Hobbies

How many times do you need to repeat the same activity before it's considered a hobby? I'm not sure but I think I've exceed it in the category of "taking pictures of my family in front of the paintings I made for them." You know, that category. It's wildly popular... Somewhere... Whatever, I like it. It's my hobby.

Objection

This was the site that greeted me yesterday morning. I love the snow, but let me tell you, I'm done. The snow was NOT good to me this year. I slid off the road enough times to develop a healthy fear of mailboxes. Of course, the new tires made a big difference, but snow and me, we need to spend some time apart. I'm thinking 7 or 8 months will do it. I'm sure by then I'll be ready to repair our friendship. After all you don't break off a relationship of 39 years just because of a few rough, or rather slick, patches.

Surging Ahead

We stopped by Great Falls National Park in Maryland recently. Lots of rain and melting snow caused recent flooding and the water levels were still pretty high. There's something about rushing water surging over rocks!

I've been laying pretty low lately, not many images to share, but yesterday I had a big break though in the studio. Could be some good things are about to happen. I'm working on a canvas version of the boxes (see previous post). I think I'm going to put it together with zip ties so today I'm going to try my hand and putting some gromits in the sides of the boxes. Sounds like fun right?

Mucking Around

Mini Blog Exhibition 1

I keep images I like in my "screen saver" folder. I've decided to curate them into mini blog shows. Today's exhibition starts with an image by artist Nichola Kinch that might be my favorite sculpture ever.

"The Other Side of the Mountain" Nichola Kinch

STEVEN PARRINO, Universal Mafia, 1992, Enamel on canvas, 72 x 103 inches

Arlene Shechet

Listening

The first time I visited Window Rock in Arizona I climbed out of the van, looked up, and saw a perfectly formed, miniature deer high in the branches of this tree. It was teeny tiny and of course it wasn't really there. I guess maybe 30 hours is too long to spend in a car. I think I drove the early morning shift into town, jolted into alertness by the sight of the remains of a grizzly tractor trailer v. car accident. Anyway, since that "vision" I've thought a lot about deer. Five years later I read Michelle Huneven's "Jamesland" which features a character that may or may not have hallucinated a deer entering her house. Reading that book I discovered that the deer has significance in Buddhism as a symbol of listening.

The Gift of Your Love is Enough

Open Studio in NYC

We went to NYC today to visit Adam Parker Smith at his studio.



After our visit with Adam we walked around the corner and into the studio of Samira Abbassy. I love these drawings!