I dropped a couple words from the last post in a sentence near the bottom. Make up any thing you think would work.

About the same time as all the studio Tour, Atlas Building stuff was spinning into its own momentum, I was teaching a three-D design class. The class is a basic level examination of the elements and principals of design in a three dimensional format. One of the more difficult things to convey to students is not that the principals and elements can be applied in three dimensions, it's that when you look for some kind of statement, and don't know what that is, there are ways to find out. These ways are a lot like playing. If we know what we want, we can go right to it. If we don't, we have to look around, see what's out there, explore some things, and if something seems to move in an interesting direction, follow it. Andy Goldsworthy is a great example of that. In the process of trying to present them with problems to solve and lists of materials or at least places to look for materials, I began wandering through Dollar General. I found some interesting things without much trouble, and together with some other things that I have no excuse to keep except to create with, I threw together some sculptural works. These are the works (above).

The Peeps were from the dollar general just before Easter, the tin was one of a bunch of things I have saved without any real reason, other than materials for work. The sheet of grey card stock was just to hide some spackle on the wall, but helped to contain the composition. The egg shells, another one of those things I save to use some where some day.

The ironing board and plastic funnels, with the cans of milk, same thing, milk from Dollar general, funnels, dollar general, and ironing board from a house going on the market, left behind and given to me by a friend who is a realtor.

The ladder was found on a trash pile at the curb where a house was being cleaned out for sale. The objects that were added to it were things that I save and don't actually know what I will do with them, dead and wilted roses, wasp nests, and rope. The plants were originally something I ran across at my neighborhood garden shop, Ted and Debbies, and were scotch moss. The color was bright lime green and the plastic pots were rectangular, which had a denser shape, but I had to find something else when I moved it into the dark spaces of the Atlas Building.

All of these works were made to show students in the design class what one of the possible statements could be with materials like these. For me, enjoyed working within the limitations of the materials and the time I allowed to complete the work. Finding the caned milk at dollar general, and the label on the cans are the spark that started the idea in that direction. there are so many fabulous objects all around us all we have to do is see them and start putting them together.

That brings me to the next big point that I want to make, Art can and should be fun. Yes, there are very serious works that expose deep and heart felt ideas but there are also humorous and light statements that have elements of deeper and serious statements. Why not, if it is possible to read the work in a variety of ways can't that be built in as another contributing component of the richness of the work. Humor helps break down the formality that sometimes stands between art and audience.

Bottom line, for me is that between now and where I will end up there stands a vast variety of work, why not let it all out. If I hadn't been teaching the 3-D class I may not have ever tried these things. If I hadn't agreed to try working at the Atlas, I may not have ever done the work that was done there. This is what I have learned, things change and you have to brave the wind, step out into the storm see what happens.