Oh brother, Where art thou?

Many apologies for taking so long to put in another commentary from my strange and silent life, I’ve been busy.

My job, as the miracle worker for a Greensboro based woodworking shop, keeps me occupied during the day. At night I’ve either been too tired, working on my artwork, doing chores, animal husbandry [Claire managed to get ear mites in one ear (“worst case I’ve seen in quite a while” said the vet, “ Does she spend a lot of time out doors?” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that she usually was asleep on the chair in the kitchen she claims as her throne or spread eagle on her stomach on the cool tile floor in the studio…She’s too fat to fit through the cat door) and a yeast infection in the other…You want an adventure…try holding a greased watermelon with one arm and drill a hole with a q tip with the other. ] and trying to catch up with my commission work, I need to finish taking slides that were due in January for the process to get my master’s in studio art- A process I began 2 years ago, I'm also trying to recover what I know about leather work and to add to it for my own uses and to teach somebody who needs something to do with his hands so that cigarettes don't kill him, long story. Need to update the website haven't been there for months, The shop is always in disarray, the loft always looks and smells like an animal sleeps there and then there's the improvements needed for this place like a large drawered cabinet to store my artwork in that I've been planning for 16 years and the kitchen table that I started 12 years ago, then theres the bookcase I need to build...my books are everywhere … I need a clone, or a maid who likes cats.

The big news is I finished a drawing I started last August, and I’ve been working on the composition for years. It’s the first “Art” work I’ve done in quite a few years. It took way too long…I could only work on it when I knew I’d be un interrupted and when I need to just get away from my life for a while…It sat for almost 4 months untouched cause life demanded my attention. The response has been mostly positive. I am working on a wood cut slightly smaller. I’m going to do it as an egg tempera painting. This is a technique that I learned in my final days of Art school and completely fell in love with. It’s not complicated water soluble and the color lends itself to translucency well. The problem is that you can’t run down to the store to pick up dry pigment…however through the miracle of the internet I’ve been in contact with other’s who pursue this discipline. They have hooked me up with all kinds of info and source. I’ve still got to locate some rabbit skin glue to make gesso. Seems egg tempera don’t stick to plastic gesso…soooo I’m returning to the dark ages and making what I need. No sweat, I’m used to it. My life is torn in three directions, what I have to do for a living, what I have to do for a life and what I have to do for my sanity. Any rich women looking for a pet artist I'd like to apply for the job.

Anyway my health improves, my work progresses and I’m staying out of trouble. I suppose that is a blessing. If only there was somebody who could deal with the world and leave me to do the work I’m designed to do. I'm looking for my design books...I know I promised- I'll get to it.