A minor change

Every so often I get emails from some of you (and a phone call or two) expressing justified frustration at not being able to open Lithicvision.com. As near as I can guess (and that is the right word) this is due to some tracking code I have tried to install on my site that isn't compatible or didn't take properly. This is what is preventing some browsers from opening the page. Well, it is gone now (and with it the info it provided me). Let's hope this is the needed solution. Thanks for your patience.

Carping-

just because I need to!

This post is to all of you who are planning on attending the National Convention of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America here in Tucson in April.

As a vendor I am expected to register for the convention ($185) and pay a commission on all my sales. As a vendor I have to have someone at my booth at all times, in my case, me. I am a one man show-I have no employees and no interns. I can't go to any of the seminars and presentations because I have to be in the booth and yet I still have to pay for them on top of the commission.

I'm, in effect, paying for a movie ticket, buying some popcorn, giving the popcorn to someone else and having to sit in the lobby while the movie plays.

Can you guess why I don't want to be a vendor at what may (or may not ) be a very big opportunity to get exposure and sales from an important client base?

Can you guess why I'm very frustrated?

GGGGGRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!! Yes, I'm angry.

So, to all of you who may be attending from across the country from, say, Atlanta GA, or Macomb MI, or New Paltz NY, or Mountaiview CA, or Winter Park CO, or Portland OR, or any of the places across the country and world (and you know who you are) (and, courtesy of Statcounter and Google Analytics, I kinda know who you are as well), I'll be here, in Tucson, more than willing to have you come by the studio and check out my work. I know you want to. And Lord knows I want and need you to.

I would love to have been a vendor but I am here to make money, not lose or give money away. Which is what seems would be the case. I, as well as anyone on the planet, know life isn't fair. But this is just wrong.

Boy

Howdy, it has been awhile since I've posted anything-here, on Studio Notes or done any work on Lithicvision.com. For some of the reasons you can go here.

It is time for this to change. time to catch up, and so I charge into the void on the screen and try to cover the biggest highlights related to this whole art thang relative to my life and the work I share here.

Several weeks ago I went to an event that has done just what its organizers intended; I was lit up at Ignite Tucson. The first event of its kind here in Tucson, it was modeled after Ignite Portland, and its predecessor, Ignite Seattle. The theater it was held at, The Screening Room was packed to capacity with that quality I so love about Tucson-people who I feel a sense of community towards, friends I haven't met yet. And then, there was the free beer from Nimbus, a local brewer, asset, and community builder in their own way. I'm sure that didn't hurt.

Anybody with a bit of passion and a willingness to share can get up on stage, and with the assistance of 25 pictures, at 15 seconds each on a power point presentation, talk about anything that gets your motor going and pass it along. I was ignited about someone’s (I forget who. Sorry.) presentation about National Park(ing) Day, held this year on September 19th.

N.P.D. was started by Rebar, an arts activist collective in San Francisco in 2005, in an attempt at engaging people in a dialog about the commons, public space and urban design. They did so by taking over metered public parking spaces and converting them to-parks! Literally bringing in sod, fountains and lawn furniture etc and “parking” for the day. It was a huge success and the next year S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom donated his parking space. The Trust for Public Land took over the organizational aspects of it and it has bloomed into – a lot of smiles, on a lot of people’s faces and has done what Rebar ultimately wanted – a dialog about the commons.

Of course I would do a sculpture garden; not “Why?”, but “Why not?” How fun!

After a couple of days it occurred to me that I could give away “Do It Yourself Parking Kits” that would consist of- 1 plant and an attitude change. Kinda. In exchange for the plant, the recipient would agree to plant it in a public place, or at least in a location where the public at large can appreciate it. Sing a few notes in the song that our town sings.

What wasn't included, what you had to bring to the table (or to the dirt as the case may be):

More awareness of our shared spaces and your capacity to shape them,

Your desire to make your world a better place,

Room to grow, the more public the better (both you and the plant),

A shovel (or some kind of tool to dig with),

Water (as needed),

Sweat (as needed).

I gave away plants that were desert-adapted/native, too big (when mature) to use in my work, tough, common, easy to grow, and, in my way. I wanted to include info about the plant, how to care for it, and some info about what I was doing this for- to help arrive at an understanding that we are all in this together. An act, however small, of participatory democracy, of enlightened self-interest. Because it is in my best interest that more people in my town state and nation wake up and understand that this is for real and to act like it makes a difference, to accept some responsibility/accountability for the circumstances that we all share in creating. For my money, one of the best things about democracy is knowing more or less just where to point the finger of blame; we all see it every time we look in the mirror. Enlightened self-interest is a phrase that I will come back to again and again because it is so very relevant to so much of my life. And everyone else here.

It was also a chance to clean out my nursery, which means that I get my yard at least a little bit cleared up. Yea!

I started to do some planning work around my park, and then, on my birthday, of all days, pulled my back. In practical terms I was out of work for three weeks, on my back for ten days, really hurting and hemorrhaging medical bills. I was not a happy parker.

After returning to fully functioning mode, I almost had time to get organized, get emails sent out to both inform people and request some help setting up and taking down. I didn't get any handout/plant care instructions printed, no signs or graphics made. Nor park features made. And yehaw, it was still a blast.

Thursday night, however, I started to get a bit unnerved.

I had been anticipating the possibility of a few cranky people but started to wonder if I was kicking a wasp's nest after reading the overwhelmingly negative comments on the Tucson Citizen's online article about N.P.D. and just couldn't let them be. And so I spent a couple of hours making a point by point reply to all the negative observations pouring out. Which I think is perhaps the most valuable and long lasting effect of this whole affair- engaging your critics. Unfortunately you have to have an online subscription to read the vitriol, childishness and stupidity on display in the readers’ comments (sigh).

A large part of the motivation to both do N.P.D. and reply to the naysayers was to walk the talk- democracy is not a spectator sport. This is my town, my state, my country and my world; this world is all of ours. And everyday is the time to act like it. Which is why I take criticism so personally, even when I am addressed in the abstract. It matters. Preaching to the choir is a helpful and sometimes necessary thing to do, but engaging your critics is where the greatest possibility for change will come. You're also much more likely to reach an understanding of your critics by addressing them directly. I know I don't have all the answers, nor are all the decisions mine to make. But if you're too apathetic or stupid to make intelligent or informed ones you and I both lose.

I didn't send in my reply to the paper that night/morning, done in the heat of astonishment, but did manage to not get much sleep before getting up at 5 A.M. to load my van with 70+ plants, furniture and sculpture. Nor did I finish the graphics I had so laboriously done because I didn't save them in a format that Kinkos computers' could read (I was too exhausted to think).

In the morning, I had one helper, my friend Barb, without whose help the whole would have been diminished considerably; she watched over the first load while I went back to my studio and got another. Thank you again Barb.

Throughout the day I had a steady stream of curious, smiling Tucsonans take me up on the offer to improve our town in this small way- one plant at a time.

One of the first people walking down the street, and a complete stranger, I verbally snagged also had one of the best responses of all. After I told her what I was doing, and before saying anything in reply, she gave me a big hug. I knew I was doing something good.

The next best reply came from a man in his thirties or so. As he approached I picked up a vibe that was a little off-putting but I gave him my spiel and he listened attentively. When I had finished he asked me-

"If I asked you to, would you do something for me?"

As I reflected on this for a moment he said

"You're thinking too much about this, it is a simple question."

"Well, I'm not sure. I might"

We went on like this for a bit, with him telling me after a moment "You would make a good lawyer. Just answer the question."

I gave in and said, "OK, I'll do it. What do you want?"

Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out a $5 and said "Here, you've learned how to give, now learn how to take."

I said a couple of times "No, I'm not doing this for money or to sell anything."

He didn't take a plant and he wouldn't let me not take the money. I guess I covered my meter fees for my van I had to move a couple of times that day.

In the afternoon my friends Stephen and Erica came down to help load things back up. Two loads of plants in the morning-one in the afternoon, a success. I had more fun that day than I have had in a long while.

Next year, bigger and better.

A little bit o’ updating.

The seemingly usual by now, unexpected events have been popping up and taking up more energy and time than I like, but, that is the way it goes, like it or not.

The show at Boyce Thompson Arboretum a couple of weeks ago went well enough, all things considered- the weather was pretty foul and this was the first time this show has taken place. As such I wasn’t really expecting a big turn out, but, as they say the first days are the hardest days. And, any sale is a good sale. My van made it all the way up to the show, which was a good thing but I got home to discover that I have no reverse gear. Fix one problem, and because nature abhors a vacuum, I have a new one to deal with, AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! Wish me luck in getting it resolved before I have to be in Phoenix for the next show “Flower Power” at DBG. Following that , the very next weekend is one of my favorite shows-the Spring Plant Fiesta also at DBG.

Due to all the difficulty the transportation situation has caused, (eating money and time, both of which are in short supply this time of year) I have made no progress on Lithicvision.com. Yet another cause of frustration.
On the up side, spring is pretty much here and the weather has been absolutely glorious. Because the seasons won’t wait, I had to get busy repotting, dividing, making cuttings, pruning, feeding, watering etcetera. And I loved it. I felt like I was on vacation. In other words, simply doing something I enjoy and want to do. Not quite playing in the studio but almost as much fun and satisfaction. Onward and upward!

Much to my suprise,

you can in fact see my, as yet unfinished, web site-Lithicvision.com. I had no idea it was available for public consumption. Arrgghhh! I have so much to learn. I feel like I have had my back to the crowd, addressing all the details in preparation for a big unveiling, only to turn around to find out that the curtain is already up and the audience has been watching in respectful silence.
Oh well, on with the show!
If you care to check out the calendar, you will see that this weekend, Saturday the 16th, I'll be up at Boyce Thompson Arboretum for their event, Artisans at the Arboretum, sponsored by the Soroptimist International of Gold Canyon. This is a new feature in concert with the Language of Flowers and Chocolate Tasting. All in time for Valentines Day (weekend?)-chocolate, flowers and art. How can you resist?
What this translates to is that I'll be making work for this event and not getting much done on the web site (again). I've said it before and I'm frankly tired of saying it, but, ""Thanks for your patience, it will be worth the wait."
It's not easy being head of sales and marketing, the CEO, the CFO, the HR person, head of production and head of R&D. And the all important secretary for the whole office. I hope you have as much respect for the self employed small business man and artist as I do.
Now that I've caught my breath- back to the studio.

The work continues...

It seems there is a bit more involved to getting a web site up than I initially thought and so things are going a little slower than I planned. In the mean time I've put up a new slide show of work I sold long ago to satisfy everyones curiosity.

As is the case with all the slide shows, simply click on an image and the picture will take you to my public gallery at Picasa where you can find the name of the plant in the piece shown.

Enjoy!

Shaking off the dust and coming up for air

I've been far to busy getting my bills paid and haven't had time or energy to work on this blog at all, but my efforts are bearing results; that is to say, I'm almost keeping my head above water. Sorry for the mixed metaphors but I'm too tired to write well.
In the next couple of days my web site-LithicVision.com will be up and running and with that, everything needed to order some of my work, ( a Pay-Pal system, shipping, pricing etc). Many thanks to Suzanne and Tony Mace at The Cactus Mall for listing this blog. Keep coming back, your patience will be rewarded.