We've lived in Montgomery, Alabama (home of the Southern Poverty Law Center) and Atlanta, Georgia . in both cities and for many years we were very much aware of the work of Dr. King (as in this 1956 comic book) and the work left to be done. I feel a big guilt in knowing that mine wasn't a day on, not a day of volunteering or giving or helping much, but a day of spending time with my husband driving around upstate new york shopping, getting lost, and picking up a painting. We did get home in time to make luminaries and put them in front of our house as a tribute to Dr. King and his legacy (non-violence, positive social change, equality, risk taking for the good of others...).
I really do want to do more but tonight there are glowing lights in my front yard and throughout my little successfully integrated neighborhood. We live now in a city whose legacy is Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Still strong and still relevant.
take care and make good trouble,
Rachael

I've sent the application, prepared the next proposal, made some bread and spent a good chunk of the day painting and ripping up earlier (damaged) paintings to bring 'em back to life. It's more clear the more I work that the imperfections, the layers, and the leaf forms all keep coming back. I've decided to stick with paintings for now and get some knittin' a bit later.



More soon,
Rachael

I crashed a fun relaxed mini stitch and bitch last night even though I'm not a knitter. It was great fun to draw and play with watercolors with Tanya and talk about how it took us and is taking us time to take chances with our art. Traditional graphic design and art history trainings had trained us to follow rules and the making of art is the making of mistakes.

It was a kick, too, to see (just as I sent out a gutsy application for a great opportunity) that Tanya and Julie had framed the paintings I'd traded them for fabulous knit things. They have a surviving new painting born from the ashes of this painting and I have a new urge to learn to knit. Who knows if I have the patience for it but I figure if Molly, and Toni, and Wendy, and Tanya, and Julie, and pretty much every woman I know can knit and purl I can at least try it. That'd be a definite maybe.

I'm a definite sleepy and hungry to read more about Ben and draw some before closing the day.

Goodnight, troublemakers,
Rachael

I'm reading a biography of Ben Shahn (filling in gaps and wondering about motivations and chronologies). Shahn's work and his keen cutting line looks different to me all the time but it always pulls me in and not just because he's firmly on the left of center (darling of the Socialists still) but because he always tried to be an honest image maker.

Honest. I do have to say that I see entitlement often in men and women who go to art galleries and museums as they would country clubs. Why are people so pissy and disrespectful to the good people who work security and retail and dining in museums? I don't give a rat or his ass if you give a lot of money to a museum if you can't be good to everyone inside and outside it. I don't much care for those who lord their class privledge over others, those who assume an understanding of the history of art is an excuse for being a jerk, or those oblivious to others and their worlds. It's not the priveldge of art I care about...it's the passion.

That's all today folks.
take care,
Rachael

As I eat brie for breakfast and survey the dying pink balloons on the front porch, I can announce with confidence that the party was a grand success. Lots of good womenfolk gathered to celebrate the almost-arrival of a little girl to a really good mother. There was plenty of good food and social mixing that doesn't normally happen. So even though I worried about the party much more than I needed to and even though it will be months before we drink all this soda pop, I am much pleased that everyone got to get together.

It leaves me now, with a day off and a day with few obligations, much curiousity, a belly full of brie and a brand spanking new sketchbook. Don't know what I'll see but I intend to look.

Yes, and the pineapple bread was not served. It stunk. Couple of cans of wasted pineapple is no great loss and for a minute in here on Saturday night it smelled tropical and exciting...

take care,
Rachael