Storm Prep, Art News

Here in Columbia, we're currently waiting to see what kind of punch Florence will still be packing when it gets here. We've had plenty of time to prepare (USC and the public schools have been closed since Tuesday), and we certainly won't get the kind of beating that the coast is getting. It does look like what's left of the storm will be coming straight for us, however, probably bringing a lot of rain. We've been under the clouds of Florence's extremities all day, and the wind has been steadily picking up.

My best guess for worst case scenario at this point is we'll have a water/power/road infrastructure failure similar to what we experienced in 2015 with Hurricane Joaquin.

• First we'll have heavy localized flooding that damages roads, washes out bridges, and inundates homes and businesses in low-lying areas;

• Second, we'll have a prolonged pulse of floodwater coming down the Broad and Saluda Rivers, possibly overwhelming our water treatment facility (again). The Broad and Saluda, which merge at the Fall Line at Columbia, drain a large part of the upstate. So whatever happens here over the next couple of days, those rivers will probably continue to rise for days after.

City officials say that they're ready this time, and what happened in 2015 won't happen again. I hope that's true. I'm not betting on it, though. We stocked up on water. And bought a generator. We've got food, cash, extra gas, batteries, a sump pump in the basement, and a portable AC unit that we can use to keep a room cool to sleep in if we lose power for a prolonged stretch. Hopefully it will all be unnecessary. 

I set our new generator on one of the mobile platforms that I use for sculptures and built a hinged roof so that we can run it in a light/moderate rain if necessary.

Stronger winds and rain from Florence should arrive in Columbia tomorrow morning, with the center of the storm not reaching us until Sunday. 

​Now onto the art news . . .

The Race Against the Bear

I've been working on a 9-10' bear sculpture since May. I have always intended it as my entry into ArtFields 2019, but I'm not sure I'll get it done in time. The entry deadline is November 5. I'm over the hump, but still have a long way to go. I've made three videos showing my progress so far. You can follow the bear more closely by following my Instagram account.

And the Winner Is . . .
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Based on participation, my summer selfie contest -- my attempt at art branding -- was a flop. That's the bad news. The good news is that the few entries makes it easier to pick a winner.  And the winner is . . . . . .  Flavia Lovatelli! I chose a photo of Flavia with "Naked Flank" as the winner. Congratulations, Flavia, you rock!

My Fall Commitments are Low

I entered two pieces ("My Father's Hammer" and "Music Box") in the South Carolina State Fair this year. Other than trying to get the bear done to enter in ArtFields, though, I have little else on the horizon. I decided not to enter several local and regional shows and I turned down an offer for a show. I decided in June to take pressure off myself by not committing, and I've stuck to that. I wish I had more time for art than I do, but I'm happy with the pivot I've taken away from promotion and toward trying to find a groove to make what I want to make.