Burning Man - Getting Ready

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about getting a ticket for Burning Man. I got the ticket at 8:45 PM after being booted out of the queue twice. I finally got back into line shortly after noon. There were more than 27, 000 persons in the queue ahead of me. Over eight hours later I had my ticket. The first hurdle was jumped.

My friend, Bill, a veteran Burner, gave me a copy of his Burning Man checklist. It has been a godsend! I studied that list crossing off items I don’t need, then I retyped and reformatted the list several times. I then panic and cross check it against Bills original list fearing I’d deleted something really important like that rubber mallet. Why the hell would I need a rubber mallet? Bill’s checklist comments are clearly inadequate on this detail.

I crossed off the extension cord for the RV. I am not getting a 30-foot RV for Burning Man. Perhaps next year but not this year. So I added a tent to my list with a checkmark in the “To Buy” column. I found a sale at Big 5 Sporting Goods. I picked up a 3-man tent for $40.00! It was more than 50% off and it’s a great tent! Score! I put a check mark in the “Have” column and dutifully record the cost in the “Cost” column.

A couple of days later, I’m telling my friend, Ron, about my incredible tent deal. “You got only one tent?” Ron asks. “One? I need more than one tent?” naively says the Burning Man Virgin. Seems you need a sealed tent INSIDE the main tent to sleep in. It’s about the only way to ensure dust free sleeping. That RV is looking good.

On Craig’s List, I had found a Huffy Beach Cruiser and it was my first acquisition: a single speed bicycle. It’s a woman’s bicycle but no one would hold that against a 62-year-old man, would they? After all, it is painted a manly forest green. With whitewall balloon tires. Another Burner veteran asked how I was planning to personalize it. What? I can’t just write my name on it??? With over 40,000 old bikes on the Playa, you need to be able to find yours without reading every one of them. Who knew? Something else to think about!

I’m actually having fun pulling together everything I need for my week in Black Rock City. Oh, and I need to figure out how to take a shower & get rid of the water after. You can’t just dump it on the ground. Damn! That RV is looking better and better!

While I’m obsessing about Burning Man, I‘m also offering a couple of special deals on my artwork. I have pricing for most budgets – check them out here: http://dld.bz/KxWff. Contact me if you see something you like and please visit the rest of my website while you are there. Take a look at my artwork. And, while you’re checking things out at http://dld.bz/KxWf, sign up for my Newsletter. Add some spice to your reading life….

Contact me if you want to buy one of my pieces or if you have any questions about a specific piece. My contact information is on my website or you can leave a comment on this blog site for me to contact you (include your contact info!). You can e-mail me at JeryL@JerryLHanson.com or you can telephone me on my studio phone 760-992-3157. You can call me. I won’t mind!

Thank you for listening,

Jerry L. Hanson

Traveling Windows

Prototype for an Eternal Light

(A work in progress)

Six posts ago; I talked about my artistic endeavors with my synagogue. Four of us collaborated to build 12 stained glass windows for our humble temple. Those once ugly windows are now the focal point of our sanctuary.

Each of us developed a thumbnail design for the windows. We then worked together to draw a 1/3^rd scale cartoon of each to further develop the designs. When we sat down to critique the four designs, Davi’s design was clearly “it”. Davi’s design was perfect. It still is.

Davi Cheng, a member of the congregation, is the artist who designed our windows. At the time, Davi knew absolutely nothing about stained glass. I was the only one who had worked in stained glass and had to figure out how to translate her design into glass

We worked on the windows for the next seven years. I taught. Davi, Haim & Victoria learned hands on. These windows were a labor of love for us. We worked together nearly every weekend over the years. We laughed and we argued. We became fast friends. Seven years later, with our scars as proof, we were seasoned stained glass artists and our spiritual home had a stunning set of windows.

Shortly after completion of the 12 windows, our congregation began a search for a new building. We found and purchased a building two blocks west of our current building. Construction is nearing completion and we move to our new home in six weeks.

The 12 windows are moving to the new building too. Davi and I worked with the architects (Lewis/Schoeplein, Architects) to incorporate the windows into the new sanctuary. Marc and Toni have worked miracles with their design.

And now Davi and I are once again collaborating on creating art for our synagogue. We are building the doors for our new Ark. We are also building the Eternal Light to hang over the Ark. It’s another labor of love and I welcome the opportunity to hang with Davi in her studio.

We worked together last week developing our designs for the Eternal Light. We laughed and we argued. It was great! It feels good to be cutting glass again. Now, where did I put those Band-Aids???

I‘m offering a couple of special deals on my artwork. I have pricing for most budgets – check them out here: http://dld.bz/KxWf. Contact me if you see something you like and please visit the rest of my website while you are there. Take a look at my artwork. And, while you’re checking things out at http://dld.bz/KxWf, sign up for my Newsletter. Add some spice to your reading life….

Contact me if you want to buy one of my pieces or if you have any questions about a specific piece. My contact information is on my website or you can leave a comment on this blog site for me to contact you (include your contact info!). You can e-mail me at JeryL@JerryLHanson.com or you can telephone me on my studio phone 760-992-3157. You can call me. I won’t mind!

Thank you for listening,

Jerry L. Hanson

An Itch to Go

My husband retired 45 days ago. God help me!

Actually, Doc’s doing much better in retirement then I feared. He’s kept himself busy and is much less stressed than he was pre-retirement. He’s joined a gym/spa and has been going three days a week for water aerobics. After working out, he “takes the waters.” I had no idea what that meant. I assumed it had something to do with a high colonic. Apparently, not.

Pre-retirement, Doc kept talking about travel. He has visions of spending three months in Italy in a Tuscan villa, or renting a beach house in Ventura for the summer. He’s talked about a six month around the world tour. That’s this year. I have no idea what he wants to do next year.

Last time he talked about getting out of Palm Springs for the summer, I told him that was fine with me. “Really?” he asked. “You’d go away for a couple of months in the summer with me?” “Who said anything about ME going!” said I, “I love the summers in Palm Springs but I’ll come visit a couple of times where ever you go for the summer.” That won’t happen…. Doc won’t travel alone.

We’ve already scheduled trips for this year. We’re spending a week in Ft Lauderdale in March, two weeks in Northern California in April, then a month in Europe for July. I’m going to Black Rock City for 10 days in August/September and then we fly off to Cape Cod for a week in Mid September. That’s nine weeks of vacation already planned for 2011; tickets purchased, accommodations booked.

I put my foot down; said I’m not going on any more trips in 2011, I want to spend some time at home in the heat. If we’re going to travel, make it in the winter. And tropical: Tahiti, Australia, Costa Rica. You know, someplace WARM! I can even take the rain if it’s stinking hot outside. It’s nice sitting on the lanai in a sarong or a Mai Tai, watching the rain come down.

For the past several days, Doc has been on his computer & on the phone. Nothing unusual there. He’s a phonaholic, he’s always on the phone: but the phone AND the computer? Not so much. I knew he was up to something with those travel sites and airline schedules flashing across the screen.

If Doc hadn’t gone to Med School, he would have been a travel agent. Thankfully, he chose well. Perhaps he was tweaking one of our 373 flights booked for 2011? Or assisting another friend with travel plans? I know better than to ask. Besides, I’m maxed out with travel in 2011.

Doc came in into my studio excited & anxious to talk. He found a great deal on a week’s trip to Puerto Vallarta in early March he’s interested in. WHAT??? Then he asked did I mind if he & a buddy went without me? I think Doc is finally beginning to figure out he can vacation without me and, perhaps, still have a good time? Retirement IS good, no?

GO! Have a great time! I’ll be perfectly happy working in my studio.

I ‘m offering a couple of special deals on my artwork. I have pricing for most budgets – check them out here: http://dld.bz/KxWf. Contact me if you see something you like and please visit the rest of my website while you are there. Take a look at my artwork. And, while you’re checking things out at http://dld.bz/KxWf, sign up for my Newsletter. Add some spice to your reading life….

Contact me if you want to buy one of my pieces or if you have any questions about a specific piece. My contact information is on my website or you can leave a comment on this blog site for me to contact you (include your contact info!). You can e-mail me at JeryL@JerryLHanson.com or you can telephone me on my studio phone 760-992-3157. You can call me. I won’t mind!

Thank you for listening,

Jerry L. Hanson

Return of the Prodigal

In October (or was it November?) of 2009, I decided I wanted to try my hand at making a mosaic. At the urging of @TheDeeView, I joined an Open Studio in the home/studio of mosaic artist extraordinaire, Jennifer Johnson. Her mosaic art adorns many public spaces in the Coachella Valley. She’s also an incredible teacher.

I spent 9 months in her Open Studio working on a mosaic. Although I liked my project, I was not enamored with the process and nearly abandoned it on several occasions. I thoroughly enjoyed the company of Jennifer and the other artists who attend Open Studio. It was their encouragement that enabled me to continue through to completion with that mosaic.

I completed the mosaic and am very happy with the results. It now hangs in my living room. I am not interested in making another mosaic. I like the medium. It is not for me.

I attended another one or two session but have no desire to make another mosaic. I have my own studio, after all. Jennifer suspended Open Studio when she and her husband took off for Mexico and Europe for an extended vacation. When Jennifer resumed Open Studio, I did not return.

A while back, I was talking with my niece in Indiana. She had been planning to travel to Black Rock City this year until her life changed to keep her in Indiana. She was telling me she wanted to make medallions for gifting. We discussed the various ways she could make them and from what materials. Chelsea gave me the idea of making ceramic dog tags.

Warning: By year’s end, you are going to be sick & tired of me talking about those self-organizing artistic groups in the desert.

I missed Open Studio. I missed the camaraderie, art talk and artistic stimulation. And I had nothing to work on at the studio that interested me: no projects I couldn’t do in my own studio. Until now. This past Friday, I returned to Jennifer’s Open Studio. I have my project: making high fire ceramic Burning Man dog tags.

I love being back in the midst of creative people; love hearing about what they’re working on; love hearing about their next project; love to hear their comments about their own work and mine. I took it all in as I worked my clay making my dog tags. The time passed quickly and I’m looking forward to next Friday’s Open Studio.

I love knowing I’m no the only artist who is totally fed up with a project (my mosaic). I overhead this: “ I’m slopping down glue and slapping this shit on any which way. I’m so tired of this thing!” I laughed ‘tillI thought I’d pee! I know her finished project will turn out to be a masterpiece because that’s the type of artist she is. Oh, the irreverence!

I walked into Open Studio on Friday. Jennifer saw me and said, “Welcome home!” And, I was.

OK! I’m obsessing about Burning Man! Please take time to visit my website at www.JerryLHanson.com. Take a look at my artwork. Contact me if you want to buy one of my pieces or if you have any questions about a specific piece. My contact information is on my website or you can leave a comment on this blog site for me to contact you (include your contact info!). You can e-mail me at JeryL@JerryLHanson.com or you can telephone me in my studio: 760-992-3157. You can call me, I won’t mind!

And thanks for listening!

Jerry L. Hanson