Leaving

I just drank a cup of coffee so that I could stay awake to type a few words before going to sleep because I'm leaving on a four-day vacation at the crack of dawn! I wonder if I'll be able to fall asleep? Now I'll probably be up all night worrying about Grant's sty, what to bring our hosts, the weather, and that I don't have time to return any of the calls I received today (sorry Elissa and Fred).

A new show opened at Pocket Utopia this weekend and features the work of 3 photographers; Luke Abiol, Eric Hairabedian, and Kristopher Graves. It's a great show, good work and thankfully a few pieces have sold!

I never worry about leaving my art practice behind because it goes where I go. Even before my bags are packed, I've planned out a vacation art project. With ideas ready for a get-away, I prepare supplies.

I'm starting a new sketchbook, which I've tricked out with pre-collaged pages. I'm focusing on faces, doing "portraits." Maybe I'm being inspired by Pocket Utopia's summer artist-in-resident, Matthew Miller (his backpack of paint pictured above), for his potraits loom and move around my mind.

The current show is also heavy on the portrait with Kristopher Graves being the leading contender (photographically) in this department. He is commissioning portraits through Pocket Utopia and it looks like we may have some sitters (or would that be takers). Either way, more faces with their collaged-imperfections (freckles, speckles, smallness, largeness, and mediocrity) will be photographed to perfection.

The artist Sharon Butler has written an article on the post studio practice for the Brooklyn Rail. If I can't sleep there's plenty to read there. And if I'm really too caffeinated to sleep, I can always have a late night booty call with Hrag's blog! Good night (I hope).