A look at the show

Yesterday I had a couple interviews at the Gallery about my exhibition. I will be sure to post both interviews when I see them. One was with the Chronicle Herald newspaper and the other was with CTV. In the meantime, to the left under "In the News" is a blog post about my opening by journalist Nicole Trask for Halifax Magazine.

While there I took the opportunity to document my show and thought I would share what a wonderful job they did displaying my work. I love being represented by Argyle Fine Art.

Interview by Arts Reporter Elissa Barnard. Photo by Adriana Afford.

Opening night and other ramblings.

Panoramic photo by Crystal Ross

It's a few days after the opening reception of my show and I have the all so familiar feelings I get after all the excitement is over.  I am someone who always needs a project so after months and months of working towards making this exhibition happen I am now kind of projectless; for now. I get a bit of a post opening blues but don't get me wrong, it's nothing serious. It's almost like when an adrenaline-inducing roller coaster slowly comes to an end. Or like raising children and then sending them off into the world to see what happens. (ok, not actually, but I think you get the gist of the metaphor) It is both exciting and makes one vulnerable. I wouldn't trade any of this roller coaster though and will most definitely be doing it as long as I'm able.

The reception was wonderful and I am so fortunate to have support and interest in what I'm doing. I saw lots of familiar faces and had the opportunity to meet some new people who are very involved in the arts here. Sometimes a simple conversation can bring about some new ideas and I will be working on some new things very soon. The most important being revisiting the Barter Van concept and gearing it towards trading with artists of all genres instead of the general public who need to pay their bills and aren't necessarily interested in art. As much of a loner as I am I'm beginning to understand how important it is to have people to bounce ideas off of and I think interacting with creative people will make my next venture out all that much more inspiring. But more on that later.

One of my favorite things about my travels and this show is the stories other people tell me of their own past adventures or future plans. My choice to give up my belongings and comforts have inspired people to follow their own dreams. This, in particular, is a wonderful feeling since I have been inspired by so many myself. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I'm still floored when someone likes what I've made enough to purchase it and have it in their lives. I don't think I will ever get used to that. It's surprising and flattering every time. There's nothing quite like actually living out your biggest dream. It can be done.

Next up in my plans is to put this hide-a-way house back to it's cozy self. I have to start packing up all my materials and load the van back up for this coming weekend when I will be moving in with some friends for a while. I'll be starting work with my sister's moving company and in my spare time revamping the barter van concept. I would love to get back on the road for June but I think that's quite optimistic. Even so, it's important for me to set a date and work towards it. Someone asked me at the reception if I'm panicked or worried about my future. The answer is no. You would think being homeless with an empty bank account would cause some panic but it doesn't. My answer is that I'm lucky enough to have the support of my friends and family and no matter what happens I won't end up on the street. That's all I need to know to have the confidence to keep pushing forward. Plus, I'm just getting started!!

Two weeks till show time.

It's been quite a while since I've popped by my blog. As you can imagine I've been spending all my time putting together my exhibition, which I titled Roadside America. Working away today, I had the realization this is the first time I've had the luxury of preparing a show without having to work a day job. No wonder my stress level has been low. Well, relatively low. There's always numerous silly little technical difficulties that happen to make you slightly panicky but to be able to deal with each issue immediately is a gift.

Along with working on the exhibition pieces I've put together a map showing my route across America and back. I photographed the actual maps I used and pieced them together in Photoshop, lining up the highlighted drive. While traveling I encountered many people who were shocked that I didn't have a GPS. They couldn't believe I wasn't getting lost but the truth was I did get lost, quite a bit, but it often lead to me seeing something cool or talking to someone interesting. So, I became much better at reading maps and knowing my north from my south and east from west. A handy thing to know.

I thought it would be interesting to use the compiled maps to indicate where I took the original photographs used in the final pieces. (In the map above the images are blurred. A good friend of mine has been doing her best not to see any of the images beforehand.  I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for her now would I?) The map will be on display during the length of the show to highlight my route and to lend context to the work. Looking at the map now all I see are the places I haven't been yet; so much left to explore. Soon. Fingers crossed..

I hope people have the time to come say hi to me during the opening reception of American Roadside. It will be at Argyle Fine Art, 1559 Barrington Street Halifax, Nova Scotia from 7-9pm on Friday, March 22nd. 

It's time to get down to business.

I've been at my folks place in Florida for a week now and have begun editing my photos and putting together new works to send home to Argyle Fine Art. I am feeling very fortunate to be at a place in my 'career' where I have a gallery willing to take my art. It really is a dream come true.

When I first arrived I tried to dive head first into making new work. I tend to put unnecessary pressure on myself, especially when people have already paid for pieces I haven't actually made yet.  Well, as you can probably imagine, I had a bit of a panic attack. I can't expect myself to go from being on the move every day for three months to immediately churning out new work. So after taking a couple of days to run some errands, eat oranges from the trees out back and easing into staying put I am now back on track. I am getting some commissions done and there will be new stuff at Argyle for the Pre-Shrunk show in January.

Spending time organizing the hundreds and hundreds of photos I've taken isn't all business though. The past three months have all blended together and sorting through my pictures brings back memories I've already forgotten. I have lots of time for reflection and in a month will be back on the road. Before I left I assumed many things. I pictured myself foraging through the woods for greens to eat, camping by rivers or lakes for weeks on end and making extra money washing dishes or doing odd jobs. I have done none of these things. The romanticizing I did about this journey is just that, romantic and unrealistic. The realities of traveling are completely different, for me at least. Yes, I'm sure I could have done all of these things but it's not who I am. I think part of anyone's success in life is knowing who you really are and not who you want to be. I'm not the kind of person who feels comfortable walking into a place and asking for work. Larry the hitchhiker is. He has taken many little jobs along his way to keep going and is perfectly comfortable doing so. He would approach people for rides or ask for help and was almost always met with kindness. I admire what he's doing but, as I said, it's not me.

I've had to discover who I truly am, accept it and work within it. I am not someone who is going to walk across the continent. I don't want to sleep in a tent in the woods for weeks on end or rely on knowing what's edible in the forest. I want my perked coffee in the morning and a hot meal at night. I like my small creature comforts. It's hard for me to admit I'm not as worldly as I like to think I am. I know it's all relative and some would disagree with me. I guess what I'm trying to say is I now know what my limits are and what I'm comfortable with, even if it's not what I thought before I set out. No matter how well you think you know yourself there's always more to know and spending three months on the road by yourself will surely bring some new things to light.

Louisiana and beyond

I had a great time in Louisiana but I have to say I've never driven on such terrible roads. I'm always looking for a place that screams home and even though I enjoyed myself in New Orleans it isn't on my list of places I would stay. The whole state is messy with garbage and I didn't feel 100% safe walking around. I don't understand why people need to throw their litter all over the place. It's one thing that has bothered me throughout this whole trip. Even in national parks, I can be standing in the most spectacular landscape and at my feet is a discarded bottle or can. If I had one constant gripe while traveling it would be that.

Driving out of New Orleans you can still see the remnants of both hurricane Katrina and hurricane Isaac. Off to the side of I-10 I saw a whole business area which looked abandoned so I decided to investigate. There was a theater, some office buildings and department stores all smashed and boarded up. This is what I saw.

After leaving there I came across an abandoned hospital. The doors were wide open and the place was completely empty. I had a conversation with someone about the ethics of being an urban explorer. It's an unwritten rule that you enter and leave a place without disturbing anything. I hate to see people destroying a place but on the other hand I do love the graffiti. In the case of this place it made it all the more photogenic.

Now I'm in Florida and about to take a break from the first lag of my trip to work on some pieces to send home to Argyle Fine Art. I am looking forward to staying put for a while and working on the hundreds of photographs I've taken in the last three months. It has all become a bit of a blur but I know memories will come flooding back as I go through and edit what I've recorded. I continue to thank my lucky stars for the life I am leading and don't take a single day for granted.