SNAGSTRAVAGANZA!.....and enamel stuff

 So I thought that now would be a good time to recap our SNAG experience. EVERYTIME....EVERY FRICKING TIME...we run out of time. Just once I would love to see everything and do everything without having to leave early or do some kind of project or something.

  Since I am a twelve month employee at SUNY, whenever I have to do something like this I have to take vacation time.   So Liz and I planned on combining our trip to Toronto with a well deserved vacation. The plan sort of worked.  We started by getting an AirBnB. It is now our new favorite thing. We saved a shitload of money. Choosing carefully we scored a nice apartment centralized in the hip part of Tornonto.  It was about 8 blocks from the Hotel where the conference was, but knee deep in restaurants, bars and shops. It was also conveniently next to the hospital....you never know. Oddly enough it was in a women's shelter hence the photo above. Not sure what a "communication closet" would be used for but we thought that it would be where people would have spats..... The apartment came with a kitchen, parking and internet! 

 This was the first year EVER that I only had one obligation for the conference....my lecture. So we were basically on our own schedule. We saw the city sights and ate when we wanted to. Since we saved so much money we splurged a bit here and there on food and cabs etc. It was nice to have a little flexibility. We even got to sneak in a moose head and hockey (photo below)  Shockingly the financial freedom didn't equate to more time to do things.... We still missed a lot of stuff. I really wanted to see more of the shows.  The gallery map was WAY off.  Well, at least the scale was off.  We would have had to have had super powers to make it to all of the openings.  

 Some of the highlights of the trip: Ferrous.... loved it. What a great show. The venue was a bit crowded but that is a good thing. The harbor front show/party was also GREAT! (here and here I also enjoyed talking to folks in the educators room. We also loved the pop-up shows. Both Heidi Lowe and Noel Guyomarc'h had some incredible stuff.  It was also nice to be involved with Making it Real.  This is the first show that I juried where the work was digital until the show.  It was a great concept.  What a huge undertaking.  I thought that the show was a success but had its flaws.  With that format there were a million things that COULD have gone wrong.  The organizers did a great job presenting the work in an alternative space.   

 All in all we had a great time. Thumbs up.  Best SNAG ever.  We were sad that we had to leave a day early but hey...such it the life of a full time tech. Liz and I were just thrilled to see our friends that we only get to see once a year.  It was nice to meet Michael Gayk in person... so many skype meetings.  As always it was nice to see MDB, Tara Locklear, and Loring Taoka.  Lola it is always great to see you.  It was also nice to put some faces to work  Ashley Buchanan and Jim Bove. Sadly I missed a few folks that I desperately wanted to hang out with. SUZANNE PUGH!!!!! I saw you!  Next year... 

There is just not enough time to do it all. So below are some photos from the trip. Not all the photos. My phone actually took a crap as soon as we made it back home. I lost a few photos.  I think that it had something to do with Niagra Falls and getting SUPER WET!!

There are a million things to do as usual. I am teaching at Haystack AND Penland this summer.  We are also having a HUGE 3D printing event here at the school in less than a week.  I have new things happening on the Craftees site.  Liz and I are moving in July to another apartment AND I am trying to squeeze in making some work here and there.  UGH.  


At the bottom I am including some enameling tests for my workshops.  I am getting pumped!!

  ENAMEL STUFF