Fri. Aug. 4, 2023: It’s All About the Art
image courtesy of Gerd Altmann via pixabay.comFriday, August 4, 2023
Waning Moon
Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, Chiron Retrograde
Rainy and chilly
Yesterday was kind of fun, in all directions.
Today’s serial episode is from ANGEL HUNT:
Episode 56: Reading and Remembrance
Lianna’s research unlocks childhood memories.
Tomorrow’s serial episode is from DEADLY DRAMATICS:
Episode 6: Back to the Office
Nina’s cute med student neighbor, Matt Hathaway, offers her safe harbor for the night. But now, Nina has to face a return to the office.
I got some of the DEADLY DRAMATICS edits done before meditation. The online meditation group was a lot of fun, although Tessa and Charlotte fussed at each other, both wanting the Zoom attention. Tessa is discovering Zoom, so we all should be very scared.
Between meditation and leaving for yoga at the library, I got the rest of the six episodes revised. Again, there was an episode I needed to split. So I have more than 125 episodes for the season.
The yoga session was good, and stretched out some of the aches from Tuesday’s class at the studio. We keep having different teachers at the library; I’m trying to be flexible, but it’s hard to maintain consistency.
Picked up books that came in; swung by the liquor store.
Home, a quick lunch, and then headed out with my mom to the Clark. I wanted her to see the Munch exhibit. I was welcomed at reception like an old friend.
Down we went (masked, because there were so many people). I revisited some of my favorites, and spent time with some pieces I hadn’t paid much attention to the first time. One of the staff came up to me, almost hesitantly, to tell me pens weren’t allowed in the gallery and offered me a pencil. I apologized, which surprised her; I think she was afraid I’d give her a hard time. It makes perfect sense not to allow pens in the gallery.
The pencil was from the Berkshire Council on Suicide Prevention which I couldn’t decide if it was ironic or poignant, paired with Munch.
I will bring pencils to use next time.
I made some notes. I was pondering a series of work called “Separation” which a couple was also looking at. The man said, “Do you think that’s us?” with such sadness in his voice that there’s a story in there.
I think the first piece I will build around one of the works is a short play built around “Women on a Bridge” with the three women in their yellow, blue, and pink dresses.
We stopped in the store, where I bought a couple of books on sale (a novel about art collecting, and a book about books in Florence), a postcard of one of my favorite Renoir paintings in the collection, and a hostess gift for my friend in Beacon, because I saw the piece and it told me it was hers.
We stopped in the Humane Ecology exhibit, which was fascinating.
Home. I heard from my friend in the play at Great Barrington, and we’re going to have a quick hello after Saturday’s show (she has a very short dinner break, and I don’t want to cut into it). Heard from my best friend from college, who said my notes on his play gave him fresh energy to tackle the next draft, which is great. Heard from someone I recently met through another friend, and we are making arrangements to get together near the end of the month. Heard from the Rye Historical Society with an apology for not getting back to me, and we’ll talk about spring.
So THAT’s all good.
Got six episodes of DEADLY DRAMATICS polished, uploaded, and scheduled. There are only about seven left in the season (unless I split some more episodes). Got up next week’s Legerdemain episodes. Today, I have to do two more, so the following week is taken care of, too, and prep the Process Muse posts for the next two weeks.
Did the social media rounds for Legerdemain.
The weather was wonky. But I made it down to open studios as MASSMoCA anyway. As always, there was some wonderful work going on: a scientist with precise natural world sketches and the words under them evoke visceral emotion; an artist working in color and perception; another artist using his experience as a DJ to explore cultural tensions; a filmmaker using film, plant, and washing soap/citric powders to create a new type of effect; and an artist working in fiber, making quilts out of tote bags and old jeans, to tell old stories (through quilts) in new ways.
I ran into the stained-glass artist I met at the Artist Meetup back in June, and we talked about her new projects, and about Nightwood Theatre and the Playland Painters. She’s interested in the painters, and I will email her the photographs this morning. We will get together for a drink in a few weeks, when things settle down for both of us.
There’s a poet on Bluesky, Xan Indingo, and we were talking about poems inspired by vintage recipe titles, and I think that’s something I might work on in the residency this autumn. I’m collecting various images and recipe cards and things to pin up to the wall in the studio.
I mean, first, I need to decide what I’m going to work on in the development workshop with Nightwood starting next week, if it’s FROZEN AT THE PALACE THEATRE or something else.
And, I need to finish this draft of FALL FOREVER and get it out the door by next weekend, and dig into the Llewellyn articles.
But all in all, it was a good creative day, for both my own work, and for inspiration by other artists’ work.
I woke up at 3 when the downstairs neighbor revved his car engine on his way to an errand. I had trouble getting back to sleep and was awake when the thunder storm started at 4. Tessa wished to speak to the Manager, please. Too much commotion.
I have a lot to do today, between serial stuff and working on the program and flyer for the reading. I’m hoping to get down to first Friday tonight, so see the work of Walkaway House’s new fiber artist, and to get over to Gallery 51 for their opening (and maybe catch someone with whom I knew from the artist working group last year, to talk about a couple of things).
Tomorrow, I’m off to Great Barrington to see my friend’s play (although I will do some writing before I leave). Sunday, I’m going to listen to fellow poets at Word X Word – the organizers have brought in some poets from other venues, and I’m excited to hear their work. If the weather is nice enough, I will go down a little early and write in the Sunken Garden at the Mount.
I will also pack for my trip, because if I’m not packed far enough in advance, I get antsy. I was trying to decide which books I should take, or the Kindle, but I’ll probably take both.
By the end of Monday, I have to have everything cleared off, upload/scheduling wise for next week and the following week, because I’ll be out of town, come back in directly to start Nightwood, and then on Friday is my next day at the Clark.
I like it, I like it.
But I have to be organized.
Have a great weekend, my friends, and I’ll catch you on the other side.
