Monday, December 15, 2008

Fort Worth Community Arts Center


We went to Fort Worth Community Arts Center.
They have several different exhibits. I like the student pieces unframed hanging by clips. There are photographs, watercolors, acrylics, oils, textiles, transfers,
 drawings, mixed media, and collages. Fairies and faces, musicians and objects, animals and landscapes. There are simple nudes and series of  words twisted in shapes of bodies in action. Youth seem to be more raw in their feeling. They haven’t yet learned to edit out their emotions.

This separate artist, I’m assuming he’s an adult. I think his name is Nicholas. His work was outstanding. His paintings looked like Grimm’s Fairy Tales, not Disney.

Radiolaria














We went to Gallery 414 we saw Radiolaria Print Series
by Linda Dee Guy.
 This lady said if you have any questions let me know.
We looked. 
I didn’t know she was the artist. I asked her about my favorite pieces, which happen to be her latest ones.

She favors her most recent works too.  She teaches printmaking at TCU.
 Is that wax? I ask. No it’s layers of acrylic medium with drawing and acrylic paint underneath. It’s very thick and takes a long time to dry.
I ask if this is acrylic or watercolor? 
No this is toner ink from a copy machine. She said dark and mysterious, too heavy?  No, I like it. It’s intense.

Are you an artist? I’ve been taking relief printing. I’ll be taking basic printmaking next. Where? In Dallas, I can’t find any classes in Fort Worth, and all the University ones are too expensive. She agrees and tells me they want to do an affordable workshop sometime maybe next fall when another professor retires. 

Next fall is too far into the future. It might as well be light years away.

Lake Worth

We were supposed to go to the Eagles of Death
 Metal  concert.
 

Their name is a joke. The band
 is funny and not hardcore at all. 


Good thing we didn’t buy tickets cause I had a severe allergic reaction 
that night, so no concert 
for us.

 


It’s a constant struggle
 realizing some things are 
simply out of your control. 





A couple of days later I was feeling
 better,
 and we went to Lake
 Worth.






It’s no beach, that‘s for sure, but it was still a pretty day.














Despite autumn ending here, it was still warm enough not to need a jacket.

Love Note

I told him all I wanted was a card
So he spray paints me one on my shower curtain
How lucky am I?
To have this creative huge love reminder

Amon Carter Museum

A week ago we went to the Amon Carter Museum. We looked around like we always do. There was a guy at a table that said “Ask Me About Art” so I did. He was waiting to share his knowledge and enthusiasm. He explained the process of film evolution. I saw and
 touched negatives, slides, tin types, and various cameras.
I don’t regret asking.

We continued our journey.
The sculptures 
standing out with their textures, shapes, light
 and color.



What I notice
 most of all is artist signatures. Where and how they place their signatures fusing it into the artwork.




A man approaches us and says “I’ll start a tour if you’re interested."  
How long is it?
 
“How long do you want it?”
The short condensed version.  



I’m so glad I said yes.


 The docent was good. The tour size quickly grew. He had an entertaining way to involve and show the artwork with stories and history. 



He took western 
art ,which I normally am bored passing by, barely glancing, and I stopped to actually look. 




There were the Rocky Mountains painted in front of me.


The ones I used to see everyday.


 Another thing I so easily took for granted.
 







I found out later his name was Joe Strang and he was a former school teacher. 



Which says to me his background is engaging people with short attention spans.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Meadows Museum

We went to Meadows Museum in Dallas.
I notice proportions on nudes more now than I used to. Since I took my figure drawing and figurative clay sculpture classes, I study the size of the waist, arms, legs, and feet. Do they match or relate to each other? Do they seem to scale?

my random observations:
That crown looks like yellow flames.
She glows through the grey sky.
Somebody looks busted.
Are they strapping him in? Or helping him up?
Dead bird feathers, empty bowl, dinner anyone?
I don’t like this painting it looks like mud and silly putty.
Copper plate shine reflect.

Grey, somber, white, dark ghost, pallor flesh beneath trying to show through.
Bird on her halo whispers in her ear coming from a ray of sun angel wings.
They are drinking and blowing smoke rings. They look like a joke.
Oh, it’s the ocean! There’s the beach, and I can see all the colors in the water.

Klimt’s Three Standing Women they are naked except their garter belts and stockings.
He’s cut up and bleeding. She holds his damaged hand covering the wound with her thumb. But all I can see are her wings, sky aqua teal blue with traces of grey.
I love the artist Joan Miro his childlike happy bold colors on white backgrounds outlined in black. 
Andy Warhol’s Jean Cousteau a name in the lips.
He flatters her. I wonder if he’s in love, or just trying to get paid well.
Mariano Fortuny I Marsal watercolor, pencil Portrait of A Girl. Her face, hair, hands, jewelry are in color. Her dress is all white except for the blood coming from the right side of her hip. Her face is somber waiting for it to end.
His face is soft. He is a man that has gentleness, but he doesn‘t look weak.
Peace dove in the center shines a star halo over her head. Soft peach, blush pink, orange, and powder blue clouds and angel cherubs surround her.
He’s in pain. He’s suffering in his dark cave. I’ve been there. He’s staring at a skull. He’s clutching his chest cause his heart hurts.

A painting of Venice I want to go there, and see the laundry hanging from the balcony, the crowded buildings, the cobbled streets, and the gondolas! But I don’t want to smell the sewer.
 Her halo is like rays of sun. Her face like a model. Why is she standing on three babies’ heads? She’s above a city divided. One side has mountains, evergreens and a fountain. The other side is a desert, palm trees, and a well.
He goes to the older one with the open book. The one he thinks has the wisdom. The older one doesn’t know the answer either.
I ask who is the focal point in the painting? It’s her, not him. He’s blushing see? There eyes are looking down and their heads are facing towards him. But she is who you see first. She’s the one you can’t stop looking at.

She looks exposed. She thinks she’s covered herself. But you can see through a spot in her clothes. Her head is turned unknowing. Her skin is showing. She keeps focused. Her finger is pointing. She is reading outloud. She is only concentrating on what she is doing.
ZHe wears a ruffled collar, ruffled sleeves, a long trail of buttons on his coat, a big hat. A clown with a sad face. 

She’s in Paris cause I can see the Eiffel Tower. She is alone. Is she waiting? Is that her closed book on the chair beside her? On the other table a full mug of beer sits with a folded newspaper. She overlooks the city below. Her clothes are stylish. She has money. She wears a stack of gold bracelets and a gold ring with blue stones. Her black shoes with bows reflect her blue skirt with lace on one side. She is wearing a red hat with a red ribbon tied around her chin. Her umbrella is closed, all red with a bow.
She’s holding him. He’s sick. He’s dying. He is green and grey. His lips are blue. She is heartbroken.
There’s a girl with a ribbon in her hair. She wears a gold hoop in her ear. There is peach, rust, orange, white, blue, grey and yellow. She has empty dishes and bundles in her arms. She is going somewhere. She looks up. She has hope.


Thanksgiving 2008



On Thanksgiving we went to the Ice Sculpture exhibit.  Long line, lots of families, a little girl about 8 yrs old with her friend maybe 6 yrs old. They were alone with each other on Thanksgiving. Her cell phone had lots of new features, like Guitar Hero, make the photo sunny, have phone say cheese. I know this because I took their picture. She said her maid washed her phone so she borrowed her brother's, and she was happy. 

We spent $46.00 on the exhibit. It was 9 degrees. They provided everyone with thick blue coats. Outside, saw two convertibles with their tops down, cause it was nice outside. I liked the colored ice candyland that looked so yummy I wanted to stick out my tongue and lick it. I didn't.  The ice slide was fun too. 

It never lasts long enough though does it? I would have traded the whole experience to be with the other people in my life. The other ones I love, The ones that seem so far away.

Fake snow in texas



What Snow Looks Like

I’m in the grocery store. A little girl is looking at the asparagus sitting in crushed ice. She says outloud
“I bet this is what snow looks like.”









I look and touch the ice and say, “I used to live where there was a lot of snow, and yes this is what it looks like.."



At the next display she says proudly “Mommy that lady says this is what real snow looks like.”
I say “Yep it is.”


Then I think about the snow I’d never thought I’d miss. When it is untouched and sparkling in the sunlight like rainbow glitter. Maybe I’ll see it again. Maybe I‘ll see it in one more month.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

nada surf concert

Ever had a bad date and you just want to head home? That’s what I felt Friday night. I said if this was our
 first date, there would not have been a second. We get to the bar at 7:40 thought the band started at 7. No they don’t open til 9. We drive around. He says he’s
 hungry. We see packed coffee shop with band playing. That’ll be a cool place to go. Get inside caramel coffee, banana bread, triple chocolate cookie and bad,background sounding elevator music.
 
 http://www.myspace.com/thejealousgirlfriends
 


















Let’s go get some real food. We drive around some more. There's a packed Mexican restaurant. We park at back entrance (since there’s no room in the front). He says this is what he was looking for. When we sit down, no one sees us. We wait. He finally tells someone. Waters, chips and salsa later. Menus are open he tells me he’s not hungry. Are you kidding me? We could have stayed at the coffee shop! 
http://www.myspace.com/otherlives   
He orders spinach enchiladas which were frozen spinach stuffed in a tortilla with no cheese or enchilada sauce inside. A couple bites later he’s sick to his stomach. I’m left at the table. I don’t need to tell you where he ends up. I pay the tab. He grabs the doggie box. We see a dumpster marked grease where he leaves the nasty food. I’ve never seen a whole dumpster marked grease!  
We go to the bar where we wait outside in a super long line on the freezing coldest night in Texas for nearly an hour. Upon entering the music is playing and the night starts to turn better. 
All the bands were great. I’ve been to a lot of concerts in my life. This was one of the best.


















I worked my way to the front. A girl had been screaming for a song and when they finally played it. I let her in the front row. She’s a huge fan, she’s seen them 10 times! The guy next to me tells her she
changed the lead singer 's energy cause the lead singer’s playing for her. Every song she requested he played. And no, she wasn’t some hot, skinny, young thing either. Just a regular 28 yr old woman who loved their music. She told me he doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to marry me.
(I thought to myself no, but ya might get to kiss him).
http://www.myspace.com/nadasurf  
 
When they played my favorite song, 2nd to last, I  got back up in front. On the very last song she and others joined the band on stage. I could’ve too, but I wanted to watch them enjoy it. When the show ended I asked her “Did ya meet him?” She said, “I kissed him!” (I knew it).
The bar was kicking people out of the bar, and the band manager was yelling that it was the bar’s fault for having a messed up PA system. We didn’t get home until 3 AM. 



 

Colder Outside


Last weekend we turned on the fireplace. Been complaining that my many coats haven’t been worn.

Friday I pulled out my lightest one.  The colorful leaves are hanging for dear life. Got into my box of scarves today.  Don’t like the cold, cloudy days. Send some sunshine our way.


 











I’m trying to make my whole world a rainbow. Here’s the latest 
snapshots of our living and bedroom. Be gentle, it’s a work in progress. Just like we all are.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Swings

We were pushing children in swings
There were lots of people there 
Friends and family
Watching and waiting
Staying there was comfortable and easy
They were pulling me to stay
I knew I had to leave
I knew they had to pump their own swings
Or jump out.
I knew I couldn’t stay and push them 
As I was watching 
I knew what I had to do

I knew what I needed to do
I had a difficult time 
I couldn’t vocalize it
They’d be sad and disappointed
I was slowly leaving 
Emotionally
Before

I was thinking
I might have to
 Disappear
Without saying good-bye
I knew I had to go off
And be on my own
By myself
I had to pump my own swing
And jump off.

Survivors


She’s wearing stone necklaces, silver bracelets, and eyeglasses. Her hair is grey streaked and long, as she rings up my stack of music biographies. She asks me if I need a bag, and I say No, don’t waste it. She said Appreciate your business. I 
I said I appreciate your tattoos, and she laughed.
I meant it. Her arms were covered in colorful tattoos. Her body was her canvas.

As I’m walking out the door saw a woman in front of me wearing a pink race for the cure t-shirt. I wanted to say, I walked in May. I have one in white.
 But I didn’t. The pink means she’s a
 survivor.

There are two women in one of my classes now.

 One has survived for years.

The other is surviving and battling her hair barely growing back as she goes through radiation now.




Another woman in one of my old classes was just beginning her battle. 




My two close family members are survivors.






There are survivors everywhere.

Clay Forming


She said

You need to decide in this weather,
with this clay.

 Are you going  to control the clay?

Force it into a shape that you see in your mind?

Cause you can do that.

You  are in control of the clay.

 Or are you going to go with the clay and let it form
the way it wants to form.

What are you going to choose? 

I take what’s in my hands I smash it into a ball, and I start over. 
And  she says Sometimes it’s okay to learn the lessons from something, to know you’ve overworked the clay, and start over. 
I  realize I have this problem (of overworking the clay).   
  I envision this object in my mind, and I am going to create it.
 I don’ t finish it because I need to give the clay time to harden.  Then I decide to go with the flow of another piece.  I let it be what it’s going to be until I finish it later.
See? I tell her. I did both. I controlled the clay in one piece
and I let it be in the other.

Then I try something new. I start to form a sculpture.  They tell me it’s coming along good. But sometimes people speak to just hear themselves talk. 
At the end of class, she helps me put something in the middle to hold it together and then she helps me wrap it up so I can work on it next time.  
I say It won’t stay like this. I’ll change it.  
Next week I might even start over, again.
 


 She smiles and shakes her head already knowing. 

Opening Up


I said You know why I’m doing this right?
He said No. Tell me why.
I tell him about last year. I tell him what I want to do.
He says, Do you know what I do for the community? 
No.
I open my studio every Sunday to let the kids do art for free. 
How old are they?
Jr. High through high school. I do this to keep these kids off the streets to give them something to do. Because, well… I was one of those kids.

And his girlfriend is a school nurse.

Battling and Brushing

She asked Who sang this song because she loved it,
 and I told her. Then she said, Girl you know your music.
I said I just wish I could play it as well as I know it.
I’m learning and trying, but it’s slow going. 

Then someone else asked if I took music lessons too. Yes I said.
(I knew her husband was battling. He’d been battling for years. He’d battled so much that every time they’d manage one thing he’d get something different.  I knew he was going in for another surgery tomorrow. I know he has brushed several times). 

Then I walked up to her and whispered,
When you come so close. When  you brush with it more than once, you try to fill it up, Ya know?

She said, Yeah, I do. I do know.

She’s Mistaken


In  class she said You always know where everything is here.
(Cause I'd shown her where the newspaper and plastic bags were). 

I said, “No, I don’t know where anything is, here, in Texas, I’m lost all the time. I never know which direction I’m going.”

Your Own Point of View

He’s telling me about this other artist. How this guy will rip apart their art work, but everything he says is correct. I say I’m glad he isn’t my art teacher because that’s not how I thrive. 
He says this guy intensely studied. (Was it in Europe?)

He knows the name of every bone and muscle in the body. He’s envious wishing he knew all of that information. 
I said, But maybe you don’t need to know all that for your art work. Maybe the knowledge you have is enough, for your art work. You have your own point of view and aesthetic that‘s different than his. 

He says You’re right I do.