mid-way

Ok, so I'm at the half way point of my 2 month residency here at Pocosin. How did this happen?
Last night on an adventure walk across to the other side of the scuppernong river I spotted a BOBCAT!!! My first one ever live and in the "wild". I was walking along an old abandoned bridge talking to myself (of course who else would I be talking to) and saw her, she was sitting on the side of the bridge beside two old glass bottles ( one brown and one green). As soon as I saw her, she turned and jumped back into the wild marsh land. Ohhhhhh!!! So exciting! I know you can hardly stay in your seats.
Hey, it's a small town this is all the excitement I get- ok.
Work? Oh yes, I'm making some pieces to get out to galleries and getting caught up on trades I owe. (If you happen to know anyone who would be willing to barter a car for an engagement ring or fancy silver container. Please send them my way. JAH-RULE has passed her 250,000 mile marker and I'm afraid she might be headed to retirement. It is odd how attached we become to our vehicles.)

I'm still continuing with my wall wire guys. At some point in the next 2 years I want to completely fill a gallery with them. At the opening I'll continually make up random stories to tell people about the forms and their interactions with each other.

Small Town America

Columbia,  North Carolina- the hardware store down the street from Pocosin has a grab box of nuts, nails, screws, ect for .10 cents each. There are tomato and green pepper plants on a rack outside, down the block is the post office with two windows, but one always seems to be closed. I get to check the mail P.O Box 690. Across the street from the post office on the corner is the only bar in town, you have to go upstairs from the restaurant. No weapons, please. thank you- management. I like to say that my window over looks the water, but it really over looks the chain link fence surrounding a city property parking lot, that over looks the water. By water I mean the Scuppernog River, which leads to the Albemarle Sound, which leads to the Plamico Sound, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean. I'm thinking about exploring my inner Huckle Berry Finn and building myself a fucking raft. We'll see how far I get with that.
Since I am no longer responsible for the resident blog at Arrowmont, hey!! I've decided I'll spend some time with my own. Aren't you feeling lucky. Well?
My residency here at Pocosin, so far is going quite well. A completely different feeling from Arrowmont. Here, the total staff count is 3, 4 maybe depending on how you count.  This non-profit arts & crafts program is fighting for every dollar, but the people here are making it happen. Feather ( isn't that a lovely name) is the fearless leader of Pocosin Folk Arts. You have an idea about how to get help, or to make something happen and BAM! Feather has made a few phone calls and has meetings set up to discuss the matter. Everyone works together in a large room upstairs from the gallery/ studio spaces. There are no offices here, just ONE office. Gone are the days of lunch break nookie in the office with your blinds down. Dang.
Change of Topic: Tonight on my jog about town I passed a house that was on brick supports/ stilts, and clearly had no one living there. I'm going to get pictures tomorrow to share with everyone. And of course if you are planning a trip to the beach, please stop in and say hello!

Move!

My first of many moves this year has taken place. I left the lush, cool, green, Tennessee Smoky Mountains for the hot hot hot heat of Columbia, NC to be the new artist in residence for Pocosin Folk Arts School. I'll be here for about 2 month, of course I had to pick the hottest 2 months of the year. Sorry I'm just bitchin. Plan while I'm here... work work work, and do some reading. I've got lots of projects to get taken care of and need to get some new items out to galleries. So there is my life update, but let me just say leaving Arrowmont was horrible. For now I'm off to see my twin get hitched this weekend in the Chesapeake of VA. Enjoy the weekend.