Sunday, 23rd November, 2008.
I've been on a roll, making things. I've got an exhibition in March, at ROAR Gallery in Wellington and things will get a bit hectic before then, so I'm preparing now.
Collage packages are starting to trickle in ... the flow will become a flood by March.
AND ... stunning new, this .... I'm going to New York for a week and then Florida for a week. By the generous invitation of Elisabeth Holmes in New Jersey, I'll spend time with her and explore New York, then
accompany Elisabeth to Florida to take part in Eydi Lamapsona's collage workshop in Boca Raton. I'm so excited. To at least meet so many of the artists I have corresponded with for so long.
Friday, 7th November, 2008.
I've been making things. Dismembered by days and The cult of youth I've put on the Virtual Tart site, while the four small boards for the
Christmas show at Kina Gallery are in Room 4 of this site. I called the series Luck Happens. Odd stuff, luck. Chance. All you can do is make the most of it.
Change what you can and endure the rest.
And smile where possible.
And I've been preparing a lot of books. The Elephants and Camels - the art of staying afloat is finished. And also the 2009 calendar from the PRIME show. Both of those are on the Press page of this site.
The collage collection book is finished and with the printer. Exciting times.
Thursday, 25th September, 2008.
For my 65th birthday, my Taranaki Taekwon-Do instructor made me this video:
Monday, 1st September, 2008.
I'm the most fortunate person in the world. Fortunate in my friends.
Yesterday I had a pizza party to celebrate turning 65 (which happens tomorrow but a weekend is better for those who work)
It was great! 70 people came and with the hard work of Mili Purpil who assembles amazing pizzas,
and Paul who is way better at flicking them onto the oven bricks
than I am, it was possible to make enough pizzas.
My Taekwon-Do friends made the most amazing cake! That's Cath who baked it (her children donated all those decorating toys). It was decorated with the
Korean symbol for 'scholar', and Frances made the black ribbon with DALE COPELAND III on it, just like my belt. I am indeed lucky in my friends.
Such an honour, Mr Okeroa, my primary school teacher, came! How many people have their first teacher at their 65th birthday party?
And look what happens when you tell people not to bring 'proper' presents but if they've got any bits of old junk ..... Such treasures! The Cob Oven ... see the step-by-step method here.
Saturday, 23rd August, 2008.
Here's the video that our instructor put together from the Taranaki Taekwon-Do Black Belt grading earlier this month.
Saturday, 16th August, 2008.
May I tell you a story? The last Taekwon-Do pattern I had to learn for grading to 3rd Dan is called Juche. It's a very demanding pattern (in USA anyone over 40 is permitted to do the much less demanding Ko Dang
instead of Juche). I did it. Not well, but I did it.
Many of the people in Taekwon-Do mark their black belt or some other important milestone by having a tattoo, either the calligraphy for Taekwon-Do or for one of the patterns. I'm not into tattoos but I wanted to
mark my 3rd Dan, and wanted to use the symbol for Juche. (I'd also been inspired by the meaning of the pattern - representing the philosophy that man is the master of his own destiny.)
I couldn't find the symbol anywhere on the Net, but overheard a young woman saying "I'm from Korea" so asked her if she could write the symbol for Juche for me and she did. Sometimes (often) I think I'm the
luckiest person in the world. So I took the symbol to my favourite jeweller - Mili Purpil - her website is www.milipurpil.com - and she made me a ring and her husband Mr Mac engraved the symbol on it.
(Mr Mac made my sword which you can see
on the cv part of this site - they're a talented couple.)
I'd long ago made the base of the ring - silver and copper, with a small diamond. Mili added a layer of gold .... Taekwon-do has put a bright new layer on my life.
Now I wear it with a quiet pride.
Tuesday, 12th August, 2008.
I've been quietly beaming for days. Since I learned on Sunday night that I passed my Taekwon-Do grading for 3rd Dan black belt, and with an A pass! I feel so
honoured, so fortunate to be healthy, strong .... you know how it goes.
And yesterday I learned that my Contemplating life in the office assemblage (you can see it in Room 8) has been accepted as a finalist in the
Wallace Art Awards. Life is good.
Monday, 21st July, 2008.
I know how fortunate I am. In health and in being content. I like the Taekwon-Do philosophy given by the founder General Choi Hong Hi "Be content with what you have in money and position but never in skills."
Taekwon-Do has given me so much: not just skills worth working for, but the club has become family.
Hayden Price, Dale Copeland, Brent Flynn, Tom Schmitz, Ian Hayward, Frances Rookes, Josef Sidler
It's a pity our instructor Mr Livingstone was taking the photo, but here are the rest of us Black Belts, farewelling young Tom as he leaves for Holland. A link to the website of Taranaki Taekwon-Do
Thursday, 17th July, 2008.
I'm being kept busy with my Wall of Diminishing Returns on the Virtual Tart site, dropping the prices by 5% every day for a month.
AND doing a lot of Taekwon-Do training - I'm attempting to grade to 3rd Dan black belt in early August.
And when time allows, finishing an assemblage and laying bricks. Building a brick shelf/seat and enclosure (for raising the dough & warming plates) alongside the cob oven.
The Cob Oven ... see the step-by-step method here.
All good fun.
Monday, 23rd June, 2008.
It was a good week in Waipukerau, but as always it's great to be home.
Toby came home for a week's holiday so I fired up the cob oven and made pizzas. It worked!!
Then the temporary roof blew off in a storm so it got a bit soggy on top. (Still warm inside though). Time for that cowmanure rendering.
Sunday, 15th June, 2008.
Today I head off to Waipukerau to be artist-in-residence at Central Hawkes Bay Collage.
With a suitcase full of the assemblage I want to work on, and a couple of thick jerseys. Should be fun.
There's been a late cancellation of next month's exhibition on the Virtual Tart site so I'll put on some of my things - a Wall of Diminishing Returns -
like a Dutch auction, with the prices dropping by 5% each day. Clearing some space for all the new things I'm working on.
Wednesday, 11th June, 2008.
The Cob Oven ... see the step-by-step method here.
I've covered the door with scraps of old copper, and the whole thing is SLOWLY drying.
The columns of bricks are to hold up a temporary roof. Eventually I'll put a render over the whole surface ... a mix of cow manure & clay is recommended. I might cover
it all with copper coins too. Money & muck - the thought appeals.
Thursday, 5th June, 2008.
Back after a terrific weekend at a Taekwon-Do Master Class in Maroochydore, Australia. With Master Robert Wheatley from USA - a most inspiring teacher.
Us five from Taranaki, with the two Masters.
Master Moore, Mr Livingstone, Mr Hayward, Ms Copeland, Mrs Rookes, Mr Flynn, Master Wheatley
I've decided to make a separate page, with the cob oven pics into the correct sequence so anyone looking to build one doesn't have to read from the bottom up. See the Cob oven page here
Thursday,15th May, 2008.
It's been a hectic few months, dealing with the Tenth International collage exhibition/exchange.
The very last packages left the house on Saturday, and I'm back playing in my studio. Lovely.
I've finished 2 assemblages that I've been tinkering with for a while
Public Persona
the public smile
and I'm working at 2 other, more ambitious, ones. Life is good, yes?
I've decided to have a Wall of Diminishing Returns month, where prices drop 5% each day. Raising money to go to Morocco! More soon.
Friday, 22nd February, 2008.
The bronzes now look like:
(Click on image to see bigger version, then use 'back' button)
And I'm (ever so slowly) working on a mechanical wind-up thing. Sort of "Garden of Earthly Delights". This figure not only goes around but the horn/tail part also rotates independently. (I found some wool winders at
the Hospice shop and they work beautifully.)
(Click on image to see bigger version, then use 'back' button)
Monday, 11th February, 2008.
I spent all last week at a bronze-casting workshop run by David Reid.
A terrific teacher with an enormous wealth of practical knowledge.
(Click on image to see bigger version, then use 'back' button)
I made these two distraught heads, but am most pleased with the new knowledge & skills.
I'm putting these ones onto jetsam plinths, & already preparing some modelling wax for the next ones.
Ain't life grand?
