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.

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!

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.