Art Crawl

Hello everyone,

This evening, June 18, the Catawba Valley Community College Photographic Technology program will participate in the Downtown Hickory Art Crawl from 5:30-9:00.

The students will be in the atrium of Shoppes on the Square (beside Groucho's Deli) and in the Sandy Lyons building located at 25 Second Street NW (next door to Taste Full Beans). My work will be on display at Taste Full Beans.

Please come out and support the students and enjoy art in downtown Hickory.

Taste Full Beans

I picked up my "Living The Country Life" prints up last week from a show in Lexington, NC. To keep my goal of not having the prints sit at my house they are going to be displayed at Taste Full Beans in downtown Hickory, NC, tomorrow. They will be there for three months. There is five new prints in the show that were added for Lexington. I will be at Taste Full Beans during the Downtown Hickory Art Crawl on June 18 from 5:30-9:00. 14 of my students from Catawba Valley Community College's Photographic Technology program will also be displaying their work. Please come and show your support.

Latino Portfolio

I have finished my Latino portfolio to M. A. Candidacy Review for SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). Within the following week I will know if I can take my final portfolio class in the fall and graduate.
It has been a wonderful project to document the Latino community in and around Catawba County. I have made a lot of friends and have learned a lot about a local ethnic group I knew little about. I feel closer to my daughter who was born in Guatemala. I took her with me to several of the photo shots. In the future I plan to take her to more Latino events.
This might turn into an exhibit one day if I can find a way to pay for the printing and framing. I plan on applying for local grants when they are available.
I am not sure what I will document next. I might continue this project about Latinos or go back to documenting NC farmers. Time will tell.
You can see the portfolio on the following link:
Latino Traditions

Atlanta

I just returned last weekend from Atlanta. I was the official photographer for a group of young males called Minority Male Mentors. We went to Morehouse College where Martin Luther King, Jr. and Spike Lee graduated from. I was really impressed that academics come first. We couldn't hardly find any students who knew where the gym was.
The following day we visited King's Memorial. It was a very moving experience that everyone should visit at least once. The Civil Right Museum was very emotional. I looked at those young men with us and I am very thankful that they don't have to experience the racism their ancestors dealt with. I do feel that they should understand all of the injustices and hardships heir forefathers lived through.
It was an honor to be invited and my only regret was that we only stayed one night.

Mom's Internet Premiere

I finally attended my show reception at Davidson County Community College last Tuesday after being postponed due to hint of snow the previous Tuesday. A different crowd of college students, artists, and a few members of my family filled the hallways of the opening. I always enjoy sharing stories and hearing positive comments about my work.
My wife stayed at home sick but I took daughter who enjoyed seeing my mother and stepfather. My mother stills my thunder by being featured in the Lexington Dispatch and on DCCC's website. My mother does not even understand the concept of the internet.
I enjoyed talking with fellow photography instructor and featured artist Benita Van Winkle. She also enjoys photographing her community and heritage. She also does traditional book binding with her photography. This is something I hope to achieve myself.
My cousin Sherry, who works with Bob Timberlake, came to see my show and treat us to Lexington BBQ. She told me Bob is going to try to come by and see the exhibit. Maybe one of my pictures will become a famous painting.

Here are links to the two websites about the opening:

Davidson County Community College Website News

The Dispatch Article

Davidson Show Opening

My show at Davidson County Community College will open on Tuesday, January 20th, from 4-6:00 PM in the Mendenhall Administration Building. 17 of my prints are on display through May. Several other artists will also have their work displayed. I hope to have a good turn out. A lot of my family is from Davidson County and Rowan County. This will be the first time a lot of them will see my work.

Aussie & Me

On Christmas day I took the family to go see Marley & Me. I had also started reading the book and finished it last night. Marley & Me is one of the first stories in a long time I could really relate to.
My dog Aussie, an Australian Cattle Dog, has been my companion since 1997 when I was a college student. I had dogs growing up but they were never really my dogs. Aussie was the first dog that was really mine who I could take with me everywhere.
I wanted an Australian Cattle Dog because a friend of mine's parents had one. My friend explained to me if I wanted a 100% dog, an Australian Cattle Dog is what I needed. She told me tales of her dog's mischief and cleverness and for some reason I was sold.
Like Marley, Aussie is not the most well behaved dog. She had graduated from obedience school twice but still pulls on her leash and misbehaves daily. She still nips and barks at anything moving in her path and eats everything in her reach.
Like any dog owner I have a lot of stories about Aussie. One I can't forget is when we first got married we took Aussie on a vacation to the beach. She loved catching the waves and she drunk a lot of salt water. Once we were back in the car and was boarding a ferry the salt water flowed back out and filled the cup holders and console of my car. I could never get the smell out. We decided to camp out for the vacation and Aussie added twists to the whole weekend.
Hiking has always been an adventure. Aussie once chased an armadillo at me and once caught a mouse and threw it in my lap. I could unleash her and she would stay by my side. Rangers would always scold us and it would take years before I understood why.
When I first started dating Julie I tried to get Julie's dog Molly and Aussie to play together. With both of them being females they liked to dominate each other. It all ended when Aussie bit Molly under the eye and required stitches. We kept them separated until Molly sadly passed away with cancer. Aussie would not leave Molly's side when she passed away. When Molly died, Aussie changed to a different dog. Aussie became more calm and reserved.
Aussie has always been by my side. I have to admit I have not spent as much quality time as I use to with her. I have taken her for granted. Instead of taking her everywhere I usually leave her at home now. I guess I don't want to risk her scaring people who walk near my car or have her bark constantly in the passenger seat.
These days, Aussie has arthritis and gets sore very easily. Her eyesight and hearing is also fading. She use to be able to play frisbee and soccer endlessly. She could also ride a skateboard and keep up with any hiker or mountain biker. Now she knows where her limit is and can't play for too long without giving out.
With Aussie we have always felt safe in our home and have always had an automatic food vacuum cleaner at our disposal. Who needs an alarm system when you got a barker who sounds mean but isn't.
My plan was to learn to be more responsible. I thought I could graduate from raising a dog, to finding a wife, then to having a family. The plan worked like clockwork and I have to thank Aussie for it. I now have a wife, a daughter, two cats, and my beloved Aussie. I know she is getting older but I can't think of life without her.

Art Sync Magazine

My photography is being featured in Art Sync Magazine. I am the December Artist of The Month. The online gallery will be featured for the next year. Art Sync Magazine is a new art magazine about North Carolina artists. Check out my gallery and check out the magazine.

The Colors of New York City

A student of mine, Kris Huffman, had his reception for his first photography exhibit, "The Colors of New York City" last night. Kris is very gifted at street photography by finding interesting subject matter and compositions that shows the colors and beauty of the city. One of my favorites is a group of Santas that he follows around the city. I one shot he finds them looking into the windows of a Victoria Secret store.
I am very proud of him to take the leap and exhibit his own work. The photographs jump off the wall and makes me want to travel there myself.
If you get a chance don't miss the show. It's at the Newton-Conover Auditorium until the end of December.

New Show in Lexington

I am happy to announce that I will be apart of a show in Lexington, NC, at Davidson County Community College. The opening will be January 20th from 4-6 PM. The exhibit will be displayed until May 18th. Seventeen of my Living The Country Life exhibit has been selected. Several new prints will be included, a recent picture of Arlie Presnell's new life and a photograph of Clifford Glenn in his father's dulcimer shop.
What makes the show so special is that Davidson County is where my ancestors are from. The Youngs where frontiers of the area dating back to the 1700s. My family lived there until my grandfather married my grandmother. There is a lot of rich history that my ancestors were apart of that I hope to further research.

Show Extended

I went by Taste Full Beans to take down the show last Saturday and was asked to leave the show up through December 4th due to its success. I gratefully said yes. I had to move the prints into the large sitting room in the front of the coffee show. I think it looks better there than the hallway. If you haven't seen the show go by and see it. I don't know where it will be next.

Pennell Krage Wedding

Shane and I recently shot the wedding of Kendall Pennell and Jason Krage. Hurricane storms were predicted during the wedding date but through Kendall's prayers the day turned out beautiful. It was a very informal country wedding with bottle drinks, homemade ice cream, blue jeans, and a antique fire engine.
Kendall is a photography graduate and former student of Shane and I. It was a real honor to photograph her wedding for both of us.