Corporate America Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks!!!!

 

Let's throw technology into that rant, too. This was going to be a "fun" post about an interesting field trip that Bob and I embarked on a few weeks back. But no... thanks to technology, I can't get the pictures on my phone to download onto my computer so you'll just have to wait for that blog episode. Don't hold your breath. 

Okay so the remainder of this blog is an expanded argument about some of the many things wrong in our dystopian country. I was recently in an art show in NYC. As the unpredictable winter weather and COVID are issues, I decided to send my artwork via UPS. My work is easy to roll and fold so into a box it went (*1) and off to UPS I went. I groused as it cost waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more to send than I originally expected (like I could have travelled by train to NYC and back several times for less $$$) but I figured WTH, it saves time and aggravation etc etc. The show ends this weekend, so I decided to make plans to get my work shipped back home. And while I could arrange a pick up by phone or online, I went into the UPS "store" as I felt like there might be problems. Just a hunch...

At the store, I was informed that "they don't handle pick ups". I furrowed my brow and said, "But I already paid for the return of my package (insured, too!)" They said, "But we don't communicate with the drivers". To which I responded, "But you're UPS. They're UPS drivers. You have more communication with them than me, a private citizen". "Oh no," was their answer. "This is a franchise. You have to call them up." Huh? Why call yourself UPS and charge me and then pretend you have no association with the company; highly confusing.

So I returned home and called UPS. I actually got a person who informed me that to schedule a pick up, I was going to be charged and additional $10. WHAT?!?!!? I already pre-paid for a round trip for my art work, what was this about? I got into quite a long harangue and made mention that many other art works were being picked up at the same address on the same day... they stood to make a lot of additional money if we all gave them an extra $10. Sorry! That's the way that is! I called the gallery and the curator there said that others were running into this problem but that at the end of the last show, the UPS driver told the curator that as long as there was a shipping label, he'd take the packages. We'll see.

The same day (I should have known better) I decided to tackle the problem of why we couldn't get our movie selections on Disney+ to stream. Bob and I suspected a technological problem so that's the department I called. I got a young man who hemmed and hawed and apologized (corporate America is really fond of disingenuous apologies.) and finally he asked what kind of device we were attempting to watch Hamilton on. I responded a TCL TV. He sighed and said, "OH! Roku TV's won't allow streaming if you're watching a program with the ads! You have to subscribe to the premium level!" Say what?!?!? We bundled Hulu and Disney+ because the price was right and we only really wanted to see Hamilton and now I'm being told "no; you can't do that unless you pay more... or watch on a Smart Phone or our computer monitor." (Oh great! Hamilton streaming on a 2 inch screen! Fabulous!) So here too, they were attempting to extort an additional $10 out us. I went back on their bundle ad and absolutely nowhere does it say anything about Roku and ads and how disappointed you're going to be- sorry sucker!! It's not even the stupid $10 more; it's the fact they don't tell you this! Infuriating. I also sat on hold for an hour (maybe I'm really stupid...) to try and talk to a supervisor. I finally hung up and we watched the first half of Hamilton (pretty mazing!!!) on our computer. Needless to say, I'm not pleased.

Moral of the story... I don't know. We're all so bound up in corporate life. We never seem to get satisfaction and rarely talk to a real person- and when you do, they're like humanoid robots trained to tell you just how sorry they are (they're not!). Corporations are making money and not feeling any compunction about anything but making money. I was happier back when I read books and never knew I needed TV.

(*1) Word to the wise: find a box and box it yourself at home. The last time I went to UPS and inquired about a box, they wanted to charge me $50 for a cardboard box! I went home and found one of similar size in the attic and used that. They will ship in a recycled box. I mean... really?!??

(*2) So after we finish Hamilton, we're divorcing ourselves from Disney+. I don't even care about the stinking Mandalorian any more! Fuck baby Yoda!

New Work/ New-ish Year

 

 

I'm hard at work as usual! I did have a coupla slow weeks where I entered at sort of COVID torpor... but that seems to have departed and I've started several new pieces, as well as finishing up several that have been in process for a while. Above is the first section of a very wiiiiiiiiiiiiiide piece that says, "Reconcilition". It's one of those words that has more than one meaning. The one that most people will think of- patching things up or getting ideas (whatever) to agree- isn't the meaning I was considering though. I'm referencing the budgetary/governmental meaning involving a parliamentary procedure to pass budgetary legislation. Check it out: it's been in the news lately. And yes, I am hand sewing all those flower clusters on; they're "lifted" from another fabric.

Not for the faint of heart, here's a close up of my (poor) fingers after a hard day of sewing:

Look at those cracks! Bloody crevices! Who knew that sewing was a contact sport? And yes, I apply copious amounts of hand cream, Bag Balm, "Working Hands" and band-aids, but you can't work with any of that stuff actively on your hands as it stains the fabric. (I wait until bed time.) And it doesn't help that I jammed a needle into a couple of my fingers while sewing: Yow! Almost jumped out of my skin on that!!!

And I finally found a use for at least a bit of the three million miles of blue plastic hay bale twine. (Yes, feed two horses all winter long and you have a LOT of blue hay bale twine.) I am making natty pseudo-fringe for the edge of another piece, "So Tired Of Winning". This one was sitting unresolved in a corner for weeks. But fortunately, I found just the right backing material and the fringe idea just came to mind like magic. But I have like another two and half million miles left if anyone has a special macrame project in mind!

The Good, The Bad and the Worser

(Pictures of house plants are provided to give us something living and green to focus on. I haven't killed them yet, which is one of the good things! A selection of begonia, dracaena and succulents).
The observant among you will notice that I am typing this at 3:45 a.m. (Well, I started my post then and am continuing at a more civilized hour). I couldn't sleep because of all the roiling 'round that my brain was doing.

The good? I have a one person show at a (community) college art gallery... YAAAAAYYY!! It all happened spontaneously and serendipitously because of an other artist's erratic behavior and sudden departure to points west. (It's actually sort of interesting that this other artist- an in demand young man!- disappeared to Southern California on a whim and left the curator with no show to hang.) So because I am a professional (I'm laughing here) and I have a ton of hang-ready work AND the curator loved my pieces... I have a show. I'll keep you posted as to the opening date and artist's talk.
I also have another REALLY GOOD art related event coming my way that is partially under wraps until February 1st. But let's just say I'm EXTREMELY pleased and excited!!

And that's a good thing as other aspects of my existence suck, big time. My job? The one that I've had for 12 years and really like (at times)? Probably won't be long before I'm seriously unemployed. Our hours have been cut (nothing personal- it's across the board), and apparently there is a hemorrhage of money and plenty of bad luck (unfortunately typical of the antiques/auction world). It's a changing market and there are other options for people to divest themselves of treasures and merchandise. But we also suffer from sinking morale (with nothing being done to boost it!) and increasingly peculiar conditions. * It does keep me up at night!
The worser and worser is: Do I really want to look for another job? What on earth am I prepared to do? I'd prefer to bury my head in the sand and deny the possibility of having to look for a different mode of economic support. I've certainly always had a fraught relationship with gainful employment! And I am silly/deluded/impractical and delirious enough to still hold out hope that "someone" will "discover" me and buy all my back inventory of artwork and catapult me into financial freedom. Are we all laughing now? I guess we need a good laugh as it's fuckin' freezing outside and we have a long way to go until spring.

*I am suspicious that "they" are surreptitiously trying to get us to quit. There is a major game of "uncle" going on; a brinksmanship battle to see just how far they can push us.Talk about stressful.

Almost Ready

(Yeah, that's Tilda Swinton (again). She keeps popping up, this time on our ceiling. Don't ask.)
I'm almost ready to begin working in my studio again. Almost. I have loads of ideas, which I have been jotting down on envelopes and bits of scrap paper at work but I haven't been (seriously) in my studio for three weeks. I entered last Thursday and cracked my skylights and opened a window but just wasn't feeling it. And then my muses growled at me so I went out to do some gardening instead.
I guess it makes total sense. I worked so hard, doing three shows this late Winter and Spring, I know my artistic muscles just need a break. And it's been a good and well deserved vacation!
I know I've suggested that we artists are not factories and there is truth in that. But we do get asked (constantly) to "show only your newest and bestest work". Whatever!
So I'm obviously brimming over with new ideas (Womp Womp) and entertaining possible type-faces and fonts in my mind, but I'm not committing anything to fabric yet. I'm also toying with the next artist's book which will be an intense contemplation on income disparity. Lots to ponder there!
The other thing that's been keeping me going and making me happy (besides Bob and Robin and even cranky lame ol' Maggie) is gardening. Yes, we suffered mighty set backs from that blasted tornado paying an unwelcome visit, but every few days brings another load of logs removed from yet another garden bed and more liberated lawn. My shoulders ache tonight, but it was refreshing to be able to walk directly across the yard and not have to take an enormous detour around the felled giant of a pine tree. Hooray for Bob and the new chain saw!
I know it's obvious, but boy do I love plants and gardening. I have been constructing a birthday wish list and it's all plant material. I think I suddenly discovered all the cool colors and shapes that conifers come in: lumps! bumps! comes! shafts! pyramids! blobs! pancakes! It's exhilarating. I am especially drawn to round mounds this early summer. Maybe I've explored tall narrow forms enough for a while and realize I have no mounded evergreens at all. And space! I do have more space to play with now that those trees have fallen... endless possibilities.
Wish us luck.. The tree removal men are due on Wednesday. I don't even remember what the house looks like with trees resting on it. And we have a spectacular idea in store for the stumps... stay tuned!

Constant Consternation

I have been having many-so very many!- WTF moments lately. Just as I think I have ripened into a fairly unflappable semi-adult 61 year old, something else happens to make me exclaim, "What the Fuck"?!!?!?
Take this week for example. The Orange Menace, who masquerades as something called "The President" continues to provide so many WTF episodes that it's causing my head to spin completely around ala Regan in "The Exorcist". Firings, subpoenas... WTF!??!
And the weather? Does this sound like the first day of Spring?!?! We're expecting our fourth (FOURTH!??!?) Nor'easter in three weeks?!?!? WTF!?!?
I experienced a personal WTF moment after I had a flat tire.  Allegedly, you can't replace only one tire on the Subaru; because of all wheel drive, it is strongly "suggested" that you replace all four tires.  Each tire was quoted somewhere around $140. But it occurs to me that the Subaru has 234000 miles on it, leaks oil and smells like gas... Really? Isn't that throwing good money after bad? WTF!?!
I guess I should believe anything that comes my way, but I still keep reeling. That's why I embarked on the above piece, suitably exclaiming WTF!??! I think it expresses what many of us have been feeling.
Me? I want warm sunny weather outside my house and calm inside the White House!

13, 14 and 14 (Pretty Cryptic, No?)

In honor of July the 4th, I have presented a numerically cryptic posting. And I have thoughtfully illustrated this blog with images from my beaded Credit Card series. What could possibly be more patriotic than images of credit cards? Money and flags, united in one iconic artwork.
The "13" in my title refers (of course) to the 13 original colonies that caused a revolution and broke away from England. This is why we celebrate the Fourth of July and why the more reckless among us celebrate by blowing off a digit or two after a few brewskis and the old chimpanzee and dynamite conundrum. Happy fireworks to you too!
The first "14" in the title references the 14 idiots that are currently running for the republican nomination for the next presidential cycle. What could be more worthy of the next revolution than to consider that Donald Trump actually thinks he'd make a "good" president.  Can you name all of them? Several are so damned peculiar that it's nearly impossible to forget them, no matter how hard we try. Bobby Jindal anyone? Governor of a state that he has done nothing to help and boy does it need help. Low wages, no health care, the attractively named "Cancer Alley" running through it, poverty just to name a few issues that might hurt his chances. Rick Perry? How about nominating a guy already under indictment? Or Chris Christie who has staked out a platform based (so far) on making pot totally illegal again. Ad his approval rating is in the single digits in his own state. (There are those pesky digits again. I guess you can count Christie supporters on one hand...) Or Rick Santorum? Please. Carly Fiorina? She seems to have announced and then disappeared. I suppose it does help the republican cause to have a woman hanging around. Again, the number of digits on one hand can be used to account for all the woman the republicans have welcomed into that big ol' tent. Not to mention that her record seems based on taking jobs away from people. do I really need to go on? Stop me!!! (Although I should mention that we're all waiting with the proverbial "bated breath" for number 15 and 16 to throw their hats in the ring.)

Okay the last number "14" is the number of acupuncture needles I had inserted into my head, ears, hands, feet and neck this morning. What a way to start the Fourth of July! But I have to say I feel really good and the sitting still for forty minutes this morning was probably the most inert and restful I've been in ages. I seem to have less discomfort and more energy so God Bless Chinese medicine!

Bring Me A Shrubbery! (In The Miserable Month of May)

Well, today is beautiful, but I'm thinking the last few days. Saturday was so rainy and cold that I couldn't even consider planting any of the things that are languishing in pots. All of the flowers on my petunias and nicotiana are rotting off an look like frozen kleenex. I feel badly for garden center owners; it's Memorial Day and you're supposed to have everyone out buying and planting and it's the "safe planting" no frost date and it's miserable. But at least we didn't get snow like upper New York state! I'd move.
So I spent the day in my studio, which was refreshing. My whole studio, as pictured in the corner above, is full of plants hunkering down indoors and seedlings and things awaiting their germination. It's crowded but oxygen enriched. (That was supposed to be a photo of the pieces I'm at work on but I can't find them so I'll re-shoot and make that my next posting.) Between Bob and myself, we start many things from seed.
Today is really nice, so after I finish this I'll go back out and plant some more things. I got a couple of containers started (One needs major chunkiness; it looked too delicate for such a massive container.) I have a few more containers to adorn our deck with.
And then there's all the other perennials and things to plant... and lust after.
Have I mentioned that I am a complete plant addict? I cannot pass a nursery or garden center with stopping and most likely purchasing something. Yesterday, in my own form of botanical porn, I snapped pictures of things I'm currently pining for (pun intended as they're primarily evergreens.)

I want one of these. Yellow or gold, delicate needles... And one of these:

Tall and columnar and narrow. Like Juniper "Sky Pencil" (great name!). Even tighter column would be better. I have need of extreme verticality.
It occurred to me early this spring that I've truly never been able to plant permanent things like shrubs and trees.  And there are holes in my borders (and my life!) Big, empty dirty spots in my garden, singing out for truly year round interest.It was as if I suddenly understood what all those things at nurseries were, in larger pots beyond the annuals and perennials. Now I wander between them, coveting them all.
Look at these beauties:

So powder blue it's almost white! With little cones! Oooooohhh!
And look at these spruce! Like mumps!

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Now I have to go take a cold shower! Thank Dog my birthday is coming up in July...

A Certain Insecurity

My studio table is often littered with odd bits like this bowl full o' heads. I've been doing lots of collage work of late; often worry that I'm "loosing it", but then I think better and plow ahead...
I suppose- no, I KNOW!- that's a universal artist problem: insecurity. I try not to care too much. Really, what can you do; people either like your work and "get it" or not/ And trying to explain (art) work to people not attuned is hopeless. Hopeless.
I have always subscribed to the idea that you do work to please yourself and the devil take the rest. This is the only healthy response. Nothing in the universe is more depressing and dead ended than an artist thinking to make work to please an audience. If you do a landscape, they'll want a still life. make a red painting and they'll want it in blue. Who can work like that? And to worry about "good" and "bad" is to lose the day before it's even begun. Believe me, the artists (and writers and musicians and whatevers!) that worry about whether their work is good or bad are never going to do anything. They're paralyzed by fear; that's awful and soul-crushing. This is (partly) why my mantra is more. Just "more". Make art. Make more art. The good and the bad will sort themselves out. (Besides, plenty of really bad artists go places because they have confidence in themselves. Often waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more confidence than the really good- but insecure!- artists. Trust me on that.

(Another table shot). So why is this question on my mind? Because since I damaged my eye, I wonder if my eye is so connected to my brain and my art center and my hand/eye that my work is "off" (like bad meat). I don't really believe that, but I can't help at times but feel insecure because it's just so much harder for me to do things. I couldn't collage for a long time as I just had so much trouble cutting up tiny bits of paper. Then I just sort of forged ahead. I also keep working so as to not sit around worrying about whether what I'm doing is any good.

And as I hinted at before, this sort of un-confidence is very unlike me. What's a woman to do? I keep making art, good, bad or indifferent. I think I'd really be nuts if I didn't make art. I am also experimenting with new things, like using photographs and I still need to start messing around with my video camera. I have several things in mind for that. Always I have ideas! May not be able to execute them as effectively as I'd like, but the ideas keep coming...

The Just the Wrong Amount of Right...

I started a drawing again a few days ago. My fingers were itching and I had that unsettled feeling that I get when something just wants to come out. And drawing is such a physical art act for me; way more so than collage and much chunkier than sewing. (Fabric work is tactile in a much more silky kind of way.)
Anyway, I began to mess around with pencils and a bit of added collage and then I glued on- and ripped off- other papers, leaving scabby, redrawn-on ghosts. I stenciled letters and then erased them. In short, I had a ball. Then it occurred to me that there was a odd skull shape looking up at me, which, if you think of it, is not all that strange as I must have made thirty plus skulls in the past few years. (They were made from all kinds of crumpled magazines and packing tape).
Above is the third drawing in this series, because inevitably, all my work is from a series, whether new or old. Oh, and the phrase... that's from this weird series of ads for a hotel chain. I think they're trying to appeal to a younger, hipper sensibility. But boy, is a chunk of jargon like that up my alley. Just what are they- and I by extension- trying to say?
And of course, this exercise got me mulling over the twisted way that things like skulls permeate our culture. Not really a source of revulsion and fear or a blunt reminder of our certain mortality, skulls have gone the way of owls, mushrooms, dinosaurs, zombies and many other kitsch-ified societal shorthands. Think about it: dinosaurs were known for tromping around the planet, chewing up smaller dinosaurs and consuming entire palm trees and generally wrecking havoc on a magnificent scale. Not cute, by any means! Even owls are predators, devouring voles and shrews in a single swallow and regurgitating bones and beaks after the fact. And mushrooms are frequently poisonous but they have long been used as decorative devices with fairies sleeping beneath their deathly gills. They have all been rendered safe, cozy and cute. So I can't figure out which side (or hopefully both! I love ambiguity!) my skulls come down on.
On the other hand- embracing that ambiguity- I can honestly say my sorta skull drawing isn't an ultra representational skull . It's more of an implied skull or a suggestion of skull. That leaves room for you to see something entirely different. Or, to see just the right amount of wrong.

It's Probably Still Christmas Somewhere!

The tree is down and the personalized Christmas stockings are safely tucked away but I've left the Holiday cards up on the back door. We sure get some great cards- a gigantic benefit to having artist friends!
Bob and I have amassed quite an extensive collection over the years, saving all the hand-drawn, hand made cards. Some of our friends- like Roberta!- make truly amazing art works each year. Take a look at this
 year's model:

We gave Roberta's card it's own shrine in the ice making dispenser section of the refrigerator door. Have an odd year, indeed!
Most years, I really enjoy creating cards with Bob. I think this year's offering was pretty clever and we received good feedback. Some years, the "well is dry" and making cards seems a real chore. Bob and I actually broke down and purchased cards several times in the last twenty plus years. (Oh the horror!) I have already conceived of a brilliant idea for next year; let's see if I remember it by early December 2013.
And don't get me started about "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays" and "Seasons Greetings". Please. We have friends who are vegan, pagan, trans-gendered, left-handed, Middle Eastern, fly-fishing, cat-walking, stay-at-home dads and we try and accommodate ALL tastes and inclinations!
And while we're at it, here's the bulletin board where we stick "over flow".

There's a nice new postcard from our friend Ben who is in Mexico (as always) for the winter season. He's making art in a warm, dry climate.
Incidentally, I think this posting was about friends. Due to weather events, we've missed several parties, dinners and festivities this last month. Last night it was fog! We were supposed to have dinner after an opening but as we drove up the road, the visibility was terrible so we came home and dined on leftovers and (non-violent) video games.

The Two Big Projects 2013 Style

My goal in this upcoming year is to accomplish Two Big Projects (obviously with the help and cooperation of my beloved partner Bob and probably a few helper elves). The Great Gods of Time and Money willing, we will at least get under way...
The first is the crucial Enclosing of the Carport. This is important for my happiness and mental health. Why, you may ask? Do I love my car so much that I dread it's spending yet another cold and lonely night beneath the stars? No, it is because Enclosed Carport is the Future Home of the Artist Know as Rita. Let's be real: the living room has been a satisfactory space. It's actually a great space but it's supposed to be the Living Room. When we lived in Bridgewater, I had a fine studio but it was really a "family room" (replete with hideous pink carpeting that needed disappearing). If truth be known, the doorway was so narrow I couldn't work on bigger projects and had to work outdoors or "borrow" Bob's studio. And the ceiling! The ceiling was really low, and even I, short stuff that I am, had dreams of elevations soaring faaaaaaaaaar above my head. The living room that I presently occupy has a very tall ceiling and that has made me desirous of "head room". Therefore, I say ,"Raise high the roof beams, Carpenters!". (Paraphrasing J.D. Salinger)
And the second assignment for Casa de BobnRita is to remake the famous deck:

(We are tactfully ignoring that white residue also known as snow). This batch of slowly decomposing wooden planking will be replaced by stones. Can't wait! This is a really do-able project as we have probably half the stone needed (thanks in no small part to Bill and Gloria and their quarry). As we really enjoy sitting out here at day's end (when the snow's all gone, of course!), this will be a great addition to this side of the house. And maybe it will motivate us to replace that dreadful broken trim board to the left of the door frame... but don't lets get carried away!!!
Hey, I know there are other things that majorly need doing or would simply be swell to do. But I'm a part-time realist and if these two things get done, I'm good for a few years.