Yesterday, I headed “downstate” to the easternmost port town in the United States, aptly named Eastport.  I was looking forward to a lazy day meandering through galleries, walking on piers, and sitting in a cafe having a gorgeous cup of coffee and maybe even a pastry.  To my surprise, it was Pirate Day in Eastport so it was bustling with pirates and all kinds of shenanigans.  OMG.

I was able to see some water and walk on a pier however many of the galleries were closed, I’m guessing for fear of pillaging.  And the food was mostly street food.  What can you do?  I contemplated kicking some ass in a potato sack race but I just wove my way through the crowds and took in the sites.  It was a still a beautiful day and wonderful to sight see.  Here are some pics of the day to enjoy…. and needless to say, I will return on a day where Eastport is a little more like itself.

I was unpacking some boxes and I came across this image that I had framed from a Kiki Smith exhibit a number of years ago.  I decided to write you tonight about the time I almost met her,(who is also one of my idols).  I mean, it’s actually kind of funny how it happened and far more interesting than running down the grind of the beginning of the semester, which frankly has been a little stressful due to the fact it’s just a brand new place with new facilities to familiarize myself with…. not that interesting of a read for you.

I moved back to the east coast ten years ago (come to think of it, almost to the day! which is unfortunately marked by 9/11).  When I moved back, my sister and then boyfriend, now husband still where living in Philadelphia where I left them to move to Seattle.  When I moved back, I was staying with my parents and saving up to make my next move to Rhode Island.  Yup, little known fact- I almost deserted PA for Rhode Island but life happened and there I stayed.  I liked to get to Philly whenever possible because I was discovering I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I did.  Soon, I hear that one of my biggest idols is completing her residency at the Fabric Workshop and I decide to see it as soon as possible.  I had missed her lecture but was there the following weekend with my family in tow to see her work in person for the first time.

This was a big deal to me.
The Fabric Workshop used to be a few floors up on Cherry Street.  Now it’s a gorgeous museum and workshop on Arch and worth a visit if you can.  www.fabricworkshopandmuseum.org When you entered, you walked through a seated area, lounge straight the the exhibition space.  To the right was the studio where you could tour the production area and in between was the gift shop.  For some reason, I saved the show for last and toured the work area first.  It was pretty docile that day and not too much going on.  I then trickled into the exhibition and viewed that.  Everyone exited before me and I stayed in a bit later to spend some time with the show.

Low and behold, Kiki walks in the room.  For real.  I was not dreaming.  She starts to adjust a glass bat that was hanging from the ceiling and I kinda just stared at her for a moment and then left.  It may have been 10 or so years ago but I remember this clear has day.  My sister is in the gift shop and I walk over to her like I need to cue her on our next move in a bank heist.  I start to whisper that Kiki is in the next room and she asked me, “What are you going to do?”  I had no answer to that.

My dad sees that I’m acting *really strange.*  And he asks us what is going on- my sister translates for me since I can barely get a word out and he tells me to go introduce myself.  INTRODUCE MYSELF??  WHAT?  My dad then bargains with me and holds the carrot over my head that he’d buy all the Kiki books in the bookstore for me if I would introduce myself to her.  Being that I had $12.50 to my name and a sincere book addiction, I had to seriously weigh my options.

Breaking me down, I ask him what would an acceptable interaction.  He wanted to me to introduce myself then tell her how much of an impact she has had on my process.  Uh.  Ok.  I work myself up to the task.

By now, Kiki crosses into the lounge where I walk in her vicinity and then we meet eyes, I open my mouth and nothing comes out.  Finally I say, “how are you doing” and she nods her head in acknowledgement and keeps on.  I turn around to see my dad and sister watching me and I ask if that was enough.  Of course, it wasn’t even close.

It’s funny to have an “idol worship” of another person.  I mean, they are people after all but I am so guilty of being starstruck at times.  I admire talent tremendously whether it is art, music, whatever.  I don’t know if that would ever change about me.  I mean if Tom Waits walked up to me and wanted to know what time it was, I would probably bumble and fall over my words.  And I imagine him to be a completely chill guy.  (Here’s an amazing Ted Talk that Elizabeth Gilbert did about creativity.  She did an interview with Tom Waits when she used to write for a magazine and speaks of him and inspiration.  I love it.)

But why idolize?  Everyone has an idol or idols.  Everyone imagines their optimal self.  I just happen to love the ripple in the pond effect that admiring one person has.  Many times that person is in turn admired by others (not implying that I am).  But let’s say that I am admired… why would that be and does that change how I am?  I think there is something to be said about leaving a lasting impression.  I am in my new job and meet new people on a daily basis.  Is it beneficial to me to act a certain way because it’s what they expect of me or is it better to just let it all hang out?  I guess there is a balance between them both.  I mean coming to a small town as an Art Professor, people already have an opinion about who they think I am.  And if I countered that with every hot mess moment, that could just alienate myself from a potential network.  So I guess the best thing is: to allow people to know me as me but have moments that are entirely my own; remain the goofball while giving lectures because that is why I was hired;  ……And remain absolutely starstuck when Kiki Smith walks into a room.  She probably already knows she changed my life.

While home has been pummeled by Hurricane Irene, I had some drama of my own about when I would see some hot air balloons.  Okokok, maybe it’s not that serious and I certainly do not mean to diminish the levity of the hurricane impact but yesterday was a beautiful day here where I was in search of the famed hot air balloons that I figured would fill the sky throughout the day.

Since I rolled into town about 2 weeks ago, I have seen the signs for the Crown of Maine Hot Air Balloon Festival.  I have been determined to see them and could hardly contain my excitement.  Last week, school held a random drawing to award a campus member a ride in one of the balloons.  I thought for sure I would get chosen.  My fellow colleague, Hyrum, also felt for certain he would be chosen.  We both ran to the President’s office to see who won only to find out we did not win.  Boo.  But the guy who has been laboring over the functionality of my laptop(another long epic saga, not worth going into) won so I guess he earned it.

So there I am left to seek out the balloons and see them from the ground.

During this festival weekend, the Aroostook Partners in the Arts organized a “Paint Presque Isle” event.  The President of the University wanted to be sure that Hyrum and I knew about it so sheepishly we went through our stuff and trudged out into the landscape to paint en plein air.  Honestly, readers, I was scared to death about doing this.  I quite honestly have not painted en plein air since college and I was so afraid to come into this new community with people thinking… “get a load of the new art professor, she sucks.”

That first hour of the paint out, I drove around looking for balloons and maybe even other artists.  I had such fear about painting Presque Isle didn’t actually mean “this or that part of Presque Isle.”  And since I couldn’t find any balloons, I was thinking “OMG and I really the only person to miss the balloons??”  Then I overhear that whoever paints balloons in their painting are sure to sell at the auction held later that evening (oh yes, folks, there would be a public display of my rusty painting chops.  YIKES!).  But I drive all around and get semi-lost only to find my way back to school and I decide to paint there.

I didn’t have the best set up.  Like I didn’t have a chair, or a table, or an easel.  I had the trunk of my car.  And 3 boxes of stuff that I hadn’t unpacked yet, that I hoped would be workable materials.  Lucky for me, they were.  But I had this idea that I wanted the painting I made to be about today, and only today.  I had brought the newspaper and decided that I would collage the newspaper onto my little 9×12″ canvas as almost a “time capsule” about what was happening right now.

Maybe that was a little bit of procrastination because I was nervous, but I liked it.  And then I went to sketch out the painting and then tear into it.  Armed with a lot of self criticism, I took a break around lunch to stock up on blueberries and greek yogurt from the farmer’s market then got back out there.  What’s great about Presque Isle is that it’s very quick to get from place to the next… and I live in the center of it all.  I finished up my painting about an hour early then went home to wait out the rest of the painters.  I didn’t want to drop it off too early as I wanted to see what everyone else turned in for the nights auction.  I still got mine in a bit early.  Only about 6 paintings were back when I got there.  Hyrum had finished two huge paintings, actually many people did, so my little piece I was afraid would be swallowed up by the rest of the field of paintings.  Anyway, there was nothing I could do about that now so I went home and got ready to finally see some balloons… nope, I still had not seen any! but I ran into Edward, my landlord, who directed me to where things happen and at what time- great information that I had not had up until then!

Here’s the scenario, my dear reader, Balloons were to start “mass ascension” at 5:30.  I got there at 5 to be right in front to see everything.  I had to be at the Paint Presque Isle Auction at 6 so I needed these balloons to be right on time in order for me to be on time to where I was supposed to be next.  I learned a lot in that hour.

At 5, I had a great position to see.  I also was strangely dressed up as opposed to the rest of the crowd so I am sure that people where curious why the solo dressed up girl was so adamant about being down front.  I didn’t care.  I was going to see some balloons!!  Around 5:20, some people on the field of balloons left of a little balloon into the air to be measured.  This is called a PieBall.  I don’t know why.  After they watch the balloon, they announce that the wind is at 15 knots and they need it to be at 6 for it to be a safe flight.  They were setting us up to the strong possibility that they would not be flying tonight.  OHMYGOD, why is the solo dressed up girl look like she’s gonna cry!

We are encouraged to wait.

And I do.

It’s now 5:45.  They throw up another PieBall.  Still too much.  But they interview the BalloonMeister who controls the field for safety of the balloon operators and riders, and he states things aren’t looking good but possibly with the weather pattern he is watching, that they could be taking off at 6:15.  NNOOOOOOO!!  You know I need to be at the auction by then and the President of the University would be looking for me since he encouraged me to participate.

But I wait.  They throw up one more PieBall.  OMG.  It didn’t toss and turn and float quickly towards Caribou.  It went up calmly and slowing.  The balloon operators are encouraged to go “lay out.”  This thing is gonna happen!

So I overhear in the crowd that once they lay out, they will go up pretty quick.  So I hang on.  The one right in front of me fills first.  YES!  He’s apparently the Balloon of the Year or something like that.  The one next to him also lays out and fills quickly after.  I got to see them both take off and had to leave to get to the auction while 3 more were inflating.  I was only 20 minutes late to the auction.

Since it’s quick to get around town, I park right in front (even though I live only a 1/2 block away).  I get in there and Heather who helped organize the event, tells me that my piece has been unofficially considered the best in show.  Wut?  There is not official prize and she said my title confused many (“the morning paper at umpi”) but she wanted to let me know, that I shouldn’t be worried about how I came off looking- people liked it (so you can guess how worried I looked that morning during registration for her to be compelled to tell me that).  Thank god.  So my reputation was intact!

The auction started off kinda slow.  President Zillman was the auctioneer and if you ever met him, you would know why.  He is a very personable man.  You can see my little painting right behind him by the podium.

My piece auctioned well in quick bidding and for it’s size, did well for the fundraising.  Here it is held by the runner… isn’t she totally cute!

The conclusion to the night was designer cupcakes and champagne….. you know I can’t resist a cupcake.  Good end to a lovely day!

My show at the Croft Gallery is winding down…. The report I received from everyone at the gallery has been so favorable.  With the show in it’s final week, I thought I’d put up my exhibition materials for you to peruse.  If you are local to the show and went out to see it, thanks!!  And if you aren’t, I hope you enjoy what I have here for you.  Here’s the new works on paper from the Sojourner series.  There’s more to come on the new Architect’s Daughter pieces too… watch out in the next few days for it!

Thanks for supporting my work- for updates on new things, you should definitely hit the “like” button on my Facebook page.  Just do it, I won’t bite.

So adjusting to life here has been fine- there are some differences but for the most part I am settling into how things work around here.

One thing to learn about is mail.  I cannot receive mail unless my name and apartment number is on my box.  UPS wouldn’t deliver because the building number was not on my door.  It caused so much confusion last week amongst the neighbors and I had absolutely no idea anything had happened.  Since I have been here, I seem to introduce myself to almost anyone so I met some people hanging outside of my door and then I heard the news that I had a package.  Being that it was a gift and I had not expected anything, it was to my surprise since they did not leave a slip (I had no mailbox at the time!).

So I called UPS and found that my package was being held at distribution center…. Where was that??

I looked it up and went out for a drive this afternoon.  It was out by the airport which is also the old naval base.  It’s pretty neat looking really so I took a bunch of pictures because that’s just what I do now.  Apparently, they don’t like that around here and I was stopped by the UPS manager to find out why I was taking pictures.

This is how that went:

Him: May I help you?

Me: No, I just picked up my package.

Him: They told me someone was taking pictures around the building.  Was that you?

Me: Yes, I did.  But it’s nothing.  (thinking fast) I’m from a city and UPS doesn’t look like that there.  Here is much prettier.  I wanted to show my friend.

Him: Well, you know that’s kind of suspicious.

Me: Yeah, I’m harmless though.

Him: uh, ok (shakes head and walks away).

I came home and opened up some lovely (and very suspicious) dishes from my friend, Jennie.  If they only knew……

I know that I have been incommunicado for almost a month now but it isn’t without good reason.  To catch you up, I was able to ship out all 10 boxes of 27 pieces to my Iniciar show in Texas.  After what looked like a lovely opening, the show has been received well and I hope to have some images up for you in a few days.  I will also forward all of my new work shortly on the blog but why don’t you head on over to my Facebook page where I have been adding the new work.  Just “like” it…  do it.

The big news is that I have now relocated to Presque Isle, Maine.  Today is the first day back at my computer so I couldn’t wait to update you all with the beginnings of my new life riding the moose and eating blueberries here in Maine.  I have to say it’s been a hectic week filled with some unexpected surprises.  That’s not really that important so much except for the fact it has delayed getting settled and ready for school to start.  It seems I will bust into a new semester with little downtime- but hey, what can you do?  It keeps it interesting.

So I thought I would forward some pictures of my new location so you can be tempted to start planning your trip here to see me.  It’s pretty gorgeous.  This morning I was off with Celia, (my colleague, Andy’s, wife) to be introduced to the Farmer’s Market.  Lovely, although in the mall parking lot.  But I stocked up on organic blueberries, yogurt, honey, eggs, and will be back next week for some organic beef, milk, PEPPER JELLY, and veggies.  Can I just tell you how cheap the market is??  Far cheaper than the supermarket which is really exciting.

What has been really impressive is the terrain- which is somewhat similar to Pennsylvania but far more expansive.  The air seems to be a bit cleaner so color seems that much brighter, almost like technicolor.  And I drove up to the border to see Canada and yup, it looks a lot like here but I am looking forward to exploring much more as I get settled in the coming weeks.  It seems I will have to be coat shopping much sooner than I anticipated.  I’m told first snow is near the end of October.

But really aside from unpacking my apartment, I have been spending time on campus getting myself situated.  The windmill has been turning- I can’t tell you how much I love it!  and the studio, which has been under renovations all summer, is getting set back in.  I got my office which feels like a tree house to me.  And I may be sentimental, but I feel lucky to have the old office of Cliff who started the program in 1967.  He is also a fellow Pennsylvania native so it only seems fitting I would take his space.  He left wonderful little notes and such around which is fun to discover.  I only have to start moving in there and make it a little more of mine (OMG more moving!!)

My office is not in the art building… it’s actually the original dorm to the school.  But this is the art building…

The story with the aviator “IT” on the side of the building is this…. A few years ago the band Phish held a festival here in Presque Isle at the airbase.  Presque Isle was formerly an airbase for many many years.  It has since closed down but the base itself still remains and Phishfest attracted about a quarter of a million people to this town for a long music and art festival.  Patrick Doughtery- who’s work I love and had the pleasure to volunteer to work for at the Allentown Art Museum a few yrs ago, did an installation amongst others.  Phish had these aviator figures at the entrance of the festival, spelling “IT.”  When the festival was over, they donated the figures to the university and they have been placed on the art building as the place to be!  They certainly have made an impact on campus and one cannot miss the art building!

Finally UMPI is the home of the owls.  On campus, there is an amazing totem pole (there is a strong native american community here in PI) full of owls. Now that you are all getting out your atlases and planning your next trip, I will get back to unpacking so I can be ready for you.

It seems its the season for thinking about names.  My sister is due to have my second nephew in a few weeks.  And a number of friends and family members have either just had a child or are about to have a child within the next few weeks or months.  The first question I ALWAYS ask is “what is the name?”  I loves names.  I love thinking of names and I am proud to say the top contender of a name for my new nephew came from me.

SO what’s in a name?  I think it shows so much of the hopes of the parent- not just a bright and healthy future but also the personality you hope to nurture as a parent.  I have never had this experience for myself.  The only thing I can possibly relate is naming my cat…. and well, naming my paintings and most recently, naming my show.

Naming my show was surprising similar to how I hear my friends discuss naming their baby.  I just returned from a baby shower where my friend still has two choices for their daughter- Morgan or Mackenzie.  They decided that they got this far but when they actually meet her, they will “call it in the air.”  They want to wait to meet her and see if her personality is more “Mackenzie” or more “Morgan.”    I’m not sure what those traits are but then again, I don’t have a history with either of the names to inform that decision.

As I have been feverishly trying to finish my Texas show, the gallery contacted me and needed a name for my show.  Oh my god, a NAME???  I had forgotten the name!  I thought so much about the series to be represented- Architect’s Daughter and the debut of Sojourner.  Both series are very similar in spirit but still different.  How was I going to encapsulate both and not favor one over  the other?  So I slept on it.  I hoped it would have some divine intervention.  I hoped I could leaf through from poetry terms and it would come to me but nothing.

Then I instant message with Catey and ask her.  Who knows- she may have an observation I had not thought of.  As she “interviewed” me, I settled on “synecdoche” even though I didn’t think it was totally right.  But I decided to let it go, it was too close to a movie name and I never feel quite that secure in pronouncing it.  If it didn’t feel right then it just wasn’t.  Maybe this was one of those moments of looking at your child and deciding that maybe it’s more a “Morgan” and less an “Mackenzie.”

Back to my interview with Catey:

ME: can you name my show please? i forgot to do it
Catey: what work is in it?
and where is it
and when
ME: new architects’ daughters but newer “sojourner” pieces… it’s in august. in Texas
you want me to call it architects daugher and sojourner are new in august in Texas
Catey: haha no
i wanted more information before crafting something potentially useful
Catey: what do you think are the defining links between the two series?
ME: well, probably the deconstruction/reconstruction- sort of
more like the exposed and veiled
Catey: Do you think they are potentially overexposed or underexposed?
ME: eh. i don’t know. thinking all around that- both
weird answer
i was loving synedoche for a bit. but that is also a movie. and i don’t like that. it’s not quite right
Catey: hrmm
ME: i thought about just the definition of sojourner: “Noun 1. sojourner – a temporary resident” but then it’s weighed more heavily on that series and it;s not done yet and may suck
Catey: is there a word to describe
transient people
that also build more permanent structures?
to kind of tie the two?
ME: i’m googling and seeing what comes up
so far homelessness
Catey: name it hobo

I was close to naming it “hobo.”  I, in fact, would like to make a show to name “hobo.”

But Later in our conversation, Catey offered up another word “transigir” which is french “to moderate.”  I also found in Spanish it is “to give in.”  I decided it wasn’t quite right.  I actually thought giving in meant the show was passive.  That it was about victim of circumstance.  That’s not really the connotation I wanted it to have.  But I was very swayed by how pretty the word looked and just imagined it on a postcard and how sexy that postcard would be (again, I love me some printed paraphernalia!!).

I went back to my poem vocab and then thought about allegory… Could I name it just allegory?  Could it be the allegory of something?  It seemed too contrived and over romanticized.

Then I started through synonyms of that gorgeous “transigir.”  I came across a few but then I saw it and I knew it had to be mine!

INICIAR

INICIAR

INICIAR

Yes, I loved it!  It means “to intitiate, begin.”  Yes, this was the one.   The word is active; it is positive; it is about potential; it is acting out and pushing forward; it is moving up; it is anticipation.  This was my “Morgan or Mackenzie” moment.
Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls, please join me in welcoming my new work on view in t-minus two weeks at the Croft Gallery in Waco Texas.  INICIAR.  It’s perfect.

(the top image is THE CARD that is at the printers as I write)

On a sidenote: Catey has strong feelings about untitled work.
I quote her in saying: “untitled artwork: if you cant be bothered to title it,  why should i be bothered to look at it
i mean seriously, i dont care if you name a piece of abstract squares, chicken nugget
anything but untitled”

I better get to titling paintings!

It’s incredibly fun to feel so productive.  Of course it’s also pretty intense too.  I’m counting down the days until I ship to Texas.  Here are a few more of the Sojourners that will be heading there.  Enjoy!

I have to say, getting things ready to move here at the homestead is making blogging on challenging task but I have been dying to get this image up for you to see.  I have been feverishly plugging away at this portrait for months and finally over the weekend, I completed it!!!  Before I go on, the image is 20 x 30 inches- photo printed on arches watercolor paper; tea stained, hand embroidered and marked with graphite.

This piece is entitled Sojourner. Its a concept I had been dwelling on in the back of my mind for months and have been experimenting with the past few years.

I have been thinking about our self awareness and how we grow and evolve.  It seems we are vessels that we fill moment by moment with experiences and emotions; thoughts and decisions.  Although fundamentally, we are the same person, we are always in a constant state of transition and therefore a sojourner. The idea of travel and landscape is metaphorically applied to the image.  The tea stain suggesting water bodies, embroidery a landmass.  These marks contend with exposing and covering the body, as well- a means of protection or veil of concealment.  The graphite mark is made with a compass- not only referring back to the navigational instrument but also one’s moral compass that operates a value system.

This image is of my younger sister.  I have known her since day one and yet as we grow older, our relationship evolves.  Never have I found her a literal “temporary resident” in my life- actually, she is more of a constant beacon of stability. But for me, she is a subtly complicated person.  She is many things to many, many different people and although never is that simple, never has she made it seem complex.  I know she quietly negotiates her values and emotions while considering who it effects.  These roles and responsibilities form a person, she now is shaping how that may apply to her.

I gave a lot of thought to her marks.  Many of them refer to our heritage.  We are from a craft background that both of us honor.  My sister even noticed the shape of the graphite taking on the Russian Orthodox icons we used to see growing up during visits to the coal regions to see extended family.  My sister and father collect Icon imagery- which must be part of my subconscious.
The circle is something I come back to often in my work and while exploring my sisters image, it always resurfaces.  As many know, the circle is never beginning or ending.  It is indicative of a cycle, a course taken infinitely.  For me, Sojourner is that infinite evolution of the Self.   It is something that will always be happening and in change, metaphorical or literal, is when growth happens.