Friday, February 01, 2008

When what you wanted takes over... Part 2

With my newly expanded exhibition space in the Golden Gallery, I spent the next year or so creating more abstract photography and "running" a fledgling freelance graphic design and photography business. I say "running" with quotes because I did not really know what I was doing. I sat and waited for the work to come to me mostly (never a good idea), but it gave me lots of time to play around with my art.

I had taken a serigraphy course in college, and I used those skills to create small runs of silkscreened shirts and dresses, and I thought that might be something that would take off for me. But...while I sold them all, I never made more than about 30 at a time, and maybe 200 in total, so that empire was never to be.

Now as I said, I had started selling my work at 11 years old, so my path, whether I knew it or not, was set from an early age. At the time of all the silkscreening, I think I was at a fork in the road. I could stay in my insanely cheap studio, and my cheap little apartment and make whatever art I wanted all day long. Or I could move forward. I could put myself in new situations that would inform my art and grow my skills by holding me to standards that were, at the time, higher than my own. I could use my degree (graphic design) to earn a living.

But first I had to do the one thing that would truly set me back on my path. I had to meet my wife.

Next: Okay, now we're ready to puke, but since we know you're gonna tell us anyway, go ahead and tell us the mushy details. And what about the rest of the 29 years of waiting?

Image from an animated station ID I did for TechTV

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