Cave Creek

Episode 19, in which Cheryl photographs bugs, er, doing it.

And we see a Gila monster! We visited a riparian area northeast of Phoenix. Since many desert plants are protected, I took only photographs. They're available on Flickr.

Surplus

Episode 17, in which Cheryl sees much but finds nothing.

Today we visited enormous surplus centers, one in Mesa, and ASU's surplus yard. we also stopped by a framing shop with an attached gallery, but by that time I had seen so much stuff I was worn out.

I didn't know what I was looking for, and consequently, I didn't find anything.

Can you believe how much stuff people throw out in this country? Damn.

Music: Los Alamos traffic by Flopsy from podsafeaudio.com.

Mid-Term Show and Tell

Episode 14, in which we show and tell.

This video is just over ten minutes long. That's because everyone spends a minute or two showing a project and sharing a little about the materials and creative process. You'll see completed work made from the stuff you've watched us find and work with so far. Enjoy!

Finding New Materials

Episode 12, in which Cheryl finds some new materials for experimentation.

I'll be messing with this stuff over Spring Break. Hopefully I can come up with something interesting.

Table Mesa Road

Episode 11, in which destruction contains the seeds of creation.

There's this spot about 30 minutes north of Phoenix that gives access to one of the man-made lakes Arizona uses in an attempt to store water. It's the kind of place my dad used to take us when I was a kid, to camp and fish and enjoy the outdoors. The rule was, always leave the area in better condition than you found it. We used to pack out any trash we saw as well as any that we made.

So I was shocked to see how people abuse the site today. People take everything from coffee cans to coffee tables out into the desert and blow it away with all manner of guns. Then they just leave it there, along with their expended bullets and empty cartridges and shell boxes. The area is a big dry wash, and when it rains, all the water flows into the lake, carrying in every bit of toxic waste left behind.

So the place is a mass of contradiction. The beauty of the Sonoran desert astounds me, and the debris deluge turns my stomach.

You know what an artist has to do with this wealth of material.

Create.

We went out and foraged, then had a picnic near the lake, and Joe Willie Smith and I collaborated on a twig sculpture, which will probably be shot to kindling over the weekend. But you can see it here.

May 20, 2007, Update:

This video has been selected to screen at Pixelodeon!

Spin It and Run

Episode 10, in which Cheryl tells Joe Willie Smith to spin it and run.

I swear, I love how much I get to play in this class, and that my teacher is free to play, too. Spending my semester this way is one of my better decisions.

Have a look at what my fellow students worked on today:

• a ... propeller ... thing
• a mask
• a kinetic mobile
• a metal sculpture

I did more sandblasting today. Specifically, I blasted some ugly green paint off of a wood frame purchased for under $1 at the As Is Yard. The sandblasting revealed the grain of the wood nicely. Joe Willie also sliced a piece of oak for me, and it's gorgeous.

Unfortunately, while I'm doing my own work I forget to yank out the video camera. I'll try to do better next week and show you how my own work is coming along.

Urban Freak Studies

Click To Play

Episode 9, in which we perform a classic carnival freak show during lunch.

Today was a foraging day, but I forgot my video camera. Luckily guest vlogger Dale Doubleday had her video camera.

I did bring a still camera, so I can show you photos of where we went and what we saw.

Our first stop was Apache Reclamation & Electronics, which is just this space, both a building and a yard, containing reclaimed items from industry. They had a little bit of everything, including chemistry supplies, and boy was it cool.

Joe Willie and I wanted to make a printing press with some of these rollers.

I dearly wanted a way to take these shelves home. I'd have to rent a flatbed truck.

We ate lunch and performed our carnival act at La Canasta. Delicious food!

We ended the day with some hard core thrifting. It was a blast.

Highway Foraging on I-17

Episode 8, in which Cheryl and her mom find the number 8.

Appropriate, huh?

We met for a birthday lunch, but I managed to turn it into a finding opportunity. And a sunburn opportunity. But we found nifty animal bones and metal bits.

Santa Fe Railroad

Episode 7, in which we threaten national security.

For today's class we walked a couple of miles along the Santa Fe Railroad tracks, foraging for metal, glass, interesting rocks and wood. It's not shown in the video, but Joe Willie found an amazing 18 inch piece of beautifully weathered oak, and let me tell you, it was heavy. He's going to give me a slice of it for one of my projects. As you watch, keep an eye out for our impromptu xylophone. We left it out by the tracks for any wandering musicians that might happen by.

Studio Work Day

Episode 6, in which we work in the studio with what we've found so far.

Richard works out his opinions on weighing in. Joe Willie helps out with ideas for transforming objects. Dale creates a beautiful lady out of fabric and natural materials. Esmerelda begins designing an altar. And I'm working with a cigar box, egg shells and an old doll's head, though I spent most of the time removing seeds from their pods.

Music: El Coradobes by Gringo Motel, from podsafeaudio.com.

Random Saturday Foraging

Episode 5, in which Cheryl loses her nerve.

For class, we are asked to document our resources. I've taken that to heart and am making note whenever I see something that might be of use to fellow students, even if I don't want it. I'm also trying to document anything I pick up for myself, even if I'm not sure how I'll use it. With that goal in mind, here are the resources shown in the video:

Scottsdale Community College, behind the art building:

• discarded gym equipment may yield interesting metal bits and other parts, but you should probably ask around and see if it's okay before just nabbing stuff
• Desert landscaped areas contain cool natural materials, like tumbleweeds and seed pods
• Any college campus is probably a good place to find miscellaneous stuff discarded by maintenance - I found rusty wire and wood

The former greenbelt at Chapparal & Hayden Roads in Scottsdale has lots of:

• driftwood
• freshwater shells
• lost golf balls
• the occasional dead waterfowl with pretty feathers

Camelback Road & Arcadia Lane in Phoenix:

• red brick rubble
• metal
• pipe

Looks like a car wreck. I don't know if the brick is owned by a homeowner, the city, or maybe a neighborhood association, but I doubt anyone would miss a bit of it.

Making a Rattle

Episode 4, in which Cheryl finds a little friend.

I teach at Scottsdale Community College on Fridays. I foraged in a desert landscaped area there after class and came up with materials I can use to make a rattle.

Exploiting Materials

Episode 3.5, in which we learn about exploiting materials. Shrink wrap, in this case.

This is an excerpt from January 23, when we visited Joe Willie Smith's home studio. He's taking the opportunity to give us a mini-lecture on why it's good to know the origin, uses and properties of the materials we find.

As-Is Yard and Joe Willie's Home Studio

Episode 3, in which Cheryl is enchanted by a doorbell.

For our second class meeting, we went to the local As-Is Yard, otherwise known as the Goodwill Clearance Outlet at 17^th and Villa Streets. Joe Willie advised me not to use my camera inside so there's not much footage from there, but you'll get to see what we found there in a future episode.

After a quick lunch at the Ranch Market, we got a tour of Joe Willie's home and studio. The wonderful chaos that you see in the video is a drop in the bucket.

Music: Lil' Rooster by Gringo Motel, from podsafeaudio.com.

Alley Foraging

Episode Two, in which Cheryl forages in an alley and encounters an indecisive dog.

For class, we were supposed to begin by foraging near where we go every day. So I decided to detour into a few alleys in my neighborhood. I found wood from a broken chair, an unusual metal ... uh ... thing, a laptop keyboard, ceramic tile, and a no. 2 pencil.

Introducing: What We Found

Episode One, in which Cheryl gets a multi-tool.