After a lot of repair and attention I completed the sculpture last year. It was completed just in time to submit its image for consideration in a show at the Olney Gallery in downtown Phoenix. In November, the other exhibit participants and I received word that we would have our show opening on January 2, as part of Phoenix’s “First Fridays” event. This has been a collaborative effort by me and some of the other art teachers in the Scottsdale district. The exhibit’s title, “More Than... Chapter One”, plays on the implication that we are more than art teachers... we are artists, we are more than artists... we are educators, and this is only the first of many opportunities to come.

Fortunately, Beth was still in town to come to the gallery earlier in the week while we set up the work, although she had to catch a flight home on the day of the opening. Jen came to the show and joined me, out of my comfort zone, while schmoozing with strangers and trying to “describe” the style in which I work. The title of my sculpture, Phloem, is reference to the innermost layer of bark in vascular pants that carries nutrients upward to the other living tissue. I didn’t bother with any explanations during the show.

This was my first professional show and we were incredibly pleased with the turnout of guests throughout the evening. I am also satisfied with my work, itself. I poured many hours of work into its generation, and the positive response that it received in the gallery provides me with more confidence for the future.

It has been quite a while since this blog was updated. We apologize for the delay in posts, as we have been extremely busy with our “home” work. Jen and I had a wonderful time visiting with our family for the holidays, both those who live here and those from afar. This was also the first Christmas that we spent at home, in Arizona, and it was a fantastic way to christen our new house.

The Desert Botanical Gardens, of which we are members, is exhibiting an installation by Dale Chihuly through the month of March. We went to the gardens a couple of times during the course of my family’s visit. It was a truly unique exhibition during the day and looked even more spectacular at night.

My sister, Beth, stayed with us through New Year’s Day. She reluctantly joined the two of us in welcoming 2009 by jumping into our freezing cold swimming pool at midnight. We will never forget that memory.

Jen and I are both working toward National Board Certification, so we will be busy writing and reflecting until the work is submitted in two months. We wish all of you a wonderful and blessed year.

Our painting was finished during the first week of December and we had our carpet installed that weekend. With the majority of work behind us, we could breathe a small sigh of relief and prepare our home for a visit from my parents and sister.

Our garage is still filled with boxes, but we found our Christmas tree among the piles. With the simple addition of a little holiday cheer, we brought a great deal of warmth into our little house and, for the first time, it felt like a home.

The tile work on the main level was finished in October. After all the work, we had some difficulties getting the grout to cure to the correct color. Fortunately, the manufacturer was able to send us a complimentary case of stain and sealer for the grout lines. Although it was a lot of extra effort to apply the product, the color is now darker and more consistent throughout the layout.

Once the main floor was finished, our storage unit was delivered to our home and we unpacked our belongings. The months of living out of suitcases were coming to a close. After we loaded our furniture and possessions into the front rooms, we finished some touch-up painting and prepared for Halloween.

Both of the upstairs bathrooms were originally carpeted, so we were required to lay cement board over the existing plywood floors. Then the new tile was laid over the board and grout was applied. We finished the last of the bathroom floors on Thanksgiving weekend. Although we do not yet have a sink, shower, or toilet in the master bedroom, the guest bathroom is completely finished and ready for our holiday guests.

I would like to begin this entry with a thank you note.

Dear Geometry,

Thank you so much for being useful.

Sincerely,

Dan

I could never have imagined that I would be sitting on my living room floor, drawing a large scale representation of the Pythagorean Theorem on the concrete foundation with a Sharpie. I must say that I felt a bit like a cave man discovering math. After a dry-run of the tiles, and marking the chalk lines, we began to tile yesterday.

This whole experience has proven to be a great learning opportunity for the two of us. With no other project has this been more evident than with our tiling venture. So far, we have developed our own strategies to make the process easier on ourselves and to become more efficient, in general. After the first three hours, we had gone through one bag of thin-set mortar and had laid twenty three tiles. After revamping our methods, thanks to the brainpower of Jenny, we breezed through our second batch and completed another couple dozen tiles in only an hour and a half. I calculate that, at this rate of decrease, we will finish the entire house in only two more hours. Jenny disagrees. This, in turn, probably makes her question my math on the floor layout.

So, we now have about 100 square feet of tile down on the floor. For here, it’s a matter of starting up our assembly line and powering through these next few days. Keep us, and our backs, in your thoughts.