Colorado Abstract Art Gala

Hello friends,

I hope that the New Year is treating all of you well! After celebrating the New Year with my honey I caught a nasty case of the flu - I know, AGAIN - and spent a week doped up on Tylenol. You know, you have VERY bizarre dreams when you're running a fever and your diet consists of juice, soup, and medication. What happened while I was asleep for a week? Even I do not know.

Now that I have rejoined the land of the living I've made some great New Year's Resolutions that will enable me to attend art school in Spring of 2010. For starters, I applied for federal aid through FAFSA. Free money! I also requested information from a number of fine institutions of learning, most notably CalArts, Loyola, RISD, MCAD, SCAD, and Sheridan. From what I have seen from their websites and from what I've heard from former students, those are the schools to attend for aspiring animators like myself. I will be receiving quite a bit of paperwork in the mail soon, and then this summer will visit all of these wonderful places of learning in order to make my final decision.

Which brings me to my next topic - preparing for school! I am now attending no less than four life drawing classes a week. I am pleased to say that my skills have vastly improved from my days in NYC and will continue to post my figures on this very blog. I've had a few reviews from friends and faculty members that have been quite positive - thank you! - and look forward to choosing the best works in the upcoming months for my portfolio to send out to schools.

I am also getting more involved this year in the Colorado Art's scene. Strangely enough, even though I worked for the Denver Art Museum last year I had no idea that there was an art scene to speak of in Denver. I figured it was limited to the large institutions like DAM and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Thanks to Laura Guese though, whose work you can see at Space Gallery, I have learned that I was sadly mistaken. There are art galleries all along Santa Fe, interspersed with Mexican restaurants oddly enough - but you know you won't go hungry.

And tonight Laura, myself, and fellow UT alumna Michelle attended a reception for 55 of Colorado's abstract artists that are featured in an upcoming book by Westword art critic Mark Paglia. I must say though that while I had fun with Laura and Michelle I was not impressed by the art. Half of it I found to be excellent works, the other half reminded me of work that I had seen before in New York and Houston that quite frankly I enjoyed better. It also didn't help that gallery owner Jim Robischon is a creep. Word to the wise Jim, don't grab women's elbows and say hello. That's what drunk, creepy guys at bars and clubs do, not old white men who should be acting respectable. Eww. Also, it's rude to come up to a trio of ladies and ask us if we're art students while eying us like we're little pieces of meat. I won't be going back to your gallery, thankyouverymuch.

Besides Creepy Jim though, the other people I met were quite lovely. I had the pleasure of meeting Space gallery owner Michael Burnett, and his wonderful mother, while at the reception. I cannot stress enough that you should visit Space Gallery. Laura is currently a resident artist and often you can chat with her as she works on the second floor of the gallery on her latest pieces. And Michael is an excellent artist and gallery owner in his own right who was featured in tonight's show.

So while the reception was hit and miss, it's good to know that art is out there if you are willing to look for it. Which pretty much, goes without saying no matter what city you reside in.

I hope that all of you are doing well out there with your New Year's Resolutions. Sweet dreams and goodnight!