As an artist who has never been to New York the first time was an overwelming fantastic experience. My visual experience was to say an overload in the most wonderful sense. Museums were great, art was as powerful as I had ever seen it. The metropolitian in the impressionist section was to cry over. Rodans…I could not get enough. NY has it all. I’m going back ASAP.

After much thought. After some setbacks. After some building to ease the tension of not building. After some brain rattling. After some hours of calculations of metal to buy. After hours of calling and calling…selling and selling. One thing stands out. Persistence And determination. When it all comes down to it this and this is what it takes. There are no substitutes. There are no magic secrets. There is no great source of knowledge.  Persistence and determination.

Last week my friend passed away at the age of 95. We shared a life long passion for things that were old and we loved to work on them and fix them. We spent 7 years of Saturday’s working on a 1953 Chevy pickup. We did a total frame off restoration. The truck was a focal point for what friends talk about. Life was always a subject as was current events. I could see very early on how his passion for the old metal was also mine. I did not tell him right away that I had spent most of my life working metal. He soon realized my skills and experiences as did I of his. His patients was more than I realized. He worked very slow and it paid off in the quality of the work. I also started to work more focused and slower. Before we knew it the truck was finished. I shall miss the old gentleman. I shall miss him very much. I will always remember him for who he was and what he gave me and how he inspired me. I hope I can pass on his qualities of kindness and understanding.

During a recent visit at the O Eating House with a friend of mine for lunch I could not be struck by the grand vistas of the New Mexican landscape. We sat down and my friend a very accomplished chef was looking over the menu and I was taking in all the metal work from the coat hangers to the ceiling lights. For me shape is important and does it work in the setting? For the “O” it does. But it went beyond to chairs, knives, forks and candle holders. For me it’s the grand vista of metalwork.

When I think about metal I don’t really think. When I think about building I don’t really build. When I think about the process well I don’t think about process. I noticed I was loosing my touch and hurting myself in little ways not related to metal. Things like having a tool fall out of my grip. So I thought that I should  start using tools more and my senses came back to my hands. I find that I need to work the metal way more often not just to get a grip but to get a grip on the way I think about what I am doing. This last year and 2 months I felt I was loosing my grip and now that I am putting time aside to work and I have a new grip. The grip of thought, the grip of passion and the grip of sense of what I am doing and where I am going. I seem to push all the other things into a new box and have the working of metal in a seperate box. Focus, excitment and desire are full. A year to reflect and not know why until the last couple of months. I feel a sharpness back that I have not had in a long time.

I sometimes wonder why I can create. I wonder why it takes so long for changes in society when I can innovate and change so quickly in my work. I have been thinking ….What can change an industry? What can change a mind to change? Maybe it’s a long journey that takes us to where we are to change. Why does it take so long to change? I really do love to create. I think innovation is key to change. Change is sometimes hard. Change may have to be BIG effort.

I ask the question… What is Certain? The sun will shine, the moon will raise, the tides will come and go and ART will be here. With all that is real or not real in this world ART is and will always be here in one form or another. So, What is real? Beauty is real, ugliness is real, truth is real and ART is real.

Recently I have been building out a lot  of patina copper and  aluminum into large and small woven bowls. I find that I really enjoy the process of building. It seems to transition me somehow to another place, it’s hard to describe. Working the way I do there is a joy to it all.  I completed the work and was a little sad that the process was over. So with a room full of work it is time to sell…sell…sell…Hopefully others will enjoy my work as I do through the process of building and creating.

This has been a somewhat slow summer for my art in galleries here in Santa Fe. No buyers, no $$$$, but lots of interest. Some say “How interesting the work” or ” I’ve never seen anything like this before” and it all sounds good. Maybe I am on the right track or just maybe people are polite. Whatever the case I am still building, still experimenting with color and having the journey that I like very much.

Recently I signed up for an arts & crafts show here in Santa Fe on the plaza. It has been 5 years since I have done this as the last time  sold my art work for very little profit. This time I needed a break from the world and was just happy to sit and watch people. As day one worn on I noticed that people were eating and not buying very much. My prices have gone up in 5 years and now have a very good contemporary following. I noticed people were “shopping a bargain”. I adjusted my prices and had little results in selling. I noticed that when people have a drink in hand they do not buy or a purse clutched tight they do not buy. So why are they there? Mostly to window shop and stroll. If I had a dollar for every person who said they would be back I would have done better. As it was I Broke even plus alittle. Not to pay for my time, but the intention was to watch people. I possibly will not do a show for another 5 years. Experience tells me that my direction for my art work must come from a contempory place to a contempory person. Shows are fine for nic nacks, but not for fine art. If not for the galleries, Where? If not for the crafts shows, Where. If not for the internet, Where?