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49 year old, husband of Lissa, father of Emma (almost 8), visual artist, christian (episcopalian), operations manager at UT Performing Arts Center, native Austinte, current elginite, and chainsawweilder. everything on this web site copyrighted by
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January
2003
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September/October 2003
I think my 50th birthday celebration is finally over. Thursday, I awoke to breakfast in bed and two presents from my lovely daughter Emma; a micropet named Nash and a hand-made ceramic cross which is too beautiful to describe. We drove into Austin and Lissa had her last check up and came away with a good report. Our next stop was the MALL where I got my ear pierced (at least one thing I know I'll remember from my 50th birthday). We headed over to the Eastside Cafe for lunch, then went to Lowes to look for range hoods (part of our kitchen remodeling). Then to Ross's to return the pants that Betty had given me (too big) which I exchanged for a sweater. We split up after picking up the Bug which was in the shop and I went to Tower Records and bought three Cd's with some of the money that Lissa had given me. Thursday night was the reception for the Pearls Before Swine Art Show in Elgin where I picked up my $100.00 for being the Pearl.
Friday Lissa and I drove to Houston to see the MOMa exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art. What a treat!!! all the heavy hitters: Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso on and on some of the highlights for me were Starry Night, Rousseau's The Dream, Matisse's Gold Fish Bowl, Picasso's 3 Musicians, the Bonnard, Balthus Street Scene. It was all in chronologicl order and when I hit the dada and abstract expressionism and mimimalist it kind of took the wind out of my sails. We definitely took a wrong turn somewhere. But that aside the exhibit is well worth the trip.
Saturday I taught my art class then we barbqed steak and sausage for my sister, Linda and her husband Jesse. The Cogdells joined us as Amy has her birthday on the same day as I do.
Sunday I got up and finished tearing out the kitchen then off to St. David's.
As I turn 50 I have been reflecting on all of the folks who have walked with me on they way and who have taught me and nurtured me even though I am not the easiest person to help along. I have a fierce independent streak and like to do it myself but I also really need the companionship and friendship of others. So to all of you who consider yourself my friend I thank you and look forward to many more years together. 10:28:2003
Tim High picked up my paintings Saturday and took them to Ev Free. Thursday we plan on getting the work hung and labels put on. I feel really relieved to get the work out of my studio.
I got an email from Bible Review asking to use my painting "Three Visitors" in thier magazine to illustrate a story on the kosher use of mixing meat and milk. I sold this painting to Judge Rose Spector whose son commented on the painting that Abraham was not being kosher because he put cheese on his burger.
Sunday I finally tore into the kitchen. We are going to remove every thing in the middle and build a brand new island. So I started by ripping off the sheet rock. Tonight I hope to build a temporary wall so I can rip out the rest of the studs. 10:20:2003
Andy Davis and I spent 4 hours last night making 4x5 transparencies and 35 mm slides of my new work. Andy has some awsome photo equipment.
One other piece of , what I think is exciting, news about my upcoming exhibit at EV Free. My painting"Crucifixion at Barton Creek Mall is going to be part of the exhibit. This painting was done for a 1985 exhibit called "Contemporary Altarpieces", curated by Mark Smith and was to be exhibited in a bank in downtown Austin. Once the show was hung the president of the Bank, who was a Baptist, declared my painting was sacriligious and demanded that it be removed from the exhibit. Mark, being a man of great integrity, refused and instead took the whole show down before it had officially opened. The news broke on the front page of the Austin paper complete with a photograph. Folks who had never seen the painting were calling into the Christian radio station and denouncing me and the painting. Mike Kelly, a columnest for the Austin paper at the time wrote a column about it. It was quite a brouhaha. The exhibit finally found a spot at the Austin Presbyterian Seminary. Mark ended up buying the painting and had it in his house for a while but bought a smaller house and didn't have room for so I have been storing it. It needed some restoration due to the stretcher frame warping which I never got around to repairing until recently and thought it would be fun to exhibit this painting again. So it's going to be in the show. 10:15:2003
Here is my artist statement for the show:
Jesus explained his reason for speaking in parables to his disciples. It has something to do with looking but not seeing and listening but not hearing. All humans have the propensity to deny reality. We have confused the shadow of an object for the object itself. In Matrix-like fashion we have chosen to see the world as self-contained; quite exploitable without requiring any reference to it's creator. But a useful independent world ruled by technique is also a world drained of meaning; we are merely manipulating the shadows cast by the real word in the heavenlies without understanding the deeper substance of things God would have use perceive. Hence the artist role: to help us see, not just look; see what the shadows of this world are disclosing about the Government of the Promised Son. The artist too, paints in parables describing shadows of shadows but unlocking mysteries and meanings for those who have eyes to see. In a prophetic voice he urges us to destroy the idols of the self-satisfied materialistic-what you see is all there is-world foisted upon us by contemporary badPhilosophy-jesus seminar-consumeristictechnique driven culture and replace it with a sacramental view of the world; the world created by God through the WORD, and sustained by the WORD to be a symbol that unveils the whole world and all that is in it as a revelation of God and able to tell us something about who God is and what he desires for us as human beings. To paint this world is my ambition.10:15:2003
If you click on these above images you can see a really big image.
Well, I'm nearly done getting ready for my EV Free exhibit. The show is going to hang this weekend but the official opening has been moved to November 2nd. I finished my last two paintings and am in frameing and photo mode. Andy Davis is going to come out tonight and shoot 4x5 and 35 mm transparencies for me. I'm feeling pretty weary getting ready for this show, working full time and doing most of the houshold duties while Lissa is recovering from surgery. I am sorry to say I am not a very good nurse. I will feel relieved when the show is hung. I am ready to rest a bit.
Friday night the Eckhardt Mission Committee had supper with the Rev. James Forbes at the Omni. Saturday he led St. David's in a mission series about Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the church. He asked the question, What would a Spirit-filled St. David's look like? Good question. He is a man full of the Spirit and I hope we can answer the question as a parish and be doers of the word not just hearers.
Thursday evening I had the priviledge to be a part of Jason Haskins 21st birthday celebration. We had BBQ at the County Line and the adjourned to Shepherd Mountain to pray and bless Jason.
Thursday I also had lunch with an aspiring young artist named Chad Darbyshire. He is very talented and has fire in the belly. I hope we can get to know each other and encourage each other to make art that is full of the spirit and prophetic for this time and space.10:14:2003
I received the notice of acceptance for the Pearls before Swine art exhibit that always take place during the Elgin Hogeye Festival (this year it is Saturday, 25 October. My painting, The Good Chicken Farmer, was selected The Pearl (Best in Show) and comes with a $100.00 cash prize. Who said you couldn't get rich being an artist? ha ha ho ho! This is actually the third time I have gotten this prize and the fourth time I have entered the show. The last time I won I bought myelf a new pair of Justin Roper boots which I still wear and are the best work boots I have ever owned. So thanks Hogeye Festival!! By the way the opening for the art exhibit is Thursday, 23 October at 7:00 PM at Rose Minn Gallery on the square in downtown Elgin which also happens to be my 50th birthday. 10:07:2003
I wrote a while back that I had started eating using the atkins diet. I hit the 200 lb mark today and am feeling great and having lots more energy than I used to. People are even beginning to notice a difference in the way I look. As I am turning 50 in a few weeks I really wanted to try and get in better shape so I don't have to spend the rest of my life tired and sick. So thanks to atkins I am losing weight. Now I just need to start getting some regular exercise which is hard for me because I don't like to exercise and I have trouble finding time to exercise. I am hoping that when Lissa is feeling better we can begin to ride our bikes together.09:30:2003
For my birthday (actually on Friday after my birthday) Lissa and I are going to Houston Museum of Fine Art to see the traveling exhibit from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. You know: Starry Night, Persistence of Memory, Monet's Water Lily's all of the 20th century icons of painting. I'm looking forward to it. Austin never gets any good traveling shows. Maybe we'll go to Ikea and eat at Royers' Round Top Cafe in Roundtop on the way back. Sounds like fun to me!
Well, you probably thought I had stopped blogging. Not so. Life just got totally insane for the month of September and I have barely been keeping my nose above water and my sanity by God's grace.
Lissa had to have major surgery on September 12th. After 3 days in the hospital I took off a week from work to stay home and be nurse and substitute teacher for Emma. The next week I worked 1/2 time and this week I am back full time. In the middle of all that I am trying to keep up with work which is our busiest time of year with our new season starting and signing up all of the temporary employees and work studies we always hire. If that isn't busy enough ( and it is). The dean's office forced our deptartment to do a huge office shuffle to make room for the Midori Quartet in the music building. I had to orchestrate the move in two waves and get everybodie's phones, computers and office furniture moved. It worked out fine but was a logistical challange.
Since Lissa is going to be recovering for surgery for at least six weeks she couldn't teach her normal art classes so after prayer and thought I decided to start a Saturday morning art class. I had a great response. Ten people signed up which is all my studio can hold. We are starting off with learning basic drawing skills and will eventually move into painting. I am having a lot of fun and all of the students seem very serious and hard working which I am excited about.
I have also been trying to finish up my four new paintings to go into the art exhibit at EV Free this October 26th. I have to have the paintings delivered on the 18th so with framing time and all I need to get them done pretty soon. I have finished two of them. The wise and foolish virgins and the good chicken farmer. I am still working on the lost $100 dollar bill and the pearl of great price. I have entered these two paintings above in the Hogeye Festival Pearl's Before Swine Art Exhibit which will open on my birthday, October 23rd. I am going to be 50 this year. Send your congratulations scribbled on the backs of $100.00 bills.
Sunday before last I took Emma and Peggy Jo Cogdell to Pedernales Falls state park for the day. We had a great time even though it was rainy most of the day. Although Emma had been there twice before it was not in her memory bank so it was like being there for the first time. Her favorite part was climbing on the rocks. She good pretty adventuresome for her first time. Peggy Jo had been there a lot and is like a monkey on the rocks.
Yesterday, John Patrick Cogdell got baptised at Christo Rey Catholic church and Lissa and I had the honor to be his godparents. It was a beautiful day for a baptism and there was a party afterwards with a pinata. Lots of fun!!
We missed the installation of our new rector, David Boyd which happened later in the day but Lissa still gets really tired so we went home and missed the service. 09/29/2003
We had a great Labor day weekend. I spent a lot of time in the studio. I think I finished the wise and foolish virgins painting.
click on the image above if you want to see a really large version. I also worked on these two paintings and am pleased with the progress I am making.
I have about 8 weeks until my exhibit opens at Ev Free Visual Arts Ministry space; that is Sunday, October 26 from 12:20-1:20. I am hoping to start and finish at least one more new painting about the parable of the pearl of great price.
We also played some board games, watched a couple of movies; Princess Mononoke and High Noon. WE swam, barbacued some shrimp, and I got to read The Emporer of Ocean Park which I am really enjoying.
Monday we had a long visit with Ann Mathew and Randy Renolds who are interested in starting a Mission Episcopal church in Elgin. What is God up to? At one point Ann asked us if we planned on staying in Elgin. I said, "You know how to make God laugh don't you? Tell him your plans." Ha, Ha!!
Emma and Lissa start home schooling today. May God bless their year together.
I am busier than a one aremed man in a butt kicking contest as my lovely wife likes to say with our 2003-2004 season starting at work. 09:02:2003