There is something completely exhilarating about pushing oneself to greater heights. On the other side of that same coin is the fact that often the heights require an immense amount of creative energy and motivation. I suppose this is where my methodical, determined, and driven self steps in and makes it all happen.

Of course, I'm speaking about my next art show which will be coming up very soon. Does anyone remember what I went through with my last one? Could you warn me next time? I suppose I should just go through and read the blogs that I wrote when I was creatively tapped out and over-exhausted with all my resources pushed to the limit in order to achieve my dreams.

Alas, here I am in the final stages of prep and it's completely all-consuming.

I've tried something completely different for this show, and honestly I'm not sure that I've ever seen this technique used in any other gallery.

I started with an idea that began possibly 7 years ago in a creative moment of my life when I was breaking out of the box. I wanted paintings to literally jump off the page. The concept of pushing the boundaries of the frame excited me.

This concept played with the idea of texture in a completely different way. I didn't want the piece to be a sculpture or mask. However, I did want the pieces to play with tradition while taking the viewer for a visual ride from different angles. Have you every walked into a gallery and wanted to just touch the painting? Maybe I'm the only one who desires to get up close and feel the passion. Is that weird? Well, I've created an entire show playing with these concepts.

Each piece is framed in the traditional way and thus can be hung as a normal picture. However, this is about the only thing that is traditional about them. Instead of being a traditional canvas, the painting literally jumps off the canvas (or board in this case) and evokes a different experience for the viewer.

I used chiefly the Star Tribune and The New York Times in a new mixture to create a paper mache product that created this out of the frame piece. I suppose I can coin this show as a type of creative recycling as not many people can say that they used nearly 25 newspapers to create their art pieces.

I'm in the final stages of framing and painting and will soon hang and market an opening. It's exciting, exhausting, and somehow perfectly wonderful.

It's different.

Stepping out of the box [or out of the frame, if you will] requires a little extra imagination and creativity. However, I'm extremely proud of my work.

I'll keep you posted.