best and the worst of things like the weather, or the quality of stone, about the length of the symposium as being too long or just "two days too short...," it seemed silly. We survived the bus, the never-ending cold that spread among the participants, wet feet, no laundry, too much food... and still we were left with a positive experience. We created fifty-two pieces of sculpture and added something to our lives.
We sculptors live in an alternate universe when we travel to a symposium. Our reality is created from the hearts of the participants. This reality is much like I imagine heaven to be. We eat, sleep, and carve with a singular passion- dance, drink and laugh with abandon. We are more ourselves here, than anywhere, anytime. It is Brigadoon.
But Brigadoon disappears and we all go home. Each experience is different, and the synergy cannot be duplicated. There will never be another Penza 2008 with just the right mix of people. My expectations have been elevated by the experience and I await the next event with hopes that some of the same magic will be sprinkled in the dust.