Old and New

Years, I mean... the old one about to round up, the new one in sight.

This little spot would lead one to believe there has been an extended period of inactivity of late. Not so true, in fact the absence of posts is directly related to a diverse explosion of energies in a multitude of directions. Which I have to say pretty much had very little to do with the holiday season. First I've been getting ready for a show and teaching gig, the biggest thing I've done to date as I am putting together and curating a show of about 20 artists scattered all over the country and internationally, and then teaching for a week, finishing up with a one day community workshop. And this is the place where I get to say it could not be possible or doable without the help and support of my very special friends and the worlds greatest co-conspirators Beth and Margaret. Somehow these very smart, talented and beautiful ladies find the time, patience and energy to help me on this project and for that I am grateful. More info on this show soon, watch this space...

So for the show part of that I built a new piece, the first in a good while. It's an installation piece of sonic and interactive sculpture, the biggest thing like that I've ever made. No photos of the installation until after it's installed, but here's a quick glimpse at the triptych panel components in evolution...though lacking in detail about the electronics as i re-made them several times, having now been exposed to the physics of harmonics and feedback...I am an experiential learner, which is highly inefficient...



And of course there's been the dayjob, which has been surprisingly busy and severely interrupted by significant weather events. We almost never get stuck, even living remotely and at the top of the mountain but a heavy snowstorm followed by ice pretty much kept us close to the woodstove. So a lot of my time has been spent digging out and moving snow, clearing and repairing the road down to a point where we could reach the hardtop, followed by a redux that involved an ice storm, and clearing limbs and trees. Lots of cold, wet grueling manual labor, but oddly satisfying as it was direct and purposeful. Of course that resulted in several nights of coming in and being so cold stiff and sore that blogging or much of anything else didn't appeal, followed by mornings of creakiness which limited me to drinking coffee and catching my breath for the next assault on the snow, ice, stone and mud. And tree limbs. This of course is the appropriate time to give a shout of thanks out to my friend Frank who came over and spent the whole afternoon of Christmas Eve outside with me doggedly working the road until dark, at which point we had cleared a path and he was able to drive all the way up to the house, HUZZAH! We celebrated by consuming roasted meats and fermented beverages near the wood stove. Couldn't have done it without him.

So today there is bright sun, a little breeze, it's still too cold to walk. That will come later. Lucy the wonderdog has been very patient this past week but now she can see the ground and gets pretty excited. Today will be spent slowly I hope. I do have a gate to repair in some quick and dirty fashion, but I think I'll give the chainsaw and tractor a rest.

I hope all of you at the other end of the ether are doing well and having great hollydaze- Here's looking to new adventures in the coming year!

I like David Byrne...

That's right, the former leader of the Talking Heads.

He's a superior artist, thinker and writer, routinely bridging various media.

"I sense that in the long run there is a greater value for humanity in empowering folks to make and create than there is in teaching them the canon, the great works and the masterpieces. In my opinion, it’s more important that someone learn to make music, to draw, photograph, write or create in any form than it is for them to understand and appreciate Picasso, Warhol or Bill Shakespeare — to say nothing of opry. In the long term it doesn’t matter if students become writers, artists or musicians — though a few might. It's more important that they are able to understand the process of creation, experimentation and discovery — which can then be applied to anything they do, as those processes, deep down, are all similar. It’s an investment in fluorescence."

So much more eloquent than me...I just say "THAT you make stuff is more important than WHAT you make..." I really should try to articulate my opinions better...

Read Mr. Byrne's post in its entirety here.

Sumi Shadow

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When there was sun...
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Standard View (3 of 5)


It was cold today. (Boodie and Lucy rotated out to cool off...)

I Make Stuff: Insomnia Biscuits

Sculpture Garden: The Whole Story

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it rained this week...
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