back in the saddle again!

yup.  I'm back at it.  Picked up where I left off a year ago in Taos at the Wurlitzer.  Pretty much right back there.  (You know... I finished that res Dec. 1, 2010 and flew to Boston for the BCA residency to do a drawing project for a few months.  Then to Jentel in Wyoming and then my 6 month PCT hike)

It's good to be in the Southwest in good mellow living and making sailorly wild west work.  Wait till you see the big leather piece I've got planned....  this should keep me busy?!

life after the PCT in Santa Fe

I completed my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (2,650 mi from Mexico to Canada) on Oct. 10, 2011.
Just received my medal! more on my PCT hike blog

I moved into a live/work art studio in Santa Fe on Nov 1.
I took a job as scenic carpenter for the Santa Fe Opera and began Nov. 21.

Things are pretty good.  My joints seem well recovered from the hike, though I'm still stiff and my hips don't move right.  I'm doing yoga regularly to work on that, and running very regularly.  I ran my first race (only a 5K).

I look forward to resuming my studio practice and getting this Wild West work going!  But I also have to plan and fundraise for my arctic project next fall - the Arctic Circle residency.

Drawing show up thru late November

22nd Drawing Show Residue

Opening Reception | Friday, October 14th, 6-8pm Artist and Curator Talk | Thursday, November 3rd, 6-8pm Curated by Steven Holmes, Adjunct Curator, Bass Museum, Miami & Curator, Cartin Collection

PCT Hike blog!

Those of you that choose to "follow" my PCT thru-hike can do so here:

http://wanderingdot.wordpress.com/

I will start April 15.

until then I'm makin art at Jentel

Boston Harbor Drawing

It's 3 and a half feet square- pretty BIG

PCT Thru-hike PROVISIONED!

AND in record time--- 2.4 days! Ok, so I made 10 drops, 10 weeks worth. But with some left-over food. And Mom (my life-line) is all hooked up on my google-doc spreadsheets which we can both edit regarding the items in each package. Then on my hike I can adjust my foods in the drop boxes and give advice on what I do and do not enjoy eating.

BUT it sure is strange looking at a gazillion calories laid out on the table. Being weighed, measured into ziplocks, calories being tallied.... so far I think my "food strategy" is a great one. Not all junk and carbs. Whole grains and protein are what make me GO. Bring on the buckwheat and oatmeal! The tuna! the pepperoni! Cous-cous? Lentils and MUNG BEANS? YES, we can.

goodbye Boston!

I leave you!

I worked well at my residency at the Boston Center for the Arts. I'm happy to have spent so very much time on this site-specific Boston project. It looks really nice. and by golly, I owe you some new pics. Soon!!

I fly away Wed. and head to the next residency, Jentel in Wyoming which begins Mar. 15.

I'll get back to the sculptural work!

Open Studio March 5

Last chance to catch me on the East coast!!!

Saturday, March 5 · 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Boston Center for the Arts

Artist Studios Building 539 Tremont Street

Christy Georg's current work, Nautical Body, is inspired by the sea. She uses her exhaustive research of maritime history, culture and techniques, as well as her first-hand sailing experience, as inspiration for her artwork. During her Artist Residency, Christy will continue this theme by creating a large illustrative map that charts the evolution of the Boston Harbor from 1776 to the present. Furthermore, her map will incorporate personal stories with historical events, both of which will be given equal importance on her map.

Harbor map pics

news!

Exciting potential!

First, I'm a finalist for the Arctic Circle residency. Oh, boy! I've been excited about this since the first expedition in October '09... will find out soon if I made the cut, but financing is my biggest hurdle.

(hence....) I applied for a few teaching professorships recently.

And, I had an interview with School of the Art Institute of Chicago last week. I think it went well.

Also had a call from Carnegie Mellon.

Hmm. What will become of my adventure-seeking starving artist self this fall? My guts tell me IT'S GONNA BE A BIG YEAR, BABY! BIG! That further enforced by discovering that we just pushed into the Chinese new year (*note, I'm famous for my annual Chinese New Year Dumpling Feast but was unable to abide due to my quasi-homelessness) and guess what year it is? MINE. Ha ha! The bunny.

Righto. So, hopefully I won't die on the Pacific Crest Trail, eh? I'm getting psyched up and scared by reading about past adventurers. The Cactus Eaters by Dan White, and Skywalker- Highs and Lows on the PCT. Really good stuff! I've got the mettle. Um, right?

progress and pic of Boston "maps"

In case you missed the premise:

Christy Georg's current work, Nautical Body, is inspired by the sea. She uses her exhaustive research of maritime history, culture and techniques, as well as her first-hand sailing experience, as inspiration for her artwork. During her Artist Residency, Christy will continue this theme by creating a large illustrative map that charts the evolution of the Boston Harbor from 1776 to the present. Furthermore, her map will incorporate personal stories with historical events, both of which will be given equal importance on her map.

I'm making a huge map of boston harbor. On it, I make...'thought bubbles' illustrating an event at a particular location. Some are historical disasters like the Molasses explosion, the Tea Party, etc. Some are contemporary histories, like where I learned to sail and say... where my buddy Steve caught his first or biggest lobster. Or where he lost one of his outboard motors, it fell off!

So maybe i have a drawing of a lobster maybe in a lobster pot, with a ruler and an oldschool ribbon banner saying "Steve's biggest catch!" Or an illustration of an outboard with a pic of Steve shrugging or throwing his hands up.

You get the idea? All past events have equal weight here, and I want to bring humor into it.

This shipyard built the fastest clipper ship to make the passage between New York and San Francisco, and held that record over 100 years until the 1980's! McKay also built the USS Constitution. The shipyard was on Border St. in East Boston
tunnel at Jeffries Point in East Boston (Maverick Square)

busy busy

So.

Besides the weekly blizzards that pummel us cruelly...

I gave a lecture @ Maine Maritime Museum last week. It was great to finally see the exhibit in person. I'm thrilled to show my "Nautical Body" of artwork in such a fantastic historical museum. It was nice to get away from the studio for a little while too, and I got to visit with a friend and enjoy country-livin' for a day.

Taught two Sunday workshops so far at the Boston Center for the Arts. One more to go! The sailor's knot tying yesterday was fun for all.

http://www.bcaonline.org/visualarts/workshops.html

Pretty much just crankin away on my big harbor map/drawings and bumping up my training in the gym for my big Pacific Crest Trail hike this summer.

Millionaire's Bacon @ Scups

Progress pics

Weather has been lovely here in Boston, as you can see...

some of the bubbles I'm making on my ode to Boston harbor drawing....The Customs House, and the tower add-on on State Street. That used to be the water's edge!

Long and Central wharfs (wharves?!) and Rowe's wharf.

my cool Sunday workshops @ the BCA... come!

C'mon Boston. Get salty with me. I need a little help over here. Your story can be part of my project! And we you can try my unorthodox drawing methods. It's fun! It's free! It's this SUNDAY!

Come learn more about BCA Artist Resident Christy Georg. Her current work, Nautical Body, is inspired by the sea. She uses her exhaustive research of maritime history, culture and techniques, as well as her first-hand sailing experience, as inspiration for her artwork. During her Artist Residency, Christy will continue this theme by creating a large illustrative map that charts the evolution of the Boston Harbor from 1776 to the present. Furthermore, her map will incorporate personal stories with historical events, both of which will be given equal importance on her map.

Mapping Memories of Boston Harbor
Have you ever visited Castle Island or the Harbor Islands? Have you ever kayaked down the Charles River? Do you have relatives or friends who worked at the marina or the harbor? All are welcome to share their experiences and memories about Boston's waterfronts and rivers. You will then illustrate these stories using Christy's drawing techniques of creating new forms through collage, splicing and tracing.

Sunday, JAN 23 1 - 3:30pm Arts Resource Room, Calderwood Pavilion @ Boston Center for the Arts. 539 Tremont St.

Blackbeard's sword, found?!

Believe it or not. Here's the story that TIME posted (excerpted from: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/14/a-pirates-life-have-archaeologists-found-blackbeards-sword/?hpt=C2)

Blackbeard's Sword, Found! Archaeologists Discover Pirate Treasure Off North Carolina Coast

It's likely Edward Teach didn't need much to scare his enemies. After all, the notorious pirate better known as Blackbeard boasted a thick mass of facial hair so intimidating that it got immortalized in history.

He also numbered among the first corsairs to fly a black flag with bones on it. And, according to some accounts, he had a habit of lighting fuses beneath his hat, a halo of smoke giving the bristly sea dog a decidedly demonic aspect.

But archaeologists now suspect they've found one more clue behind the pirate's menace: what could very well be Blackbeard's sword, or at least part of it. National Geographic published photos released by a team that has for over a decade been excavating the Queen Anne's Revenge, which was Blackbeard's flagship until it ran aground in an inlet off the coast of North Carolina in 1718. These include fragments of a gilded hilt and pommel, possibly of French design (Blackbeard's ship was a retrofitted French merchant vessel). The shipwreck has been worked on since 1997. NatGeo has more pictures of objects recovered here.

Before abandoning the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard used it in a daring 1717 blockade of the port of Charleston, S.C, where he and his fleet successfully managed to obtain ransom from the British colonial government for the town and its inhabitants. But troops dispatched from Virginia would eventually catch up to him — after he had already abandoned his flaghsip — and in a fearsome sea fight Blackbeard was eventually surrounded and hacked to death. His headless body was then tossed into the ocean. The pirate may now languish in Davy Jones' Locker, but his likely blade may have been brought to light — further evidence of how Blackbeard's bite was as bad as his bark.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/14/a-pirates-life-have-archaeologists-found-blackbeards-sword/#ixzz1B2yhoJEo

Chad Stayrook, arwork from the arctic

I came across this interesting work researching the Arctic Circle residency. What could be more up my alley than a residency on a schooner that goes into the arctic circle?

this artist was on last years October expedition, and lookee already has work out from it:

http://www.romeryounggallery.com/index2.html

I'm attracted to work with almost reckless ambition and scope. Like children building cities... sometimes it's clearly naive, and sometimes it's premature genius.

Robert Parke Harrison, Chris Larson, Janinne Harkelroad, and of COURSE Paul Etienne Lincoln

Baby Carrots

I saw this on another artist's blog today, and well.. here ya go!

Drawing Center, NY

Oh boy! My portfolio was just accepted to the Drawing Center's Viewing Program online registry!

That's a rather cool honor. Especially for a sculptor who's new to making drawings. I love seeing shots of my tattoos on there!

Boston friends! Art openings!

I was rewarded by dragging my buns out in the cold. The art openings at SOWA (South of Washington Arts... we all hate that tag...) were pretty darn good and I saw lots of old friends!

Bumped into Greg Hayes, who I met at the CAC residency in summer of '09

Camilo Alvarez, who runs Samson Projects, a hot gallery. He was on the jury for my BCA res.

Bob Oppenheim, who was involved with my solo show @ Simmons College's Trustman Gallery.

Went out for a pint with Tim Murdoch, Andrew Neuman, Steve Hollinger, and Heidi Kayser- who runs Axiom Gallery.

Isn't it nice to have great artists for friends?

kickstarter

Can I... should I.... do a Kickstarter grant to help fund my PCT hike?

http://www.kickstarter.com/discover/art?ref=footer

Giant light table!

Thanks a zillion to my friend Tim for chauffeuring me in his Truck to get supplies!

Building a big 4' x 8' light table as a tool for making my big Boston Harbor historical drawing!