Progress and Possibilities

The weather has been good, if a little too cool for my thin old blood. I've made good progress on the stone. All of the big through cuts are complete, and now we're looking at rounding, smoothing, and hollowing out the details inside the stone. I started cutting a new trough in the forward arch to better bring out the translucence in the material.

I'm a good two thirds of the way done on this project, and I hope to have it done early in February. The city of Brea, just a town over to the east of me, is holding their big "Made in California" show, and I got post card from them with a call for entries. 

 

Now, I haven't heard anything from the Brea gallery in years. Strange this should pop up just when it did. They're looking for contributions for a solo spot in the show, and they want five entries to apply. If I finish this rock in time I will have five stones completed since I started working again last April.

 

 This kind of work can't be hurried along, and I won't sacrifice quality to make a deadline. I have until February 18 to make the submission. What the hell, may as well go for it. Very few people work in stone. The novelty alone may get me a spot, or at least get some pieces accepted for the show.

But then again, this is the art world. I looked up the information on the show. They're having a "special guest" juror assist in the judging. She's a twenty something (self-identified) Latinx "photographer" whose specialty is social justice, and overcoming the racism and prejudice against BIPOC artists. She is a fierce warrior for all social justice causes. Chick's got a nose ring, and wears a pair of earrings that are orange plastic discs printed with the word "Decolonize". There is nothing that ensures aesthetic excellence like a fine blend of pseudo-indigenous folk art, fused with anti-White Marxist political rhetoric.

Even so. It's a large gallery with a good following. I'm hoping I can get a foot in the door to generate some interest in The Lost Canyon/ Lost Era projects. I can't shake the sense of mission that I feel toward promoting Pete Hampton's legacy. 

So, anyway, it's almost seven in the morning. Coffee is cold, and I'm gettin' told, that it's time to get back to work. Weather looks good for the week. Let's do it.