dont ask about the smurf head...

Ok, I am so utterly busy and have a mountain of things to accomplish but here goes:

I was sitting alone at the local airport and waiting since my flight was delayed. I hear an announcement for a flight to the same airport I am flying into. I get this idea that I am sitting in the wrong gate so I go to the other gate for the other flight and innocently say, "am I supposed to be down here?" The attendant says, "well no but I can get you on this flight instead" She clicks on the keyboard makes a call and suddenly I am leaving on time. What luck!

We fly over Manhattan and I see the hue buildings all lit up, magnificent! I see the statue of liberty glowing her coppery green from the plane. I am instantly in love with the sprawling mass below me despite myself.

I get Frank Sinatra's "My Way" in my head. The plane lands and my friend is missing. I have a slight bit of panic as I call her and she has not left home yet. She calls a cab and soon is there to guide the novice on the complicated bus and subway system that gets us to her apartment. Now it is late and I crash on her pull-out couch.

I get up way too early for New Yorkers so I lay in bed daydreaming as long as I can stand it. We get ready and head out for the Red Dot Art Fair. We catch a snack for breakfast (the yummy rice crispy treat) and go art for a bit.

The hotel rooms are full of artwork, even in the bathrooms! The people are generally nice and fun as we walk around and chat with gallery directors and other viewers. The work is ok, later I realize I will like it a bit more then the Armory show but I was not paying as close attention as I should have been since I was expectant for the Armory show. Still I did see a few things that I really enjoyed. It was a great bit of diversity of work and some real gems were about.

Then we caught the Armory show shuttle (free a boon to getting to the Piers) and had to wait in a line of people. These people generally wore black and looked good. Dressed to look like they always wear these clothes really but they obviously really don't.

Once in it was a zoo. There were so many people milling about in this hypnotic state staring at the walls in a mix of wonder and well, confusion. The work was all over the place, literally and figuratively but I will go into that later. (stay tuned for this weeks installments)

I saw Chuck Close and he saw that I saw him and smiled at me. I smiled back (I smiled at Chuck Close...I am such a goofy dork, but anyway) and was just secretly thrilled. We were starving so we stopped in the cafe for some soup. Our conversation (she has put up with my insanity for over 17 years so it was a good long talk) was so important and significant in a way one can be with an old friend who you have not had a chance to share with in a long time.

We looked more and eventually gave in hours later after hunger decided to strike and soup just did not sound good so we left. We took another shuttle to a show we did not go to and ate dinner at a small place. It was delicious.

We then decided to subway it to Volta another show that closed at 9PM instead of 8. It was by and far the best of all of them. I loved the work and it picked both of us up from the disappointment of the Armory show. It was just great. The artists were around and they threw confetti and blew smoke all over. It was a good time.

We then went out for a drink at a place near Houston (How-ston to the New Yorker baby) and had another conversation that was just so helpful. Good friends are really so important to have. I sipped a rasberry martini (yum) and we had an extremely handsome waiter, the atmosphere was perfect for revelations.

Then home to crash after a perfect day!

A whirlwind of a weekend, I am so tired but I will give you some highlights-

So much TAD at the Armory show (Tits Ass Dick/Death) with a bit of "bling"

Flying over the city at night, seeing the statue of liberty from the plane and the landscape of the Manhattan skyline all lit up like I am

getting stuck in the rotating subway exits with my luggage over and over!

the sound of the subway trains as they fly past with the sudden glimpses of other faces as they speed past

Finding great work at the Volta art fair and the Red Dot fair

Developing a plan and having great conversation over a rasberry martini

Having a really good rice krispy treat yum.

Feeling like I am plugged into something, supercharged and my heart has grown to match the scope of my dreams

Finding a place to escape in and love

Taking a bite out of that great apple of a city and tasting its sweetness

migrating

Today was a long day and I am just plain tired. Sometimes sorrow has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. I am looking forward to my trip to the big city! I think I will retire early to get myself ready for my flight tomorrow evening. Have a great weekend!

Racoon

Let me touch you with these words
as they fall over the cords of your neck
down to the bow of shoulder
tickling lightly over your lips
trace their edges with your fingertips
they are a whisper
to such a longing

Ice is falling in Antarctica

NY City here I come
whooo hoooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am going arty and flying out Friday night for a short crazy weekend!
Art fair info here
I am going to have a time I tell you, a time!

Heron with an ice necklace

I was struck by the notion the other day that herons know when to come back North, because they know when the water is going to be open.

In other news, I cleaned my studio which means I will soon be working on something new. I can't not work or else I will go crazy with my little round about thoughts. Besides more shows are springing up faster then the flowers are.

Snow bunting (transitional winter plumage)

Snow buntings are extremely difficult to find sometimes. I saw them fly up and then I walked into the half frozen-half mud corn field. You have to step on the high parts where the old vegetation is or else you will sink into this milky brown mud. The buntings are rather unconcerned when you get close to them because they believe you cannot see them. The thing is, you can't really. They blend in so well you could be right on top of them before you are able to see them. Even with my magnified lens on them, they would do their magic act of coming in and out of view.

me and Themis' Swing

The show was just plain great. I had a wonderful time and I got to see so many people from the past. My friend is here from NY City and I am flying to visit her next weekend. I was so tired last night that I just went to bed when I got home after a late dinner. It went well and I was offered another solo show when it comes down in a bigger venue, so no rest for the wicked. I got some really wonderful gifts and I am optimistic about the future. I think things will all fall together and I will not be sad about these little endings.

Ok, the first day of Spring equals a below 30 wind chill and the ever present white stuff we like to call snow or rather the most common precipitation of late. I like to call it crap that I am just plain sick of.

In other news happy birthday to me sisss booom bah

Tomorrow is the BIG show opening which I hope goes well.

think spring

I am trying to do some writing and it is like picking off a scab on a rather fresh wound. I find that I have to go there and in going there I am revisiting the pain. So they want my blood, or he at least asked for it. Why, why why did you do those paintings? How can I say? My silly stupid heart hangs on those walls, falling in the throat of birds, feeling the touch of a painted hand, wrapped in cord around the owl plummeting to earth. I wanted him to understand my language-words fall flat,words fall, out of his eyes. What were you saying? I am trying to hear you, not what I want to hear, but what you are really saying. I long to listen to you and hear your stories but the way is blocked. There are doors I cannot open, but sometimes I see the glimmer of light coming from them, from you. Will you also disappear behind them?