Well, I made it to Buffalo, Mandy and I cleaned out the closet and hauled the contents over to the assisted living place, then went through even more photographs to bring home. Back to the house and we loaded up the tables for the kids- both got tables that my father made out of cherry so I hope they can take care of them.
Molly was fabulous, slept for the 2 hour stints between walks-n-water on the road, and adapted beautifully to the king sized bed at the Holiday Inn- the only drawback there was the 5AM walk into the parking lot full of outboard motor dealers in their semi's.
Couldn' take the old coot's complaining and lack of involvement in the world so we came home a day early. You'd have thought he could choke out a 'happy birthday' even if he didn't actually mean it.
But it was great to be home again and back to walking miles and miles with Miss Molly. I have to say I am absolutely in love with this little dog, makes me realize how hard it was to connect to the last two because there was just too bloody much going on and we didn't give them the attention they needed. This one has both our undivided attentions, and oh yeah, our bed too.
Will take some more pictures of her tomorrow, the 4 month set.
Meanwhile back at Art World: Another collage is in the works, this one about learning to sew. I have a bunch of old "Aunt Martha" embroidery patterns so I scanned and printed animals sewing onto pattern paper. Today I got the markers onto the figures so it's quite colorful, tomorrow I hope to figure out how to get some embroidery done on it too- maybe poking the holes before I actually sew so I don't wreck my hands any further. I'll do an 'in-progress' photo on that too tomorrow.
August 20, 2004
Good Golly Miss Molly
MOLLY
Here she is on her 'nest' that she pulled out of my old quilt basket- recognize the Bumroll? I thought I had tossed it long ago but she found it and it's a perfect fit.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I am dreading having to say my new age out loud. I figure I will be 75 when Molly dies if all goes well and I don't get hit by a bus.
My dad will probably still be around then too and I will still be schlepping off to Buffalo. I found out he sold the hide-a-bed so he definitely has no plan to come here now. Which is worse- driving there every three and a half weeks or having him within arms reach and turning into his caretaker? Oy.
I'm leaving Sunday with Mandy AND Molly in tow. We are staying in a 'dog friendly' Holiday Inn- should be an adventure and a half.
But first I must deal with my birthday and being sixty. More oy.
August 20, 2004
Implicate Neuter Path
'BUILDING A BETTER TIGER', 24" x 24"
'BUILDING A BETTER TIGER' detail
OK, I will get serious here. I finished the 'Tigger' piece finally and pretty much love the idea of it but not necessarily the execution. I am not sure what the name should be but am working now with 'Building a Better Tiger' which isn't written in stone. I took it to crit and it was sorely ignored Tuesday night, so that enforces the fact that maybe it isn't all that interesting. Oh well.
I am on another one already and have the border done- why do I always start with a border and then get muself boxed in? I cut out all the words from a bunch of patterns and glued them around the sides, then used the leftover scallop edge of the anaglypta from the last piece and covered that with more pattern words. Now I am digging through my old embroideries looking for the perfect center and IDEA. It will be something abut learning to sew or maybe putting in a zipper, haven't decided yet.
Am thinking of putting something into the South Shore Art Ctr show but it is in January when I am gone and that makes delivery and pick-up difficult- I have a few days to think about it, just hate to let an opportunity go by that these things may work at. And besides, Tod McKie is the juror and the title is 'Remberences of Things Past'- gotta take that chance.
August 20, 2004
Swindle Terrorize Betty
Well, I guess I have been too busy to post this whole week! Let's see...it started last Sat. night when we were to meet Audrey and Apo for dinner at Aquataine. We got there a little early so sat at the bar. The place was pretty empty fopr a Saturday night and TY picked up a newspaper to scan the headlines- the Globe, which we don't get. I took the next section which happened to be Marketbasket which 'happens' to be the Dog section. There was an ad for a Tibetan puppy, and I was feeling frisky so went right outside to call on the cell, made an appointment to go out the next day.
TY couldn't play golf because of the rotten weather so decided to go with me all the way to Bernardstown just at the VT border. IT was so pretty out there and we found the mountaintop where the dog was- I saw her in the window as we drove up and knew I was a goner. She immediately flopped into my lap and was so wonderful licking and playing with me that I wrote out the massive check and off we went back down the mountain with TY driving and me holding the puppy. She is almost 4 months old so pretty adventurous and not at all scared. By the time we were back in Newton she was mine-all-mine and would not leave my side for days.
Now, this is a puppy who had never had a collar on, never seen a leash, never been in a car except to get to her vet appointment, but she was undaunted by these things and took right to it all. One day was all it took for her to conquer the elevator and to find her way back to the condo door. Day 2 she learned the neighborhood and led us back from long walks using the exact same route reversed. The ONLY issue we had was putting her in a crate at night- she cried pitifully. So, by night 3 she was in our bed sleeping peacefully on the pillow and not moving all night. Happy as a clam.
Now we are working on sit/stay/heel, but I have no doubts that this dog has a pretty good brain and is more than eager to please WITHOUT FOOD! Amazing. She doesn't know that I am working with food in the kitchen so doesn't beg. Hasn't figured out that when I'm loading the dishwasher that there may be some food juice still on the plates. Lies calmly at our feet while we're eating dinner just waiting to play. This dog is perfect, ohmigawd, I am so in love with her!
Art Blog? What art? This may turn into puppy blog. Oh, after much discussion we named her Molly.
August 14, 2004
Slavonic Impious Algonquin
Fuller Craft Museum
The week has been devoted to my MIL's wake and funeral. The night of the wake I had a bunch of family back, about 14 of us, and they ate the food like a swarm of locusts. The next day was the funeral and it was beautiful out so all went well. Rain had been predicted but it never happened. We begged off the final stop by to my SIL's and came home and collapsed. TY seems to be doing a bit better every day. I am so disappointed in having to cancel the Ireland trip, but I have to get to Buffalo soon, and also have my big ole birthday next weekend. Whoopie.
Now, as far as art goes...ummm...not a thing happening there! Actually today was the first day in the studio other than to iron clothes and it was hard to get into it. I did get the picture of Seigfried and Roy photoshopped and the Tigger picture reduced and fixed up with much effort- finally gave up and simply cut and pasted in layers onto the newest collage. Tomorrow I will work on it some more and hopefully have that ready for David on Monday too- I have a load of stuff to be photographed, going to be a pain getting it all in and out.
Good news is I have been accepted into the Fuller Museum's 'Trashformations' show- they are taking "Bumroll", my second collage, so I am feeling gratified finally.
August 09, 2004
Predecessor Indelicate Gascony
Rattlesnake Pete and Grandma Mary with Penny in front of their cabin , Ft. Collins, CO, late 1930's.
Here are 2 pictures I found in my dad's albums- I love they they both show the same pet deer that adopted them. It thought it was a dog and had free run of the place. I madfe two small collages from these photos and gave them to Nate for his birthday. Now I must find pictures of Grandma and Grandpa Mitch to make the series complete for him- trouble is that I need it to be as much of a 'set' as this is. May be a long hunt.
My MIL died yesterday and I will miss her terribly. She was a great support to me over the last 35 years, and I always felt her nonjudgmental love. I am modeling my own MIL-ness after her- I learned a lot. This week we go through the wake and the funeral and the relatives, so I won't get much art done. I guess I do owe her a thank-you for picking this week since I had originally planned on getting to Buffalo this week. Anything to put that off!
Today I am headed up to Lowell to grab my work from Fortunato's Steak House. Will bring it home and hose off the A-1 sauce and stick it back on the nails in the hall, the 'permanent gallery'.
August 06, 2004
Platonic Epitaxy Debugging
DRESSING UP, 24" x 24", and detail
The piece above is all vintage photos of children in costumes. I used anaglypta wallpaper borders, then put the patten pieces and gold washes over that and loved it, but used the last of the wallpaper. Headed to Home Depot for that and the drill mentioned below, but they don't have any more so went on an internet search, god bless the internet. Found several rolls and a border and it's being sent to me so I can play with this more.
On Monday I hauled all my stuff up to Lowell to install in my first one-woman/one-week show. I took several extra things so we would be able to pick and choose things that would fit and look best since I had never see the 'venue', if one can call it that. Actually I was thrilled to find out it was Fortunado's Steak House, and not the BBQ joint I had originally thought. We hung La Boniche first, and "Beets" went up in their front window hanging against a cool brick wall- it looks like it should be there permanently IMNSHO . The rest of the place didn't hang as easily- the pieces were too small but they managed to dig deep and come up with a few larger old pieces that worked, so it took a very long time in spite of the great hanging system in place.
Then we did the Barnes and Noble windows which I had no faith in because of an extensive use of packing tape, but ate my words when it lookd fine from outside.
Then, on to Fortunado's. I had three helpers, but the nails were already in the wall and only a few had to be replaced- stuff went up in about 10 minutes, and the biggest problem was working around the remaining diners- but that's what they get for eating lunch at 3 PM. I used every piece I brought and could have even hung a few more.
Valerie arrived in Lowell the next day and Max took her around- she wrote a very nice 'review' that was posted on QA about my new work, and I sure appreciated that almost as much as I would a sale or two. Sure would love to unload a few pieces this week so I could spend the money on about ten things I want. Are we talking iPod dock in the car?
Now that we are on a 'fixed income'...
Nate's birthday was yesterday so I made a mess of enchiladas, bought some Corona, and gave him an electric drill AND the collage of Parris Island. He seemed to like it a whole lot when he first saw it, plus I can get it back when I need it to show if necessary. No one has ever openly wanted my stuff so when I see the opportunity I love to give it to someone who appreciates it.
Meanwhile, back at the church/ranch here- I have been working on small pieces featuring pictures of my old relatives from the tattered albums. There are so few folks I recognise, so it's easy to find the photos I want to use. I had a great one of my dad on his horse, Nig (the name was certainly not my choice), and another one of my mom on skiis so gave those to Nate too. Then I worked on two more of my paternal grandparents in front of their log cabin- the first shows my grandfather, Rattlesnake Pete, on his knees, feeding a baby fawn they took as a pet and named Penny for the dots on her back. The second photo is of my grandmother and the damn deer standing on it's hind legs with it's front legs down on her shoulders. Very funny picture, but I screwed up and put it on too dark a background so it's harder to see that I would like. I will do it over when I get a chance.
And finally, last night I finished the diagonally knit scarf I've been working on. It's being blocked now and turned out great looking, though somewhat stiff. i should have used larger needles, but there's always next time. I must get something started if I have to go to Buffalo again.
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