Saturday, June 25, 2011

What's left...


I wasn't sure whether to put a period or a question mark after this blog title. Depending on my mood it could be either. Tomorrow Paula and I are dismantling the show and I think that I am finally over my post partyum depression. I have never given birth to anything that cries but rarely have I created anything that didn't call out to be changed. I have since cleaned up my studio ( a little ) but looking at it right after the big push to get everything ready is a really good visual analogy for my post-show state of mind-
Yup...a mess.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Parallel Lives extended By Popular Demand?

Paula and I would just love to say that.
The truth is somewhat less spectacular, but no less of an honor.
Our gracious hosts, Cooper Young Community Association are letting us keep the show up for another couple of weeks.
So, if you missed it and are feeling guilty or unfulfilled, we'd love to have you take the opportunity to see it before it retires.

So, if you have lost your invitation- scroll back a few posts and you'll find all the pertinent information there.
Go and see-
And speak up-
We'd love to know what you think- even if it's "don't quit your day job"

Pictured : "Of two minds"
Quilting by Paula Kovarik. Figure by Jean Holmgren. 2010

Saying goodbye to the party animal.

Sadly, Wednesday we had to say goodbye to our dog Neville. You may recognize him from his part time modeling job as party animal for our occasional house party invitations.

He was like that old saying, "when he was good, he was very, very good- but when he was bad he was horrid" It was the sweet charming side that sustained us and we loved him anyway warts and all.

He is shown here in his full fall party ensemble, doing his one and only trick, sitting up on his haunches being master of all he surveys.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Gravity Shift

Is this a face or what?

For those who did not know John Slorp, this is a face that just might keep you up nights. For those of us lucky enough to have called him friend or mentor, sometimes we did not sleep so well either. He pushed, wheedled, cajoled, demanded, and sometimes even made nice to make sure that we were the very best artists and people that we could be- and we loved and admired him for it.

His strength, counsel, presence and wicked, wicked humor will be greatly missed. John passed away on May 21, leaving all of us that he touched with a sense of loss and a feeling that gravity had surely shifted.

My very favorite story about him, almost worn smooth in the telling, is the time I was in his office showing him a clay-headed soft sculpture figure (OK, a cat doll) that I had just completed. As we were talking, John spied the spectacularly humorless CFO of Memphis College of Art in route to his office.
"Watch this" he says, as he balanced the cat on his head.
He had an entire financial policy conversation with four striped legs and a very long tail draped over either side of his face and a leering neon head menacingly peering over his own head (which he kept, unflappably- along with a completely straight face and focus) through out the entire conversation. (as did the CFO)

I think if there is one story that defined John for me that was it.
Under all that steel wool, was a passion for silliness that was just as unbelievably well cultivated as every other creative thought, painting or philosophy was serious, important and compelling.

I will miss him.

Marvelous photo of John:
Courtesy of Terrence Coffman

Friday, June 3, 2011

Showing off The Show






I finally recovered from the last giant push for the show sometime last week- but it has taken this long to gather up the wherewithal to say thank you to everyone who helped us, everyone who came and all of our trusted friends, family and cheerleaders.
Here's proof that it was well attended: