Rough Week

Had a fairly rough week, but I was able to get some things completed.    The setbacks of this week included an unsuccessful search for materials needed to conduct an experiment with my Ritual project, finding that I did not have enough brown stoneware to begin another project, and I had a brutal battle with a piece of equipment in the clay room.

The good points of this week: got the supplies I needed for Ritual experiment from storage FOR FREE, an awesome friend gave me some of their brown stoneware to begin my project and after almost 5 hours of battling the clay mixer-I have some of the reddest clay known to man! Take that!

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that we found our show space last week! BOOYAH!

On the agenda for the upcoming week: I will attempt to finish up my Ritual project, continue with my Installation project, Begin my third and fourth project for class AND continue work on my Spring Senior Show J

Here is to hoping that this week goes a heck of a lot better than last week!  Pictures to come-one of them does not really need a caption-for it is pretty self-explanatory…NO LAUGHING! ;)

Tortoise Mandala Clock

Fall Senior Show Space (sneak peek-you have to come to the show on November 22 to see the rest)

 

The jury is still out on the winner of this battle!

 

DON'T FORGET TO FEED THE FISHIES!

BOOM!

GOOD GRIEF!! Here we go again. ;)

Welcome back!  Thank you for joining me for the beginning of my last year in college J I am confident that it promises to be an eventful year. Only 245 days to go until graduation!

According to my preliminary calculations, I will have approximately 4 shows and 10-12 projects to begin, complete and present within those 245 days. WOO HOO! This means I will get to breathe and sleep again in mid-May, ha ha ha!

My first project is to create a body of work that encompasses a form of RITUAL.  For this, I have chosen to create 4 (possibly 5) mandalas. These mandalas will be representational of some of my own life rituals.  They will (have begun to) be heavily nature influenced with possible elements of time.  “Why nature?” you may ask.  Nature is very prevalent in my life and I have found that I ritualistically incorporate nature into my daily life.  Whether it be through meditation, maintenance, consumption, etc., Nature is a major part of me and my rituals. Time is involved because I have observed that in some form or fashion everyone, myself included, has the ritual of tracking time.  How often do you check the time throughout your day? I would imagine that your answer would be “frequently.” There you have it, yet another time reference…get the point? ;)

I have included some beginning production photos for my RITUAL project below this post for your viewing pleasure J  Also, I have begun working on another project that will culminate into a fun piece that I would like to have a small presentation of later this year.  If I am not able to present it in its solidarity, I will be more than happy to include in within the scope of one of my upcoming shows.  I have also included a photo or two as a sneak peek.

Well, I don’t wish to let all the “cats out of the bag” just yet and I will know leave you to your own devices and imagination…Go forth and create!

~Until next week…

I love using a jerky gun!

 

Oooh, coming together!

 

Beginning texture.

 

Texture complete (Close up pic next week-stay tuned!)

 

Sneak peek is going to be fun :)

 
 
 
 

Amazing Video & AWARE Reminder :)

An AMAZING video !! 

 

Please check it out :)

 

www.mesothelioma.com/heather

 

 

Also, there are less than 8 days left before the closing of my art exhibition and fundraising campaign...AWARE...

 

We can show that we care! — feeling hopeful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many more colors and styles available at http://www.facebook.com/kg.creativity?ref=tn_tnmn

Check them out in the ALBUMS :)  Low prices for a great cause!

FUNDRAISING GOAL PROGRESS: 

$227 of $1600

...come on, we can do this!

We can show that we care! — feeling hopeful.

Many more colors and styles available at http://www.facebook.com/kg.creativity?ref=tn_tnmn

Check them out in the ALBUMS :)  Low prices for a great cause!

AWARE Fundraiser has officially begun!!

HELLO!!
 
The fundraising component of my Honors Project has officially begun!!  I have also set the main exhibition up and it will be open from now until May 31st :)  My show is called AWARE. :)
 
I will post photos from the show closer to its closing date :)  There will also be a closing reception on May 31st from 5-7PM.  EVERYONE IS INVITED :)
 
The AWARE show is located in the IUS Library Gallery, which is located on the lower level of the library.
 
As for the fundraising component..I have made a Facebook event and linked it to my new 'official' Facebook page for my artistic identity..KG Creativity!  Movin' on up, eh? On the Facebook page, there are 5 photo albums that contain all the handmade (by me!) goodies that are available for purchase.  75% of all proceeds will be donated to the foundations that are represented in my project.  The foundations are listed below...

Autism Society  www.autism-society.org

Bone and Cancer Foundation  http://www.boneandcancerfoundation.org/

Foundation for Women's Cancer  www.foundationforwomenscancer.org

March of Dimes  www.marchofdimes.com

Prostate Cancer Foundation  www.pcf.org

Testicular Cancer Research Foundation  http://tcrc.acor.org

The direct link to the fundraising event is: 

http://www.facebook.com/kg.creativity#!/events/372271266223555/

The fundraising goal I have set is a modest $1600, and I will keep you posted on the progress of meeting (or exceeding) this goal :)

NOTE: Merchandise purchase is not required to help with this fundraising campaign-all monetary donations will pply towards the fundraising goal as well :)

I want to thank you for your continued support with my endeavor and I hope that you will take this opportunity to check out the show and the fundraising campaign :)

Countdown Begins!

Hello ALL!!

Just wanted to let you know that the long anticipated 'Sneak Peek' to my show is coming up very quickly!! 

It is only 14 days away!!!  YAY!

 

The Sneak Peek will be held on Friday, April 19th from 5-8PM at Indiana University Southeast Knobview Hall in New Albany, Indiana.  I have included a link to the Facebook event in this post for more details.

 

I am so excited and quite nervous!  Over a year's worth of work and research is finally coming to fruition!  I truly hope that you can join me in this celebration!

 

 

I also wanted to let you know that this is just a sneak peek of my full exhibition show and everything will be revealed on April 24th in the Indiana University Southeast Library gallery.  The exhibition will run from April 24th with a closing reception on May 31st.  It is going to be great!!

 

It is with great hopes that I will be able to relay some very good news concerning the fundraising component of my show at the closing reception :)

 

 

As for the Sneak Peek show...it is being held in conjunction with the 5th Annual IUS Fine Arts Open House!  If you can attend on the 19th of April, you will enjoy in good food, good music, awesome demonstrations and even more awesome artwork by some very fine students!  You will also have the opportunity to leave the double event with some 'good-for-all" goodies and you will be helping a very worthy cause :)

 

 

PLUS:  I will be beginning an electronic fundraising campaign through this blog that will include merchandise (all handmade by me from start to finish) pictures and ordering information.  I will also keep a running total of progress towards my fundraising goal updated everyday :)  The electronic fundraising campaign will begin the weekend immediately following the Sneak Peek show (April 19th).

 

 

Here is the link to the invite... Please feel free to join, request me as a Facebook friend and invite your friends to this event as well :) The more the merrier!  I look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/events/155204544645607/

 

 

*Note*  If you are unable to attend any of the site specific events for this exhibition, there will be opportunities for you to be part of the amazing event through the electronic fundraising campaign and I will also post exhibition photos once the main exhibition opens.  :)

 

 

I want to thank you all for your support throughout this amazing journey I have taken and I hope that you all will come away from this journey with new awareness and the ability to go forth and save others with the awareness.  You already have my undying gratitude :)

 

 



Guest Post by a Survivor Family

Caregiving for a Cancer Patient

November 21, 2005 is forever burned into my family’s memory.  This is the day my wife Heather was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and extremely deadly type of cancer.  This is the day I took on a role I wasn't prepared for: caregiver to a cancer patient.  Just three months earlier, we had celebrated the birth of our first daughter and were looking forward to our first holiday as a family of three with Lily.  Instead of enjoying holiday festivities, we slid into complete chaos as we began a long and difficult battle with cancer.

Providing care and support for my wife's cancer battle started before we left the doctor's office.  After giving us the diagnosis, our doctor explained to us a little bit about Mesothelioma.  We had three choices for her specialty care: a local university hospital, a regional hospital with an outstanding reputation, but without a developed mesothelioma program, or a renowned mesothelioma specialist in Boston named Dr. David Sugarbaker.  I looked to my wife for some input as to what choice she would want to pursue, but she remained silent.  She was in shock and disbelief.  I took charge and stated, "Get us to Boston," the first of many decisions I'd have to help make regarding Heather's care.

For the next two months, our lives went from routine to chaos.  We had both been working full time before the diagnosis, and now I was the only one working, as Heather had to leave her job to focus on beating her cancer. I had work, and doctor's appointments as well as making travel arrangements to and from Boston, all while taking care of our precious daughter Lily. I was overwhelmed and facing fears I hadn't been prepared to face, thinking about losing my wife to cancer and being left a broke, widowed single father.  Several times, I found myself bawling on the kitchen floor, the emotions too overwhelming to hold back. Being Heather's rock and putting up a strong front carried me through and allowed me to focus on being supportive for her.

We were so blessed with help from friends, family and even total strangers.  We were offered comforting words, financial help and an outpouring of love that helped lighten the load.  If I could share any advice from my journey it would be to take help if it is offered, in any form.  Every little thing that takes a burden off of your shoulders is such a blessing, and we can't begin to thank all of the people who offered us this kindness.   

The role of caregiver for someone with cancer is hard.  You experience so many emotions, so much fear and so much uncertainty.  There is no end goal that you can look forward to like so many other obstacles in life.  You can't walk away, give up or give into your emotions.  You can have bad days where you confront your fear and stress, but you can't give up hope.

After her treatment, which included mesothelioma surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, Heather is now cancer free.  We are seven years out from her mesothelioma diagnosis and are learning to enjoy a new normal.

This battle taught me to tap into my stubbornness and that time is precious.  I made the decision two years after Heather's diagnosis to go back to school for Information Technology, while still working full time and caring for Heather and our daughter Lily.  The battle with mesothelioma taught me how to balance stress and time commitments, preparing me for the challenge of finishing school.  I graduated with honors and spoke at my graduation about our journey and how I would have never pictured myself up on that stage, giving that speech, just a few years earlier.  My message was about never losing hope and believing in ourselves even against insurmountable odds.  I told my fellow graduates how my wife taught me that within each of us is the strength to accomplish unbelievable things, if we only believe in ourselves and never stop fighting for the ones we love.

-Cameron Von St. James

 

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story with my readers and I ...Stories like yours is the reason I love doing what I do!

-KG Creativity