October 2014
10/6 This month is starting off dominated by art, both personal and a batch of wonderful shows in Ashland. The first weekend was so full, I could not attend every event. Fortunately, some of the shows are held over. And the RV Symphony opened on Friday night, eliminating the First Friday Art Walk which would have been an event in itself. The biggest happening was a national meeting of mosaic artists, with 3 shows and several how-to workshops. The best (for me, certainly) was John Sollinger’s Mospaintings (as he calls them). He is a Biology Professor at SOU whose work I was already familiar with, having been thoroughly smitten with a piece called “Old Growth” which was way out of my price range. The other two shows had many artists but he had his own show at the university library. And it blew me away. Unfortunately, his website is not very
satisfactory but he has won national awards so there are a few photos of his work on sites announcing prize winning mosaics. He can only do 2-3 a year and hates to give them up, so he either prices them far out of range or they are NFS! Here are two I took off the web that was in the show, called Radiance and Snowfell.
Besides going to look at art I am deep into doing it. I photographed some of the 2014 keepers and Vicki has put them up on my website.
To see my latest work click here.
We are finding that from my camera, then email, then another transfer to Vicki’s computer we wind up with color changes and I have to take the originals to her so we can make them true – or better still, have Jim do the originals. Again, Vicki and Jim are totally essential to this venture.
10/08 At 2:30 this morning my alarm went off and I literally jumped out of bed, robed, grabbed my binocs and went outside. The almost-full moon was half dark already and for the next hour I watched intermittently as it became a burnt-orange ghost. There was no indication how long it would be before it appeared again as a streak on the left side and I went back to bed, thinking I could watch it on the internet next morning. But what a glorious experience, the second I have experienced. For the first one Ellen and I were campedon Picacho Peak in AZ north of Tucson in the spring of 1995. Two astounding celestial events were going on at the same time, as the comet Hale-Bopp was visible in the sky while the moon was eclipsing. Here’s what my iPad caught last night. It certainly looked much bigger thru binoculars.
And also this month, on the 23rd, a solar eclipse darkened the sky around 3PM. I was in my studio and there was a downpour outside when suddenly it got dark. I thought it was from the great gray cloud that was sending rain our way but Liz arrived shortly afterwards with the mail and reminded me that an eclipse was scheduled for today. Science Works had announced a viewing, inviting the public, and I thought that would be a waste of time, and maybe it was. There was no way once could see the sun. But the impact was a wonder in itself – sudden dusk at 3PM.
10/11 Open Studio weekend in Ashland with 22 artists welcoming visitors. I had a dizzy pair of afternoons and loved every minute. Started off on Mt. Ashland ski road where and encaustic artist lived. She is a retired Stanford prof and does wondrous things with birds, among other objects. Then down old Rte. 99 to a potter who has several acres, and outdoor music venue and a setup for ceramics that includes a working studio, a gallery for her fine art, two electric kilns and a BIG propane one outside, and a pit for doing Raku firing. And here glazes are unique, she uses horse hair as accents and has a whole horse tail donated by a neighbor when her horse died! Last stop that afternoon was on Clay St. where a young artist has a literal factory in her house which is taking over all rooms. She makes oil paints and solvents out of non-toxic materials and sells them on line. And has a studio and paints herself. I was intrigued and might even try oil painting again if these materials are as good as they seem.
Sunday was just as intriguing stating with Jhenna Quinn Lewis in Phoenix, who is an oil painter and dooes local birds like noone else. They are something like the Fabritius painting of the goldfinch in the book of the same name. She deserves googling. And Julia Janeway up on Ashland Mine Road near the Sanders’ place. She does ceramic plates with strong paintings of roosters, chameleons, and whatever else in the animal world that does well on plates. They are nothing like mine – not better but different. Then across the freeway to Margie Mee’s. Hard to describe. She collects old metal pieces and finds shapes in them that combine into crazy sculptures. She has a wild sense of humor and you just smile as you look. Her spread is many acres and she has chickens, rabbits and horses. And sculpture everywhere.
So the valley has now so many artists they rival the grape orchards. Most of them do not make their livings from their art but it clearly is their favorite occupation.
10/19 I spent 3 days this past week on the Wood River in the upper end of Klamath Basin. We rented a charming and comfortable house in the tiny town of Fort Klamath and the river was right in our back lawn. The source is a few miles north, it comes quietly out of a not-very-big hillside and opens into a lake with the clearest water imaginable. There is no silt, no muck, just a clear view to the sandy or pebbly bottom. One of the highlights was kayaking there, again under perfect conditions, warm, windless, with clear golden afternoon light. The occasional rustle of the bright yellow aspen leaves was the only sound. Aspens provide the color here in the flatlands and they are truly gorgeous. We painted at the windy stream right out of the house and spent a morning trying to catch the swirls of the current which was making whirlpools as it ran. An effect I have never seen elsewhere. I got no keepers but learned a lot of new tricks for painting water. My companions were 3 others from Jane’s workshop and I am becoming very fond of them. They are all good watercolorists and enthusiastic kayakers. Here are some photos.
Got home late Friday bushed but content. And next morning was an HD performance of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ at Tinseltown in Medford and I just couldn’t miss it. Think I lost a few scenes when I closed my eyes and took little power naps, but I saw most of it and it was right up to the high standard the Met has set for its productions. I knew none of the cast, they are all great young acting singers. The staging and direction are imaginative and it’s like great theater plus music. Opera is very much alive thanks to this new venue.
10/23 Good news about Peter van Fleet after a seriously bad downturn. He battled pneumonia and depression for two weeks, inevitable after 3 months in bed. I really thought he might die. Ellen made a quick visit with the same thought. But his pneumonia was brought under control after buckets of fluid were removed from his chest cavity, and when I visited a few days ago he was able to stand and walk again, and his mental state was much improved. I watched him walk down the hall slowly and cautiously to the applause of the nursing staff. It was tiring but he was upbeat. And Judy Howard had just offered him the month of March in her galley. What a great gift and what a spirit lift. I don’t see how he is going to manage sawing lumber, heaving boards around, etc. But I’m sure he will get help. This is a great community for rallying around friends and neighbors. Now we also have to think about getting the house more accessible. It’s a lovely old place but scary for one recovering from a shattered leg.
There was a show of his work at and insurance office in town (a very nice venue) and when I walked in my eyes were magnetized by one piece. It is small compared to most of his work and I bought it immediately. When I walked thru my front door I saw immediately where it show hang – between the two windows in the living room. It looks as if it were commissioned for that exact location and i like more every time I look at it.
In another week I take off for Pittsburgh and the two families who have 2/3 of my great grandkids. I don’t want to do much more than watch Hilary and Damian’s 18n month old twins (Mattie and Ellie), get reacquainted with Yael and Sam’s kids (Isaiah and Orl), go trick-or-treating, take lots of photos, and catch up with their parents. Sounds like a delightful week.