Even More Venice Drop!!

 

Well this is why we were here! To install our work in this amazing place! A nice picture of me and a fellow artist Carlos Biernnay (he does really beautiful work!) sprawled on the (marble) floors of The Palazzo Pisani-Revedin sorting out what was going where. 

And here's Bob, enjoying the serendipity of his art work (sumi drawings printed on fabric) fitting so perfectly into the doorways, acting like frames. All the work looked terrific in this setting!

And here I am, acting as a human support for one of my pieces!

And the people were are showing with were all so nice: fun to work with and creative about how to hang the work, as we had to be as the floors are marble and the walls were inlaid wood and very old paint. There were only odd wire hanging contraptions so we rigged up attaching the work to wooden poles (actually broom handles!) purchased at a hardware store...

Here's a weird double exposure, looking out the window at the canal below. (Seriously? There are canals and gondolas and boats and views like this EVERYWHERE).

We didn't stick around for the opening as we had arrangements to travel to Florence; goodbye to Venice for now!

It's impossible to describe. This is just a couple of random shots of us on a water bus ("vaporetto") going to the train station.

And to reinforce the whole watery theme, here's what it looks like on the train for the first 20 minutes or so: water!!

The train ride was lovely; nice to see some of the Italian countryside. It looked pretty spectacular and there were lots of solar panels on houses. That was unexpected! Next pictures will be from our Florentine adventures... stay tuned!

They're Gonna make A Big Star Outta Me!

Hahahahhahhaha! Wouldn't that be nice? Well whether I become a big star or not, some of my artwork is going to The Spring/Break Art Show... and I'm going to go, too! This is the second time I've been selected to have my work presented so I'm doubly excited!!

I have actually had several things to blog about, but this is the most exciting(*1) thing to happen directly to me. The fair is six days of non-stop art world thrills and fun. I was exhausted after the previous trip to Spring/Break; I have no idea how many people attended but believe me it was LOTS and I was hoarse for days after, having talked to what felt like each and every attendee.

I am deeply indebted to The CAMP Galley (*2) for being soooo supportive and especially to Melanie for listening to me intone how she really should take some of her artists (ie; ME!!) to Spring/Break this year. I was like the proverbially squeaky wheel. But it worked!

Here's a link to check out some images from a previous year:

Spring/Break Art Show

Anyway, I'm still reeling form the upcoming excitement. Be still my heart!!!!

(*1) Really?!?!? More exciting than the orange menace being indicted for the millionth time?!??! Well, that was a close second...

(*2) The CAMP Gallery, or The Contemporary Art Modern Project.

Lots to Do!!

 

Well this is a partial explanantion as to why I haven't had a minute to post a new blog. The siren song of gardening is calling with all its attendant demands on my time. You have to go to nurseries and garden centers (and local plant sales) to buy the plants with which to fill borders and containers. Then you have to keep them happy until you plant them. And you have to shuffle them from outdoors to indoors when there's danger of  freeze. Which there was! In May! And not early May! Lots of things I would have considered hardy got zapped: young leaves on a Tiger's Eye Sumac, many of the young shoots on the garpe vines, Casa Blanca lily stalks... pretty depressing! So every day, I lugged all those tender plants pictured above in and out of my studio... 

And as if that weren't enough to keep an actively gardening artist busy I also had two shows to prepare for. One show, "The NO Show" I actually helped plan/organize and "curate" against all my best instincts. I've always vowed to never avail myself to the other side of the artistic process as producing art shows can be a thankless and punishing process. But NO!! It's been great! Artist chosen were well-behaved and actually got their work to us and set up of the show went swimmingly. A pleasant surprise!! Thank you Jim (*1) and Megan!

Oh no! There's plants everywhere!! Even hiding under my studio table! Aaaaaauuughhh!!! Anyway, I was also asked to show at another space at the end of June so I had to clean up the studio to accomodate the curator- move over plant life!

(*1) The concept for The NO Show came about because our friend Jim was frequently bemoaning his inability to say NO to people who came to his shop with requests for repairs and the like. I kiddingly gave him the assignment to create a large NO out of metal and put it on the lawn in front of his studio. A few years passed with me periodically reminding him to make the damned NO. One day while visiting him, we started riffing on how saying NO was a good thing and how many of us artists say "YES" to donations and things we really didn't want to do... which led to The NO Show. It's a good way to liberate yourself from always saying yes.

 

Weather or Not

 

Nothing "candy ass" about the weather! Ay ca-rumba! One day it's 50 degrees and sunny, the next day it's 10 degrees with a wind chill of minus 5... then we get snow. Then we get weird rain and now we have three inches of soon-to-be frozen slop. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow when I try and venture out to feed the poor horses who have been struggling to remain upright on ice. Maggie went and cut her leg on something sharp (while eating her breakfast?) and her paddock looked like a crime scene. I was going to photograph it but even I demurred; too gruesome! I washed her leg off, and despite her protestations, treated her wound with Vetericyn and bandaged it. It seemed fine by this afternoon, no more bloody snow!

So at least the evil weather has proven to be fertile time for me to get into my studio and make art. Incidentally, it was so cold for three days that I didn't even attempt to make a fire in the wood stove in my studio. I worked- like old times!- in the living room. Today, I was back in the studio, cutting out letters for a new piece. Betcha wonder what this one is going to say?!?!?! You'll just have to wait until I decide to share my newest "words of the day". 

Here's a detail. Yes, all of those tiny dots are individual seed beads, hand sewn on. I was referencing that weird (to my mind anyway!) candy that came on strips of paper. It always had bits of paper stuck to the back of the individual dots and I can't for the life of me remember it tasting like anything at all. But some friends have confessed to LIKING that candy. Go figure!

And little did I know that there is a queer, Jewish, male artist named Cary Liebowitz who goes by the name "Candy Ass". And he and I have a lot in common when you look at his work: he uses text- often scrawled in a awkward, hand written sort of way, he uses profanity (who me?!?), references the art world ... and he's funny. Check it out! Anyway, I knew nothing about him until a friend mentioned him to me on Instagram. You learn something every day!
 

                                               

 I decided to do my Candy Ass piece because my good friend Wasil often used this phrase to refer to stupid, clumsy or weak things or people. (He doesn't recall using this phrase but where the hell would I come up with it??!?!) I am dedicating this piece to Wasil... he's not candy ass at all!!

 

Politics as Usual

 

I hope it is easy enough to read ("Eat The Rich"). I photographed it quickly and the bottom is darker than the top, which made the letters harder to read. Obviously, the name of this piece is "A Modest Proposal". Possibly the rich are tough and stringy as they mostly seem to be pretty scrawny (*1), but this could solve some of the dilemmas facing our country at present. The President's (*2) proposed budget keeps shrinking as filibuster and renegade Democrats refuse to fucking raise taxes on the hideously wealthy and meanwhile "we the people" are still reeling from the pandemic and want free college and expanded health care, baby! So tax the rich and then eat them. I wouldn't miss Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos one bit...

My work is morphing from the last president's constant infuriating idiocy compelling me to immortalize his bizzarre rants(*3) to more measured ravings on my part about income equality and social justice. I should be busy for quite some time to come, as none of the societal ills we're plagued with are in danger of being solved any time soon. Call me a Socialist but I'd like to see some redistribution of wealth. (*4)

See what I mean? Plenty of raw material to go around! I know some philistines wondered where my work would go after "He Who's Name Shall Not Be Mentioned" (Thanks Stephen Colbert!) was expelled from the White House, but he was a symptom of some of these persistent dilemmas. Hell, COVID is still as major factor in our daily lives (whether many people would like to ignore this or not!), things are hardly "back to normal" and I'm still on unemployment. What kind of crazy job do I want to risk my life for? I'm content to make art and cause trouble. Revolution now, baby!

(*1) I think they're thin because they have private, at-home chefs that fed them exclusive omelettes comprised of egg whites and kale. And then their personal trainers boot-camp their sinewy muscles and force them to do a thousand squats. 

(*2) And for god's sake, how can Biden's current rating be lower than the Orange Buffoon's ever was?!??! I ask you?!?!? Things are a slow-go for Biden (again: filibuster, recalcitrant turn-coat Democrats in thrall to big money and obstructionist rethuglicans. I don't agree with everything Biden presents, but he's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy better than The Orange Menace- even on a bad day!!

(*3) Remember "Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV"?!?!? Here's my piece "Cognitively There" for old times sake:

(*4) Of course this reminds me of the time that Bob and I were driving home from Home Depot (where we had gone in pursuit of N 95 face masks) when a man in a pick-up pulled next to us and- no doubt admiring our Bernie Sanders bumper sticker- screamed "Socialism Sucks" as he roared away. I assume he doesn't like, oh, I don't know, hospitals and schools and roads and libraries and fire departments and Social Security...

 

Where Have I Been?!??!??

Above, giant amaryllis  in full spectacular 3 foot tall bloom! The bulb was big last year, but after summering outdoors and living inside, it's totally out performing itself! Amazing!! (Thanks Bob Santin for an remarkable specimen!!)
I apologize to my dedicated followers: I have been a bad blogger. But... I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!
I had hit one of those occasional junctures in one's life, when you realize that you have probably over-committed and everything is due at once and even the things out of your direct control are clamoring for your immediate attention.
Work (like actual salt mines hi ho hi ho kind of work- as opposed to WORK as in life's-calling-studio work) has been appallingly busy what with auctions coming helter skelter one after the other. Typically, I can easily rearrange my schedule but the last two weeks has been raucous and
un-rearrangable. (And how I haven't succumbed to a bad cold, the flu, hell, CoVid 19!! is beyond me. Every person I work with has been snuffling and hacking and in general sounding like death. Our general manager actually left early.)
And then I got it into my head to apply for a really large grant- that I will not get (and that's just reality, not me being "negative!) but I suppose I feel like WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I'm on  a roll because I did get the State of Connecticut grant (in case you forgot) and strike while the iron is hot and all that. But it was another deadline, complete with me having to set up budgets and images and about thirty assorted not-very-art-oriented question and references. More corporate than sensitive artist! But they dangle that big, big money...

AND we had to celebrate Mardi Gras, which sort of snuck up on us, but thank god they had King Cakes at our local Shop Rite!! (Pictured here, slathered in multi-colored festive icing and sugar!) and watch primaries.
And that's not even mentioning having to pick up work for one show, while dropping off work for another show AND finishing a piece that I have to drop off today before going to an opening this afternoon. No wonder I'm tired! (And wearing two different socks; I was too harried and impatient to search for a match.)
Oh right; we're also off to NYC tomorrow because I'm on a panel discussion at Artist's Talk on Art series. We'll be discussing how artist activists (like me!) fight against The Orange Menace. It should be enlightening and fun but I also feel honored to be part of this panel. We are all doing what we can... but most important is to motivate people to vote! VOTE! VOTE!!!

Finally on an altogether sillier note, the cold weather provokes a static electrical occurrence on the top of Robin the Good's head. A small cluster of hairs (seen here enhanced) persists in standing up. It looks totally adorable, but very silly! I'm not sure if she sees the humor in this, or whether she's even aware that her hair is doing this, but I had to share it anyway! (Don't tell Robin, but she looks like on of those kids in the Young Rascals. No! I mean Spanky and Our Gang; why did I think "Young Rascals"?!?!?)

Spring/Break Art Show Part 3

                                    

It's exciting that our room at Spring/Break Art Show was featured in The Guardian! Politics was a big theme at this year's show and our room was timely, topical but well pulled together. Many people commented on how well curated our room was.

And speaking of "many people", we heard a rough estimate yesterday that as many as 20,000 came to Spring/Break! I personally feel like I talked to 19,357 of them! It was exciting, exhilarating, exhausting and excellent (and any other word beginning with "X" one wants to exploit). I would do it again in a minute (but at least let me have a week or two off...)

I also like telling people that I passed out over two million dollars in "bribes" as my business card was a piece of fake money (in denominations from $1 to 100,000) with a sticker with my name and vitals on it (phone number, email, website and Instagram handle). Everyone enjoyed that and I surprised no one else seems to thought of it. You gotta make viewers remember you!

And although I didn't make two (or even one!) million dollars, I did sell a couple of my smaller works and broke even. I suspect that Ellen (Hi Ellen!) who runs ODETTA (the gallery in Brooklyn that we're affiliated with) will hear from interested parties who may want to purchase work post- art fair. So many people photographed not only the work, but the price list. So I am optimistic.

Whether anything sold or not, many eyes saw our work and that alone is gratifying. As an artist who creates alone in her studio, finding an audience is paramount. I love my solitude, I love where I live (Green Acres is the place for me...) but I also crave the lime light, baby, and need the adulation of those adoring eyes. But more importantly, I (and my gallery mates) have a message and are sharing it with the hopes that things will change. We ARE activist artists and there are so many things that need changing right now. Maybe we can push people in that direction...

My gallery mates and I (hello David! Hello Margaret!) are likewise happy with the level of exposure we received. Margaret got significant notice for a bit of a flap that ensued after she was told to remove an art work from our window (facing the street and a Trump building diagonally across 1st Avenue...) that featured a X'd out portrait of Himself. Suffice it to say, any publicity is GOOD publicity. (Here's a link to The Guardian article, if anyone is interested: 

Critical Canvas Spring/Break Art Show

Spring/Break Art Show Act 2

Ah yes! "Collusion", "Complicit" and "Fuck Your 2nd Amendment" are happily ensconced at Spring/Break (along with fine work by David Borawski and Margaret Roleke). I'm happy to report that our booth- in a relatively hospitable office space with heat and electricity and a near by water fountain!- is receiving excellent reviews. The paparazzi are popping and we're feeding on feedback and I couldn't be happier.
I think I've made some good connections (along with enough praise that my head is a bit inflated!) and I passed out more than a million dollars in business cards. (My business card is a sticker with all my vitals (name, phone number, email, web site, Instagram handle) on a piece of fake currency. Literally, all denominations. People loved my fake money/bribery card. I said, "Better than bitcoin!")
Wouldn't you know it though: two people I really wnated to see came by when I was here at home, resting and recuperating from talking to a half a zillion admirers. It's nice when someone you don't know comes into the space and says, "Gee I saw your work on so and so's Instagram feed!" I guess I'm hitting the right eyes.
Fortunately, the entire presentation of our space is coherent and well curated (thank you Margaret and Ellen) and has a unity of theme to it. There are more than a few pretty chaotic spaces full of demanding, noisy work...

Did I mention that the UN Plaza Building where the art fair is taking place in across the street from a Trump building? How ironic is that? The theme of this year's Spring/Break is "Fact or Fiction" and there are many interesting installations (including our room) that play with the weird dynamic of "fake news"and lies and misrepresentation. There's even a giant pill container, filled with fake "drug money" in a tiled pharmaceutically inspired room. That one's cool!
But I'm signing off as I'm tired and need to prepare for my next episode of life as an emerging art star. (Kidding!)   But I do have another million dollars worth of business cards to produce and I need a good night's sleep and orthopedic shoes. My feet got really tired from walking on hard pavement and standing for eight hours on cement floors. Life as an artist is hard!!!

Could Have Been Worse!

I never thought I'd say this but I would have taken snow! There is an inch of ice on everything. Sparkly-yes! Luminous-yes! Pretty from the house-yes! But it's miserable out there. I guess I really don't need to tell you this if you live anywhere in the NorthEast...
This morning, at 6:00 when it was -1 degree, I was half way the barn with Maggie's bucket o'slops when it dawned on me that it was dark and incredibly cold AND very slippery. If I happened to fall down no one would know (as Bob was still in bed) and I'd no doubt freeze to death. (No one that is except Robin who was already back on the terrace, waiting to go in- unusual behavior for her!) Fortunately, I'm here to write this blog so I obviously kept my footing and all is well. (How beings like Maggie stay outside is beyond me. She seemed fine, swaddled as she is in her heavy-duty high neck waterproof horse house coat.)

(Our fence, crested with Bob's magical miniature houses, are delightful in the ice.)
So we were smart and cleared the ice off the cars yesterday, figuring that they'd probably freeze shut overnight. I was deep into ice-encrusted snow removal when Bob pointed out that the tree directly above the car was leaning precariously and endangering both me and the car. I got the keys and Bob moved the car across the driveway by the truck. A half hour later, safely back in the house, I had a urge to look out the back door. Guess what:

Bob had had a premonition! The tree fell down and would have crushed the car! (in which we had only the day before replaced the starter motor.) There is indeed something to be said for trusting one's instincts! Boy winter sucks; but we had it cleaned up within an hour- that's Bob with the chain saw to the left above. But haven't I mentioned recently that that's all we did this year??!?!?)

So it could have been worse... but it's bad enough. There's ice everywhere, it's fucking freezing outside and my curator is cancelling (again). But we do have power and food and the wind wasn't as bad as predicted (which means fewer broken trees and less chance of loosing power) but we're getting "shack-y whack-y". (That's an updated form of cabin fever, according to our mechanic friend Bob). Can we believe that Wednesday is supposed to be in the 40's and rainy?
At least the lousy weather was good for something: I finished my piece, "Your Words Have Consequences".

Barring Natural Disasters...

So many projects, so little time! I've wanted to re-paint the upstairs for over a year now but last spring's tornado put the kibosh on getting much of anything done besides activities involving giant heaps of wood and brush. This year I vow will be different!
So the twisted stalk above suggests the illusive color I am seeking for the walls- a greenish/bluish/bit of purple... is this possible? Maybe I'll have to paint veils of color over color? Maybe I'll have to lose my mind trying to capture that subtle shade? Maybe I'll just paint the damned walls white again! (But what shade of white?!??!?) Anyway, I can't do that until warm weather and the possibility of open windows return. Hurry Spring! (And minus the tornadoes, please!)

These samples have been hanging out for quite a while...
What else? Yes, the wall will be built- not THAT wall but the mosaic one behind our Blue Garden. (Getting Mexico to pay for it!! Hahahaha.) I have tons of plates and dishes, all waiting to be smashed and cemented, but this, too requires warm weather. is there anything I can do besides endlessly vacuum the carpet in the meantime? Of course I will confess (and no doubt waggish friends and family will confirm) that I don't spend undo amounts of time cleaning and fussing. Just as well, too! Who wants to be an artist whose tomb stone reads, "Didn't Get Anywhere With Her Art But Boy Was Her House Clean". Not me!
I will admit that a reduced work schedule and the cold weather have driven me further inwards, both physically and psychically and has been good for my "studio practice".  Robin the Good drags me outside to chase her and her beloved soccer ball around but it's cold and I feel like hibernating.
But when I return to the warmth of my studio, ideas flow and pieces are coming together. I am finishing "Only the Oligarchs" and preparing to add the crystals to the edge that will really make that piece sing. I am preparing to sew the backing on "Your Words Have Consequences"; not the most exciting phase but that piece will be complete soon. (Sometimes, art requires a bit of tedium. The sexiest part is mostly the conception.) And "The Stock market is Not the Economy" is finally coming together. i think I have the font right... not sure about the scale of the letters. Some tweaking in process! So I guess I'm busy despite being chilly and awaiting warmer days!

For Artists Only

This is purposely a misleading title to this posting. Art- and art openings are NOT for artists only, but I think John and Jane Q. Public think that galleries are some sort of private club. I am repeatedly asked things like, "Does it cost money to go to a gallery?" "Do I need a ticket?" "Can anyone go?"
See that nice photo above, full of nice people looking at all that nice art?
They're all artists!
Nothing wrong with artists. Some of my best friends etc, etc... Conservatively speaking, 95% of my friends are artists and they're the greatest, swellest people around (funny, witty, smart, talented) but they cannot- and should not- be expected to buy art. And while I love my friends and the millions of new artist friends I meet, I want other, non-artist people to go to openings and experience my work.
This is one reason to show- to gain a wider audience for your work, with this widening audience (hopefully) leading to these individuals becoming buyers and collectors of the work.
My friends can visit my studio and see what I'm up to. I realize seeing the work in a gallery is different. I appreciate that they like coming to openings and getting a bit of wine and cheese and celebrating my work in a clean well lighted space; it does make the work seem complete. But I cannot- and do not- expect them to buy my work. So everyone leaves at the end of the evening and the work looks great but nothing changes. You get another line on your resume...
It's a constant paradox: how do you attract people to the gallery and separate them form their money? I suppose that's cynical way to put it but art needs to be collected. Galleries go belly up because the gallerist/director hasn't figured out the answer to this age old dilemma. Artists fight for the few positions in the stable of blue-chip galleries because there is a greater likelihood of success in selling work (which, of course, leads to being able to make more work...) Mid-level and entry level galleries stay open for maybe two, three years and close because of a lack of sales. It cease to be fun when operating a gallery means sitting in a lonely space, surrounded by work that no one wants to invest in and you still have bills to pay.
Several art dealers have stated to me recently that the artist should be bringing the buyers in to the gallery. I ask, then what's the gallery's part? If I had a slew of collectors that were eager to buy my work, chances are I wouldn't need a gallery.
I sure don't have the answer. I can make the work and attempt to round up the people who have enjoyed and purchased my work previously, and invite them to this show, and the next show and on and on. But it's a long slog! Even gallerists throw up their hands and exclaim over how hard it is. But we continue to schlepp our work to gallery after gallery and show after show... what's an artist to do?!?!!!??!?!?

Art, Sickeness and The Resistance Continues

I haven't blogged since that terrace completion because I've been really busy. I did Open Studios again this year, after a hiatus of four years. It was great! I got lots of good feedback and some serious interest in being informed of upcoming gallery shows (of which there are a few in the works. I'm excited about that!) There were something like 160+ artists in the building- a giant temporary space that used to be a garrison for some sort of military group, I think. And there was a surprising amount of really interesting and engaging work on display, along with several wacky performances that got me and my friends laughing. (We needed that after all the dire news recently.)
Above is one of the pieces I showed, "The Small Golden Pillow for the Resistance". I had three larger wall pieces on display as well as an assortment of artist's books. I was really happy because this years Open Studios was extraordinarily well attended. I spoke until I was hoarse and saw a lot of artists/friends that I haven't seen in ages. And then I got sick...
Well, that could be because of all the people in attendance, probably a half carrying some cold/virus germs... and there were children! Oh, you have to watch out for those little buggers wiping there snotty boogers everywhere. Did I mention that there were no bathrooms, just Port-O-Lets that got increasingly nasty as the weekend wore on? My last visit just before leaving on Sunday was particularly memorable. I bonded with several people in line who were brave enough (and desperate enough) to need to use the facilities. We played a good game of "what's behind Door Number 1 or Door Number 2... or do you want Door Number 3?" You can't win.
But it very well could have been my considerate co-worker who came in briefly on Friday to coach me in the use of the new photo lights at work. He came in briefly as he went home sick with a cold.  Yeeech. He never strikes me as being the most hygienic fellow at the best of times!
So I'm not feeling particularly smart- or well, either- and i'm going to go take a nap. I actually called in sick today, because unlike others whose names shall not be mentioned, I don't wish to spread illness.

Ketchup

No, despite the title, this is not a posting about tomato based condiments. I meant the title as a catchy alternative to... catching up. Very funny, right? A busy time of year, hence my sloppy blogging habits.
I have been preoccupied with gardening and trying to balance the intense purchasing/planting/starting seeds. As I have previously reported, I initiated a couple of new beds (one for shrubs and one for asters) and also developed a fixation with different types and colors of lilacs. And to boot, I have rekindled a neglected interest in starting seeds of plants not readily available in nurseries (or way to expensive to buy the quantity I long for...)There's always something new in the horticultural world if you're a plant geek!
And studio time... I have two new major pieces going which I will post soon. One has a labor-intensive edge that I had to fabricate and took what seemed like forever but it looks great. The other piece is elaborate and simply requiring amazing amounts of sewing, through thick, shiny white vinyl. And in the midst of trying to get a grasp on studio time, I had to run into New Haven to pick up four pieces from a show that is closing. (I got a good mention in a newspaper review. Yay!)
And then, of course, there was Bob's birthday (which date he shares with the Buddha.) Bob made out like a bandit, getting all kinds of novel and nifty things including new striped shirts, a nesting set of French serving dishes and a smart phone. The phone is proving smarter than us, so it may take a while to unlock all of it's apps and marvels; that's where the plastic pretend phone pictured above comes in handy...

And then we have had to eat. Have you ever been blocked as to what to have for dinner? It's as if you've eaten everything at least five times and there's nothing left to try. And then the food that still exists untried is inedible because it contains hideous amounts of salt, high fructose corn syrup, GMO ingredients or is full of stuff that unpronounceable. (Never a good sign!) But leave it to Bob to explore the enlightened world of creative plate coverage. Just look at what could have been a banal beige meal! He rendered it lovely and delicious... fish sticks with onion rings and braised Brussel sprouts.
I am also on the verge on constructing that mosaic wall I've been threatening to build (I guess I am not the only one with a wall obsession). I think I have a sufficient quantity of busted and shattered dishes plates and platters to commence. I don't want to begin it and change my mind about decoration or pattern; it wouldn't be the easiest thing to amend! The wall will have to wait- much like the terrace project- until the frenzy of Spring has abated.

Crabby Muses

Bob carved this Tiki mask from an over grown cucumber (maybe it's a squash?). I found it a charming emblem of the "crabby muse" phase that both Bob and I are experiencing.
For those of you who are not artists, crabby muse is when you sort of (but not really) feel like working in your studio but there's always something else to do. Or somewhere more distracting to go. And when you do plop yourself down in your studio, nothing seems to "click" or fall into place. That project that seemed so compelling just the other day now seems trite or complicated or just unnecessary. This stage passes (thankfully) but it can seen to drag on interminably. (I think a few really unlucky artists exist in this funk land for months or years! Then it has progressed to a true artist's block!)
I think my muses are simply a bit tired. I was in a bunch of shows this year, not to mention finishing a whole pile of sophisticated and engaging art work to populate those shows with! The artist's book, "Rita Valley's Guide to Collecting Art" alone would have been a good years production, but I also made a slew of fabric pieces- some finished under deadline for all those shows I mentioned! So possibly my muses are just taking a breather.
Don't worry: I have loads of ides and phrases jotted down on scraps of paper in my studio. They lie in wait for just the right time when I enter my studio and find myself re-immersed in art projects and I complete some of the many half-done masterpieces that hang near totality on my studio walls.
For the present, though, I'm happy to play with Lil' Robin the Good and enjoy the lovely fall weather.

Playing Hooky

The weather was so nice and there were several projects involving gardening and I confess: I played hooky from studio work and spent the better part of the afternoon outside. I said to Bob before he departed for a railing installation job, "I feel guilty, but I really want to be out of doors." I realize- and Bob reaffirmed- that there was no reason to feel badly. Sometimes, you just need to listen to those internal voices that beckon you out into nature...
Blooming plants, like the Sand Cherry above (Prunus pumila) are a good a reason as any to want to be outside! The long border that the Sand Cherry resides in needs a partial make over and today was a good day to start. I lifted and removed a whole slew of periwinkle that was running amuck through my phlox and Siberian iris (and everything else). I replanted that along the side of the Blue Garden. In itself, it was a major undertaking because those spreading ground cover things tend to multiply like crazy and when you lift a seemingly small area, there are seven million plants to be re-planted. But it was worth the effort because the border looks better, the periwinkle (Vinca major) is useful at the perimeter of the Blue Garden and I had a space to plant the Arborvitae "Forever Goldy" (Thuja plicata) we got on sale at Home Depot looks great there... gotta love Home Depot. They may not always water their plants, but they're affordable and they actually have some interesting specimens!
And an additional benefit was that Robin the Good ran around like a possessed demon and got all tired out and didn't even protest when I sent her back into the house to rest when I went "outside the fence" to plant that Vinca. Robin was very helpful and made sure to eat my sunglasses (granted: the crummy, scratched lenses around the house pair...) and run straight through my newly watered, freshly dug area and generally cause havoc.
And later in the afternoon, post reviving shower and clothing change, I did manage to get into my studio and get a start on assembling a copy of my latest artist's book. A good day!

And Yet Another Puppy Post!

Robin lost two teeth today! She has a goofy gap-toothed grin as her two front lower baby teeth fell out. She probably swallowed them. But teething is a way serious issue for little dogs: wake up and let the chewing begin! Here's another action shot:

Yes, that's an actual, untouched photo of her mouth in action. But just when you exclaim, "What were we thinking?" and decide that little Robin was pick of the litter at Satan's Puppy Mill, she falls asleep on your stomach and has delicate puppy dreams and is all warm and squishy..

That all occurs in the space of three minutes. It does keep you on your toes. (Of course, an entire blog entry and inquiry could easily be devoted to considering just what a puppy dreams about. Robin has been alive a grand total of fifteen or sixteen weeks and would not seem to have a huge range of life experiences. But dream she does: howling and twitching and eyes rolling wildly. Curious!) But she is a grade a student when it comes to house training. Not one accident yesterday at all!
But I have a vet appointment today for puppy booster shots and an ear check (seems to be shaking her head and rubbing her ears). I realized that with the exception of the harrowing eight hour odyssey that she endured on her Pennsylvania to Connecticut adventure, she has no car experience. So I bundled her into the car, thinking to drive around the block and prepare her for Thursday's excursion. No sooner had I rounded the first bend than I thought, "Gee, she's awfully quiet" and I glanced into the rear view mirror to see her nose becoming visibly longer and pointier and well, greener (no mean trick for a black puppy!) and her tongue came out and she drooled prodigiously and the next thing I knew her lunch was on the seat along side her. Poor little Robin! We'll see how she fares today on a half hour journey...
But despite the puppy preoccupation, she's a good kid and has been helpful while I clean up the garden. She likes carrying sticks around and has done a fine job of jumping on the piles of leaves I've raked. She's been really good in my studio, too, where there is no end of excitement and danger. Bob and I are both preparing for a show upcoming at The Trailer Box Project in Danbury. I think Bob's pretty much on top of things, but I lost a month when mourning Jules and have a bit of catching up to do. (Mostly sewing backings on pieces and tweaking a book I hope to complete). Thank the stars that Robin has been mostly cooperative!

On Not Sleeping

Last night, in yet another failed attempt to sleep, I got up and accomplished quite a bit on the above piece. I sewed around all the inner edges of the letters, where the intersect and overlap the insert of horizontal fabric. I'm glad I had something to do, but I sure would rather have been asleep, leaving the artwork for day time.
Do I need to tell you that not sleeping sucks? Of course not. I'm tired, I'm not thinking clearly, I've lost some of the edge of my sense of humor, I'm probably not making a whole lot of sense and hell, I worry that my judgement has gone out the window. (Someone stop me if I consider voting for Ted Cruz. That's what lack of sleep can do to you. Snark, snark, snark.

That mug would wake the dead!! My eyes! As Robert Reich cogently pointed out in a 4 point presentation, Ted is even scarier than The Donald.)
So here I am again, at 3:21 in the a.m. wide awake and posting a blog that leaps from my latest art work to weirdo republicans in a single bound. But I guess this beats lying in bed, debating the (un) merits of getting up versus restlessly turning from side to side, trying to convince yourself that you're almost a sleep. Surprise! You're not!
There is that mysterious moment when you feel immersed in pool of almost not-consciousness and you just let go and slip into sleep, if it's going to happen. The "if it's going to happen" is crucial because if it's not happening, you spring back up like, "Hello! I'm actually wide awake!!" I've become really good at that part. Contemplating that moment of suspension and surrender is not helpful because if your twitching monkey brain is busy analyzing the threshold of sleep instead of simply crossing it, you're not sleeping.
So here I am, the only being awake for miles around, hoping to finish up this blog posting so that I can go back to the bedroom and drift off. I know that since Jules the Dog died, my sleep patterns have gone to hell. In the past if I occasionally couldn't sleep, Jules saw it as his duty to keep my company. Now, even not sleeping makes me miss Jules...
I am hoping that the impending (some time mid week?!?!?) arrival of our latest bundle of canine joy will assist in recovering the ability to sleep soundly. But I do need to take into consideration the fact that small puppies who are not house trained need to be taken outside every two or three hours. That'll do wonders for my not sleeping!

An Unfortunate Exchange (Reason Number 765,500 to Hate the Art World)

I think of myself as a reasonable artist. I have been practicing my art for a substantial amount of time (like the better part of 59 years) and have a pretty clear idea that my work has "value". I have shown enough- and sold enough!- to know that I'm not some hack who wastes peoples time trying to corner them and force my work down their throats. In short, I believe I make work of merit and I deserve an audience and at least a modicum of cordiality when I approach a gallery professionally.
Last fall, a new gallery opened in a near by town. A friend had stopped into the space and even ventured my name and Bob's as likely candidates for showing at the new venue. Bob and I called in one afternoon and were pleasantly surprised to see interesting work of an experimental and conceptually engaging nature. We additionally had a positive conversation with the youthful husband and wife (formerly of New York City) who were running the gallery. Both Bob and I left our web addresses and suggested they take a  look.
Several weeks later, I called the gallery and talked to the male half. He immediately acknowledged me- again in a positive manner- and stated as how he'd looked at my web site and was interested in my artist's books and how I encouraged hands on interaction with them. He even asked if we were available on a certain Monday as he said he needed to be in our area (we are only one town away.), Unfortunately, I had to work and we agreed to set a time in the near future for a studio visit. Of course, they had a new show opening and then the holidays came and everyone got busy so it wasn't until the other day that I thought to check in...
When I called, he again remembered me but I detected a strain in his tone. Before I could even recommend another attempt at setting a date for a studio visit, he immediately said, "Well, we're actually booked for the rest of the year." Me, being all affirmative and trying to be upbeat and chipper replied, "We all know that most shows are scheduled well into the future and artists often have to wait a year or two to show. Besides, sometimes artists drop out or are unable to complete the work and there comes an available time to show." (See? I've been at this a long time...) But I'm starting to get that queasy, twisted feeling that comes when a conversation shifts into unpleasant territory- much like trying to hook up with someone that you have a crush on and it dawns on you that the feeling is not mutual. A lot like that! Anyway, I'm nothing if not persistent (but not in a creepy stalker-ish way!) and I said, "Look: I'm returning this call and following up because you expressed an interest. This isn't like a "cold call"". And he responds, "Well, honestly, I don't usually drive all over the place making studio visits." We're only in the next town... it's not like I've asked him to drive to Montana to see some lame-ass work. Besides, he'd encouraged me!
So I finally, trying very hard to not sound utterly foolish, desperate and like a jilted suitor, said, "Well how about I bring some work by the gallery?" To which he had to agree. But by this point, I'm thinking, "What a complete A-hole!" And why not make a poor artist bend over backwards and jump through fucking hoops?
Most artists will recognize this story. Curators, art dealers, critics- people even tangentially associated with the arts- feel they can ride rough shod over artists. Yes, there are too many of us but the system that has sprung up around artist sucks, to put it bluntly. I am so tired of feeling like I'm asking for a favor or a hand-out or some bizarre perversion simply because I need what most artists need: an opportunity to show my work.And how on earth are we to succeed if the very system that presents our work is manned by weasels that run the other way when they see us coming? I've been told repeatedly that dealers/curators feel "pursued" and "put upon" by pesky artists; they are jaded. But what's an artist to do? We are told we need to be aggressive and persistent, but then we're rebuffed. I was actually told one time, after asking for the contact information of a curator who had selected several pieces of my work for a show, "not to "bother" the curator. !?!?!?!!?!? WTF?
I know there's a fine line, a balancing act to follow. But does anyone have those guidelines for me to figure out just the right mixture of push and pull? And don't lead us on. Believe it or not, we're adults. that is, if you're not interested, just say so. Pleasantly.
So, in short- you Art World "power brokers": be nice! Artists have it hard enough.

I am Sick, Therefore I Ramble

This is a piece that I'm working on but I'm further along with it than when I shot this picture (it's pinned, not sewn in the picture.) I like the potential and the potential open endedness of "As If". I also admire the hint of a threat in"...as if". But you can read it however you like. (At present, I think I'm inclined to act as if I'm not sick.)This and the crazy book project about collectors has been keeping my fingers busy.
But something is going on cosmically. Like I developed a cold (and am therefore not really smart right now), and I don't get colds too often. I successfully fought it off all week, but had been feeling run down and tired but was unable to sleep well. And then there's stress... did someone say stress?
But in addition to my cold (which is a minor inconvenience, like we were supposed to be hosting dinner guests), let's face it: Bob and I are down to one car again, my horses feet have something going on (as she's been abscess prone), Mommy went back into Hospice care, fall is here and the weather is getting colder and the days shorter. Yech.

On the other hand, the fall color can be spectacular- or at least peculiar. Check out the pinkish cast to the fall color of the oak leaf hydrangeas. Although I didn't think this year's color was especially great because of the summer drought. And the sudden cold snap made for a quick shedding of foliage...
See? Told you I was rambling... But is this better than the fact that I was contemplating ranting? Ranting about those pesky republicans? Oooooooooooooh. They're so weird.
Most recently, I want to address how they pilloried Hillary Clinton and grilled her for 11 hours of fruitless Benghazi testimony- and this from the party that's always railing about "wasting tax payers money"? Really? Isn't this the biggest waste possible? Especially after one of these clowns was asked if they'd learned anything new. He responded as how Hillary Clinton's statements and answers were consistent with the last time they'd questioned her. I wonder why... Maybe because she is telling the truth and her story IS consistent. At least Hillary Clinton sounded utterly stable, calm and reasonable- and presidential!- in the face of so much political triviality. That fool Kevin McCarthy (who pursued the Speaker's position) let loose a big wet one when he claimed how Benghazi had hurt Hillary Clinton's presidential bid. Boy, did that back fire! Where is he now?
Of course that leads back to republicans and that weasel Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House?!! I'm sick! I can't breath! Get me to bed!

In Which I Have (Probably) Broken My Toe

The picture says it all. OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Yesterday was a ripely f%&ed up day, all along. Small- and large- things kept messing up, misfiring and generally wreaking mayhem with my life and the lives of others. Believe me: I wasn't alone in this!
But anyway, I was attempting to listen for thunder out of our office window when my foot- apparently little toe first- connecting in a convincing fashion with (get this!) the frame of one of my drawings! Yes, art can be dangerous!! I generally wander around the house shod in sneakers or boots as I have stepped on all kinds of nasty, pointy, sharp or gooey things and prefer proper foot protection. But it was so hot last night, and I had been casually reclining in bed reading, so it was with vulnerable bare feet that I went into the office.
I slept with my foot elevated and ice applied. Bob constructed a bolster between us so that he would not accidentally bang into my foot during the night. Boy that sucker hurts!
I called in sick to work today. I can't stand on my foot in any realistic manner and there is only one pair of crappy old running shoes that I can effectively house my toe in. My job entails me being upright for 96% of the day and that was out of the question. I am elevating and icing even as we speak...
The weirdest thing is that I was talking to my good friend Louise on Sunday. She was seriously in pain because she had messed up her toe by running it into the wooden leg of a large hassock that they have! Now we're sisters! And speaking of sister, come to think of it, my sister Cathy broke her toe last month! what is this? The Moon must be in the phase "Broken Toe"! Please be careful...
I remember doing almost exactly the same thing to my foot (the same one) in New Haven years ago. Yes, that time I went to the doctor. You know what he did? He taped my little toe to the toe next to it and called it "the buddy system" and said there really wasn't anything else they can do. So... "Buddy System" here I come!