I Heart Hellas

Spring break was fantastical! Greece is beautiful and I would very much like to be there instead of in Potsdam. I got to see and do lots of amazing things which I will rattle off just in case anyone is dying to know..

Day One - 22 March
Arrived in Athens. Went to Sounion to the Temple of Poseidon which was absolutely gorgeous and windy. Also, the site of the temple was inhabited by fancy chickens which we believe were actually partridges. After exploring the hotel - mainly the rooftop terrace with a view of the Acropolis - we had dinner. Took a night time walk to the Acropolis and then got some sorbet in the Plaka.

Day Two - 23 March
Visited the Corinth Canal on our way to Epidarus to see the Theater and ruins there. Mycenae with the awsomeness of the Lioness Gate, the "lair of the minotaur" which is actually a dried up spring at the bottom of a corbel vaulted staircase, and the Treasury of Atreus. I had my first taste of Mousakas for lunch. We arrived in Nafplion and walked around all the little shops and the boardwalk. After dinner we went out for some wine with Dr. Curry and then ended up back at the hotel and tried ouzo.

Day Three - 24 March
I fell at Tyrins and my camera was destroyed. I was sad. The roads in Greece are very twisty and full of hairpin turns that make people very carsick. We arrived at Olympia around the same time as the protest/riot. We missed it though. We did, however, visit the museum at Olympia and saw some pretty sweet sculpture from the Temple of Zeus and some other findings. After the museum we went into the ancient site and wandered around. Sarah and I got whistled at for posing too close to the ruins. It was worth is though. Later that afternoon it rained and there was a slight thunderstorm which is apparently quite rare in Greece. Backlava is delicious.

Day Four - 25 March
We went a little crazy on the bus today. Stopped in a seaside town for lunch after crossing the Rion-Antion Bridge [I don't remember the name of the town]. I went into the Ionian Sea! After lunch we went to a Greek Orthodox Nunnery up in the mountains. When we arrived in Delphi we went for a hike up a mountain. It was absolutely gorgeous. I bought a camera. We went to "the spot" and had some drinks and played pool.

Day Five - 26 March
Woke up at 4am. Left the hotel at 5am. Hiked up the mountain from the day before to see the sunrise. It was cloudy and therefore a crappy sunrise. It was worth it though. Still beautiful even though the sky was "bluetan". The hike would later be known as the Dismal Delphi Deathmarch. After showering and having some breakfast we took off for the ancient site of Delphi where we saw the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, the Castilian Spring, and ancient Delphi with the Temple of Apollo. Delphi is overrun with kitties. At the Delphi museum I gave my speech on the Treasury of the Siphnians then wandered. After more bus riding we ended up in Athens where we had the best dinner yet. Traditional Greek food - 13 dishes for the main course [it was like a sampler platter] and some nasty ouzo.

Day Six - 27 March
Visited the National Museum in Athens. So much awesomeness there. Went to the Acropolis and was in awe. Saw the Temple of Zeus and the Pan-Athenaic Stadium. Had another fantastic dinner which included mousaka then met up with a friend who was studying in Wales. We walked around the Plaka and had some yummy sorbet.

Day Seven - 28 March
The Athenian Trail of Tears: left at 8:30 for a quick walk to two sites - Plato's Academy and Socrates Prison in the Agora. This ended up taking forever as we got lost and it began to rain. It was pretty sucky. Around one we were finally freed, said screw it to the Agora and the Stoa of Atalos and went for a nice warm meal. After a tiny bit of shopping we went back to the hotel where the events of the day made us a little crazy. Dinner tonight was at a Taverna where there was Greek music and dancing during dinner. It was a lot of fun.

When I got back into the states I stayed in New Jersey at my Uncle Kevin's house as I had an interview in NYC. I think the interview [at Christie's Education] went well and I am expecting to hear back from them in a couple of weeks.

Now I am bogged down with papers, presentations, and paintings to get done. Oh fun.

tang on paper

[full story here]

On Friday evening select members of the Student Art Association set off on an adventure. Destination? The Haze household. Ultimate destination [to be achieved the next day]? MassMOCA, North Adams, MA. As previously mentioned, we stayed at Sarah's house outside of Albany for the weekend. It was lots of fun and good to get away from Potsdam for a couple days. The museum was crazy! I am now completely, absolutely, and utterly in love with MassMOCA and all it has to offer - along with the cute deli/cafe we dined at down the street. Exhibits were on display of work from Spencer Finch, Anslem Keifer, and Jenny Holzer. As well as an exhibit about China with work by a number of artists. Spencer Finch is a god in the world of conceptual art as far as I am concerned.


On return to Potsdam and the sad, sad end of the "F**k It Weekend" shared by the seven SAA members I was forced to live in the painting studio in order to complete the three paintings due on Wednesday. I also had to begin a new one. I ended up painting for 8 plus hours on Monday and Tuesday to get the paintings done. Although painting is, of course, not all of my life in Potsdam and on Wednesday I was graced with the opportunity to take a test in my Italian High Renaissance class. Oh joy of joys.

I'm still kind of busy as next week is going to be insane with all of the shit I've got to do. [must stop procrastinating - but hell it's so much fun] I have a paper topic and bibliography due on Monday for Greek Art. I am lecturing to my Survey of Art class Tuesday on Gothic Art - that means I actually have to know shit to teach them. Finally, on Wednesday I have a presentation in Italian High Renaissance. After that insanity I get to relax for a day and then freak out again.




* Pictures are from the SAA MassMoCA trip and are linked to flickr *

Classes have begun. This is going to be quite the semester. I feel like I have way too much free time - even on the days I have class from 9am to 6pm. Maybe it was just because it is Syllabus Day and nothing ever happens in class.

I am very excited for painting. Yay for NOT having to paint still lives for 20 hours and actually getting to paint something you like that is interesting. Also, yay for being in class with friends and getting the good spot/easels.

My art history classes should be good as well. I don't have to write a paper longer than 10 pages - 7 if I want to slack off and do the bare minimum. This is very exciting as most of my upper level art history papers have had to be 10-15/15-20 pages. [We'll see what happens in my High Renaissance class on Wednesday.]

I get to be a TA tomorrow. I have no idea what I am going to be doing - I know that I have to lead two lectures, two review sessions and grade tests, aside from that no clue. I'm setting office hours and picking my lecture topics tomorrow. This is both exciting and nerve wracking.

As for right now I have nothing to do. I can't wait until Cinema 10 starts up for this semester so my Monday nights can be filled with awesome independent films and documentaries and what not. [So long as they aren't all they really sad ones - there needs to be some funny or interesting too.]

holiday happenings - the dempsey clan

2007 was a great year and I was able to do so many amazing things. I will never forget the experiences of this past year. I can already sense that 2008 is going to be just as special. Many important and exciting things will be happening this year! [lame, yes. but true. sorry, i just had to go there..]

--

I love spending the Holidays with the Dempsey family. We always have so much fun. December has been very low key so far as I have been working non-stop at Wegman's since I got back from school. The only day I had off was Christmas Day as the store was closed that day. Christmas was nice this year with the family who was in town coming over to the house for dinner. We celebrated Christmas - Dempsey family style - on 29 December. Dempsey Christmas is one of my favorite days of the year since EVERYONE is in town and we just hang out and are crazy all day.

30 December: went down to New Jersey with my parents and sister to spend New Years at my Uncle Kevin's house. We try to go every year and some of the other Dempsey's try to get down there as well. If the weather is agreeable and enough people are eager to, we go into the city on New Years Eve. My sister and I lucked out this year and Uncle Kevin took us and my parents into the city to see Times Square and Rockefeller Center. We just wandered around for a few hours before heading back into Jersey. The rest of the night was spent enjoying the crazy Dempsey New Years festivities. After toasting the New Year the lot of us headed outside to semi-see the fireworks from a few towns over. The night was not complete without the Annual Midnight Rocket Launch.

Almost done. I can't believe how fast this semester went by.
Just under one week of fun things and then I will be back in Binghamton for a month.

Art Attack opened on Friday the 9th. The show is quite good this year. Everyone did a wonderful job on their pieces. I always have so much fun walking through Gibson Gallery this time of year because I am able to see the incredible talent of my friends and peers at Potsdam. This year was just a little more exciting though since two of my photographs were accepted into the show. It was great seeing them up on the gallery wall. I wish that all of my friends and family could come to see them because this, to me, is one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me.

Aside from Art Attack I have been being attacked by art, the artwork that I need to have completed for Monday, November 19. All of my painting are due as Monday is our last day of class for the semester (only for painting). I have been a busy bee in the studio all semester perfecting my painting technique and now, this week, I will pretty much be living there. Currently I am at work on a tree, a very big tree at just under 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

So, I've finally started my new painting. I was very uncertain about what I wanted to paint for the final since I could pick anything, anything I wanted. That is quite a decision since up until now we have been painting mostly still lives.
This painting is big! just under 4 ft by 3 ft. Much bigger than the others I've done

Follow up

.. to yesterday's post.

Apparently I am an aspiring photographer!
Both of the photographs I submitted for juror review for Art Attack 2007 were accepted.
(Juror was Timothy Sheesley, Director SUNY Oneonta Art Gallery, Tamarind master printer and owner of Coridor Press, Otego, NY)
Cleveland Way: Duncombe Park and Ouse Bridge will be on display in Art Attack 2007 in Gibson Gallery Nov. 9 to Dec. 9, 2007.

Am I an aspiring photographer? I shall find out tomorrow. The works selected for Art Attack 2007 will be posted at Gibson Gallery. (I entered two photographs. )

always laugh
loud

it is more like
a happy
dancing

flower after the rain

- magnetic love.