Studio visitors

I just never know who will fly in for a visit. These two, sadly, will never leave. They were perfectly preserved and are so amazing- I had to give them one more flight- even if it was a flight of fancy.

How I spent my summer vacation

So, I guess you could say, I spent my time fishing- or removing from this assemblage of scrap wood everything that is not a fish. I am still tweaking and sanding and the whiskers were a late addition that are still rough cut and need to be refined.
I had some great help from my friend, Paula and her talented eye, in her suggestions to slim down the fins and ease the transition between the head and tail section-but what I am calling, for now, "Some of us are built for speed and some of us are not" is getting very close and I still have not decided what type of finish I will use to, uh, finish it.

Tweaking the whoosh factor

Here's a tail-first view of the rocket fish. I added a bevel just behind the head to marry the fin to the motion of the upper body and insinuate a gill form. A nod and thanks to Shades for her whoosh comment.

From the archives

Most of the time I think that having my computer, organizationally, resemble my closet is a shameful thing.
But it is a nice surprise to accidently run into old stuff when you are looking for something else. And, of course, really good justification for being a slob.

Being proactive

It is bound to happen. So, I'm being proactive..... sometimes a fish is just a fish.

Something fishy in Byhalia

Here's the latest project in process. I am absolutely happiest when covered in sawdust.

Scary things

It is always gut level frightening to hear of kids taking guns to school and their equally awful consequences. But what really, really disturbs me is that they make orange jumpsuits that small.

A gift

Sometimes, walking the dogs is a chore. But sometimes, when you are not expecting it, you get a present.

Scratching: Best Practices

Political Egg Toss

I am increasingly appalled at the unbelieveable disregard for women being broadcast by this current crop of politicians. Constant movement on critical issues is essential to change, but only if it continues to move constantly forward.

You have to believe in something...Don't you?

The Puzzlement of Pivotal Moments

Dating Advice

Pearls from a Misshapen Shell

This marks the beginning of a series of postcards that I have been writing on napkins, the back of bills and whatever space I could find when the moment strikes me since, well, forever. They are about life, style, dog philosophy and an arms length observation of life. They are goofy, nostalgic, passionate and sometimes accidently profound, like me.

Hatching

I haven't been completely idle these past months. I have been hatching a new piece. The inspiration, was to commemorate and celebrate the grand struggle to showdom that Paula and I endured, survived and brought to actual fruition. At show's end Paula presented me with a marvelous piece and the above was my answer "Shiny Things"
We had said more times than I can count the hardest thing about putting something together was focusing.
We were like two crows always after the next shiny thing, which meant an awful lot of extra work finding our way back and then reigniting those works that we were supposed to be preparing for the show.

Here is the most fabulous piece "Decision Points" from Paula.

Summer song

In this season of cicada, shall we

Too, emerge sans our outer skin

to become some other thing? 

Fly and expire 

with a final buzz in the dirt?

What changes us is what we make of the time

Waiting for our wings to dry.

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.

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.

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