process

Like spring buds on the little magnolia, our piece going to
the cradle project continues to unfold
on its own time and pace.



Even Bea is tired of living this way.
Take the dining room, for instance:




Fear not, Bea.
Something is happening.

rock it

The Cradle Project

Kudos to organizer Naomi Natale and her devoted crew for assembling a massive exhibit in Albuquerque to benefit the children of sub-Saharan Africa. The Cradle Project seeks to collect 1,000 art cradles created from mainly recycled materials from around the country. Donations for the benefit of the children are coming in from sponsors of the cradles and an eventual auction of the pieces will raise even more money.

Here is a glimpse of the beginning of my process while participating in the project. I was so glad to get the call from Barbara, saying the deadline by which the cradle must reach Albuquerque was recently extended to May 1st (Phew!).
Am working like a mad dog to finish, more pics soon.

It all began deep in an art closet at school.
Kindergarten cutie Mrs. Dorine Phelan had donated lots of BIG styrofoam after Christmas the year before last and I stashed it away for a sunny day. Way in the back and scattered on assorted shelves, sure enough, the guts of the cradle emerged.






In the midst of winter, a prototype styrofoam sculpture was assembled in the backyard and submitted for consideration in Albany for a local show. (No apparent relationship with cradle project) Rejected. The hundreds of rejections during the first two decades of my work brought me down to the ground. But no más. It just doesn't matter when you love what you do.

After the "no, thank you" I disassembled the piece and laid part of it under a tree for the birds' enjoyment. Silver snow tulips. These soon led to...




the initial thrust of cradle design. My dining room became cradle central. As I look at this picture, it is painfully obvious my ideas just aren't vibing together. That blue paint is too gender-biased. Going for the girl and/or boy look, need a gender-neutral scheme. Back to the painting board and to Benjamin Moore sample rack.



Playing with the inside, I really don't know what I'm doing, just know it will lead to something better. What's important is the playing, then walking away, sleeping on it, having coffee, playing some more, etc. That is the way it works for me.




Spring has sprung. Pale greyed periwinkle wins out for color, called Celestia Blue. heavenly. Nothing I love better than sitting at a paint counter, watching it all go together, an ecstatic experience.
The front parts I temporarily attached earlier had to go; they were just not working. Almost like starting from scratch, again. Not really but that's the feeling. Gotta work through it. Bear-boy doesn't care, he's just enjoying the day and the sunshine and so shall I.



Wish me luck.

witness

what I get to see in process
everyday...
Happy Spring



little kid art

prayers for tibet

in the trenches parte dos

Anathema

ready to rock, i march
to school
and climb into my little
trench
it all seems
sometimes
pointless when
you are but one
in a sea
anathema to your
soul

but then another
hand
parts the
waves
the salt air
becomes lighter
and you breathe
again

knowing there
are others
submerged
who
guard the
eggs
no matter
what.








Happy Easter
with love to my peeps.

back in the trenches parte uno

"how i get to school in the morning."

first, i hit myself with a shot of La Marseillaise, cranked all the way.


my neighbors must wonder what the hell is going on from 5 to 6 a.m.

follow it with a chaser of Patti, the one and only.


sometimes it's Patsy instead.

jacked up, off to teach elementary.
it can be hell out there, kids.
gotta have your tunes when you're underground.

la vida cotidiana

Pamplona, it ain't.









back to daily life,
to the nest i go.