Alright then, while I have been mad busy and tired when I come home. I can tell you that this past weekend treated me well. I magically had lots of time to spend with my fine husband and some good friends, with our new washer (which was a trade for this logo I made for Jeff's fabulous appliance repair business), and with my garden and art.



There were two twin boys (maybe 6 years old) on the bus this evening. They were fascinated by a moth that had landed and was still hanging on to one of their tennis shoes. The little guys kept calling it a butterfly and talking about it and you know, there was all sorts of magic about the boys, the moth/butterfly, and the moment before it flew away.
that's all. take care
Rachael

I really oughtta go to bed about now to prepare for the wack-a-diddle do day I anticipate at the day job tomorrow. It'll be good I bet, but let me say right now, for the record that I put all the information in the note and I simply cannot be held responsible if not everyone read the note. Of course, most reasonable people, read the note. I will expect the best but be ready for reality. All's well until it isn't.

Meanwhile, I am happy to report that the Stecklevicious-es are now back in Buffalo and we went and visited them on Saturday. A bright sunny Saturday it was and there was much walking around and enjoying each other company and a little Albright Knox wandering. The Robert Theirren immensely oversized table and chairs was a trip and a real thrill for sweet 2 year old in our party, but it seemed to upstage the Clyfford Still in a not so friendly way. In the photo on their exhibitions page, it is in an outdoor setting and that's a bit less antagonistic to other art. Don't curators think about those things?

So today, I spent some time in the kitchen, the garden, the studio and the bookstore. A perfect day, really. And in the bookstore I like to grab a big fat stack of magazines. So I was really surprised to see the same cover on two major ceramics magazines. Yep, the same cover is on the Ceramics Art and Perception number 64. Now I know the ceramics world is small (smaller than Buffalo I bet) but that doesn't mean that only one man deserves a cover. It's enough to make me subscribe to Studio Potter. Well, actually, I'm already convinced of that...if they are still publishing which is a little hard to tell. And if they are publishing , here's hoping their next issue doesn't have this cover.

And also, I realized the other day that I absolutely do not believe that one must have expensive materials to make good art. Just needed to say that. Thanks for listening.

good night and may you have the strength you need to fight for truth, revel in the ridiculous and have a little fun tomorrow,
Rachael

Today the things that I needed to get me through a somewhat stressfull series of problems and pitfalls, and the mundane grey of a Monday were (in no particular oprder): old friends, phonecalls placed and received, letters written, cookies baked, all the goofy kids and fun people I watched today, about an hour of painting, a couple of moments of high humor, smells of fresh rain, sounds of dramatic thunder, colors on my palate and in my garden, and watering my neighbors impatiens.

Plus, you know, I am still brewing a lot of the stuff I was talking about, thinking about, listening to, and dreaming of in Penland and much of my thinking connected to the way we work in groups. Taking a well needed break from managing my creative chaos (running the circus is how I like to think of it) and watching a good guy do the same thing (that's you Mark) led me to some thoughts about how we need to, all of us, sometimes...read the note and get with the system. Here's hoping that everyone follows the rules and plays nice in your workplace and here's to all the folks in mine that do.

I don't necessarily believe in blind obedience and I sure don't want to be a jerk about it but when I was younger individuality and independance were high virtues and today, I have much more respect for the kids who can collaborate, communicate and get stuff done. When all the parts of the puzzle come together you can really see an image and sometimes, even, it's a good one.
I scribbled some thoughts on the way home from work (that's what's above) about why we need good systems, good plans, good structures, leaders and team players and why we all need to read the note.


good night, now and thanks!

Rachael

Not much better than an agenda-less day spent in the park, and the garden, and the kitchen, and the studio and the bookstore. I have to admit that I've been avoiding contemporary art books for a while but in the safety of the bookstore cafe I pread and leafed through a newish book about Andrea Fraser's institutional critiques of the art world.
I spent some time reading and thinking about her performances and interventions and wondering if they have much effect outside of the world they critique. But they are smart and funny and still pertinent. it's all pretty new to me (Fraser's work that is) so I'm curious to hear other ideas about her work.
More Fraser is here:
May I help You
Fromthe New York Times and from her gallery about "Untitled"
and Jerry Saltz defending her as Super Theory Woman.
and more about Fraser from bilateral blog.

Much about Fraser's work is smart, much leaves me with questions, all of it seems worth thinking about more. So, yeah, I don't know what I think about it but I know I'm thinking about it.

In other news, arguably more important, the beets became beet bread, Mark kindly sent me horse pictures even on a busy changeover, we walked the lower and middle falls trails and found out who Mary Jemison was, and I scanned in some sketches from my penland sketchbook.

The lunch coversation about protein turned into this page.



Thanks to all who weighed in on what foods are highest protein.
Goodnight, then,
Rachael

Well, gang, I'm not accomplishing large creative tasks these days. My energy (which just a couple of weeks ago was focused, baby, focused on making and thriving) is busy being diffused into a thousand meaningless (or minor meaning) tasks. I get up early and eat something, hop the bus to work and jump from task to task until I hop the bus home to eat something and then hopefully I can squeeze in some time to make my paperdolls and speak the simple phrases in my head*.

Today, I was listening to the radio and somehow managed to make a paperdoll who (while I've never seen the disputed Mexican almost president) I decided to name Lois Obradoor. Here she is in her moody best...



The little sideporch is my temporary squatted space. It's prime real estate in this house not just because the light is so good but because it looks out over the backyard. But still I fuss because it isn't the studio I wish I had. Boo hoo, poor me. Will someone come over here and kick me for whining. At various points in the past couple of years my studio has been a corner in a dark space or it's been a dream like whitewashed, airy and open, ready to create area. But studio space isn't a physical thing; I think it is the intention to work, the time to devote, to passion to make stuff, and the discipline (foolishness?) to walk through minefields to get to sunflowers.

I wish I had more time, energy, I dunno what to be able to call all of the people I want to talk to, or walk around the block, or keep some reasonable limits to the amount of work I do for pay and the amount of work I do for my own sustenance. I've been getting grumpy with the wrong people and letting the grumpy people get under my skin and I know it's all because I am not playing enough. Oh well, it's off to bed for another round of work (just one last day,though, and we can call it a week).

Thanks for listening and fighting the good fight. I know you do about the same thing, right? Work too much and make too little? It's OK, we'll win someday. Lois thinks so too. She glumly nods in agreement and sends me off to bed.

love,
Rachael

* today's phrase was, is, and will remain...All of this almost