Calvin and Hobbes on Inspiration

This describes 80% of my students right now:

Do I "Know About Photos?"

A former student was asked this about me on LinkedIn recently, and she posted a screenshot to Facebook:

It's Hard To Be An Artist

A little truth about being an artist from Savage Chickens:

Article About the Seoffker Gallery Exhibition

Well, the faculty show in the Soeffker Gallery is now down, but I just saw an "Oracle" Newspaper article about it. This appeared in the March 9th issue:

Click image to enlarge

The Truth About Camera Batteries

Eadweard Muybridge Movie

This isn't a true documentary, but it still looks like it could be interesting to see:

Direct link: http://youtu.be/7VAds0GH_8E

Did it annoy anyone else that he's upside-down on the ground glass as he should be at at 4 second mark, but he's going in the wrong direction? Oops. Not good to have a flub 4 seconds into your trailer.

Still, I'd like to see it…

Making Frames

Nearly 2 weeks ago, I started making some frames, and I finished them up about a week ago. (One of them is for a piece in upcoming exhibition in CO at "The Center for Fine Art Photography.") Here's some photos from the process.

Sorry everyone else shopping at Menards, but I picked over their poplar stock PRETTY well.


At the Hamline University woodshop.


From my Instagram: "Playing in the woodshop. Making some frames for an upcoming exhibition."


After a pass through the table saw.


Safety selfie.


After 2 passes through the table saw.


Final frame (and mat) dimensions for the piece for the CO exhibition.


The large frame and 1 of the small frames mitered, assembled, and puttied (just the nail holes).


Another Instagrammed photo: "A 32"x41" frame for an upcoming show in CO,
and three 22"x28" frames. Puttied, sanded, and ready to be finished!"


Some tight joints.




Hanging out in my office for the weekend.

After they spent a few days in my office, I hauled them home, wiped them down, and laid them out for finishing in my garage:

Wiping on a coat of tung oil. The difference is subtle, but I like the way it gently
"warms up" the frames. (Coated on left, not on the right.)


Before / after.


Before / after.


After drying for a day.

Check out my last post for some photos of the large print that will be going in the biggest frame for the exhibition at "The Center for Fine Art Photography."

Upcoming Exhibition in Colorado

I recently got a piece into an exhibition called "NIGHT" at The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO. I decided to make a larger print for the show. I submitted a file last Monday night to White House Custom Color, and about 40 hours later, this appeared on my front porch:

The 30" x 40" print laid out in my studio. Note the letter-sized test prints to the far right.


A detail photo (dollar bill for scale).

The print held up well at that size (although that's about all the bigger I'd be comfortable making it). I made some frames last week, and just finished them yesterday. More on that soon.