Back To School

I’ve been sick for the past few days with a horrible sore throat and feeling run down, so I don’t have any new work to show you. I just haven’t felt up to working in a cold, damp basement. I have two gum bichromate prints that just need to have the black layer printed, which I hope to do today or tomorrow, depending on how I feel. I also have four more gum prints in the works. I’ve been making separations and printing negatives, which I can do while sitting at the computer and sipping tea; as soon as I feel better I will start printing them.

The bigger news is that my sabbatical is pretty much over. I have an in-service at my school this Thursday (I hope I’m feeling better by then), and will resume teaching duties with the start of Spring semester on January 14.

Sabbatical was wonderful, this was the longest period of time I’ve had to focus primarily on my creative work since I was in graduate school. I’m very grateful to have been given this opportunity.

The end of sabbatical will not mean the end of this blog, however. I’m still making work using the same alternative processes that I’ve been exploring over the past several months, and I will also be mounting a post-sabbatical exhibition. The exhibition will be at the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery at Moraine Valley Community College, where I teach. The exhibition will run March 25-April 17, 2008. Before that exhibit, I’ll be continuing to make new work, selecting which of the pieces I’ve completed will actually be exhibited, matting and framing work, etc. I’m sure there will be lots of info to post here.

Although I started this blog as a way of documenting my progress during my sabbatical, I’m pretty sure I’ll keeping it active indefinitely. Posting here has helped me reflect and stay focused on my work, and knowing that people are reading it keeps me motivated to make work. I’m also considering expanding the scope of the blog. So far, I’ve kept it pretty much focused on the technical and creative explorations I’ve made as part of my sabbatical. I’m thinking of keeping that, but also occasionally talking about the work of other artists that I’ve seen, maybe recommendations of art and photo books or web sites, etc. Let me know if you have an opinion on that.

Nearly every blog I’ve seen has eventually resorted to begging for comments. I’ve resisted that here, and even so have received comments and requests for info or advice from both people I know and others I don’t. I’ll just say thanks, and keep them coming!