Allana Clarke

Is it okay to like something for its own sake? As a white man, I can relate only in the vaguest way to being Black, let alone a Black female.

The time I dated a Black woman, in my late thirties, I was surprised, when we went out, by how White I felt. It was kinda similar to being monolingual in Whitehorse, YT, where everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, spoke at least three languages.

The wall pieces appeal, but her statement, music, performance pieces leave me saddened. Still, I had to add her in; I like it enough to want to find it again, and this is the only way for that to happen.

Videos

https://allanaclarke.com/video-time-based-media

Daniel Chamberlin

I've forgotten how I found Daniel, but I thought his work interesting enough to sign onto his newsletter Void Contemplation Tactics.

His latest includes tales of his time as an Emergency Medical Assistant in Marfa, Texas. As far as I've seen, it's the first he's written of that stint. The link in the article above from "The decade I spent as a writer" leads to further info about his history and art-making (and is the same as the one at the bottom of this post).

In it, the "decade" one, he talks about many of the ideas I've encountered. What touches me the most is his empathy for the marginalians -- to steal a term/label/title from another writer: https://www.themarginalian.org/

I'm mentioning Daniel here cuz the blog, mine, that is, now has enough depth in time to be a real resource to me...helping me remember. Daniel is one I don't wanna forget.

Diane Landry - Artist

Diane gets a small (link is to her website) mention on p.47 in The Art of Tinkering by Karen Wilkinson & Mike Petrich.

Here's a pdf from Massi Insti of Tech (MIT) with some pics of the authors and from the book.

Unfortunately, Ms. Landry's videos are on Vimeo and Blogger doesn't enable embedding of anything but Youtube so you'll have to make the effort.

Flying Scool

https://vimeo.com/61429199

Mandalas in Blue Decine series

https://vimeo.com/61428420

Some Images from The Guggenheim Foundation

https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/diane-landry/

Books.

https://www.amazon.com/Diane-Landry-Defibrillators-English-French/dp/2921801418

https://www.amazon.com/Grannys-Gift-Diane-Landry/dp/1451201354

Carole Murphy - Solstice Gifting Idea

I can't recall when or where I discovered Carole Murphy's work; it's been a while. 

As far as I know she has no awareness of me. I'm providing the link to her mixed-media gallery because I love her work and think you might too; and that "gifting" time is, again, just around the corner. Regardless of your buying proclivities, I hope you enjoy.

https://carolemurphy.com/category/galleries/mixedmedia/

A few examples...

She's in Milwaukie, Oregon, just south of Portland, and offers, or did before Covid, classes.

https://carolemurphy.com/classes/

Requiem For An Artist - Vincent Distasio

It was a year ago today.

He was perenially annoyed!! He came from a family of long-lived folks; an uncle had recently begun considering his heirs at age 92. 

Vince made a real effort to take care of himself. He'd had both knees replaced, fifteen years apart, and although they told him NEVER to run, it would wear them out or break them, he loved to run and ran every few days around a field near his house.

He loved -- it's not too strong a term -- playing basketball and felt the same about riding his bicycle. In addition to riding it for exercise, he rode it everywhere to spite the oil companies. When necessary, he drove his 1972 AMC Hornet he'd bought new. He was lean without being skinny and we had a great time arm-wrestling in Flying Star on Coors last October. It was a draw...neither of us could "put the other down." He was pleasantly surprised as he lifted weights several times a week and although he knew I wasn't weak, I suspect he thought my weight gain had affected my strength. Of the literally thousands I worked with throughout the world, including the great UAE marketing company, Nakheel, Vince was the only one who became a friend.

Two other videos

In the early '60s, he married a German woman and moved to Cuba, New Mexico. In those days Anglos needed to be out of town by sundown. There he taught high-school science and cowboyed during the summers, herding cattle on horseback and fixing fence.

When I met him, in '93, his butcher shop had failed due to some kind of under-handed dealings by his business partner and he was working as a meat-cutter while caring for an aunt who had Alzheimer's.

Outside Fisher Gallery on Central Ave in Albuquerque, circa 1993

A true iconoclast, he set the bar for individuality, creative expression and knowing where to find a good bearclaw (doughnut).

This article on the Compassion & Choices website tells of his final days.

He crossed over last March. I miss him.

Anality in the Bathroom

TODAAAAAAYYY....the guy came to assess the bathroom floor. They'd laid the tile several months ago and cracks had appeared inbetween. No one was sure why. After some chin-scratching, it was decided it'd be best to redo it.

While he was recovering from removing the tiles and  mastic, I invited him to look at some of Michelle's prints.

Ms. Cook was so A-R (anal-retentive) about her work she would sometimes do more than a hundred prints to get 25 or thirty into an edition. Each color was laid down with its own stencil in a separate pass. Most artists limit their serigraphs to ten or twelve colors. Andy Warhol typically used six to eight. Michelle commonly used over 40.

One of the standards of serigraphy is "No white from the underlying paper can show between colors." Each color has to lie right NEXT to the other. If they overlap, the colors get "muddy;" if there's a gap, it's not quality work.

For many years her work was held up to other students in the University of New Mexico Print-making Department as an example of what's possible.

The floor came out perfectly.

For the moment, she's satisfied.

James Joseph Roderick & Our Lady of Guadalupe

Up -- on the walls -- through the end of the year, in Ajo, Arizona, is a show by James Roderick.

On Our Lady of Guadalupe day (not MY Lady of Guadalupe!), Suzan and I were touring The Plaza when we found James' work. It's in the lobby area at the entrance to Art Under the Arches gallery caty-corner of the Visitors' Center/Chamber of Commerce.

Roderick's rich colors vividly capture the pathos that surrounds this iconic figure. But it's his unique take on the gal that makes the work interesting: Our Lady astride a Harley; warming her hands at a campfire; contemplating her likeness on candles.

Approx 14 w x 24 h

After Georges-Pierre Seurat

He also has a coloring book.

Roderick has had a long-term interest in goddesses and has painted images from Buddhist and Hindu mythologies as well. 

James' contact info:
phone:  505-982-1183
email:   roderickartworks@gmail.com
Website: james-roderick.fineartamerica.com (both upper and lowecase work)

Carole Murphy - Artist

I was perusing my followers and found Carole Murphy. My memory is nearly worthless -- take heed all yea who think a remembrance infers significance -- but there's a vague recollection of discovering her work a couple of years ago.

I particularly like her mixed-media work which is what the link below goes to. She's in Portland, Oregon and welcomes visitors to her studio.

http://carolemurphy.com/mixedmediagallery.html

Exposed Resolution
20 innches (51cm) in diameter
Found bone, steel
2012

Playful Nesting
20 inches high x 21 x 8
steel, fiberclay and nature
2016

In Playful Balance
23 x 13 x 4 (inches
$1,150.00

Movement Forward
23 x 17 inches
Steel, encaustic, fiber clay and mixed media
2016

Mystification
18 inches high
wood and nature
2014

Personally Integrated
14" x 15"
Steel, encaustic, wood, fiber clay and
mixed media
2015
SOLD

Untitled
26" x 15" wide
Recycled steel, natural encaustics, recycled wood
2017

We Thought They Were
22" x 10" wide
Recycled wood, encaustics, recycled steel,
nature
2017

And my fav....

Unforetold Predelection
20" x 16" x 5" deep
Steel, fiberclay and nature
2016

Awesome Bit o' Poetry

http://jozien.blogspot.ca/2016/01/love.html

Yarnell, Arizona

Yarnell was in the news last year when 19 firefighters died. Suzan and I stopped for coffee after the Shooting Place (see 11/26/14) on our Mooseway to Quartzsite.

The Espresso place is two doors west of the grocery, which is closed. Owned by Jeff and his wife, the ambiance is intimate, welcoming and includes wifi. They also have a small store and she has a well-appointed and beautifully decorated salon for cutting hair. 

Delbert, an alcoholic musician, was volunteering in the Espresso bar. He'd been dry for four months and was putting together a January fundraiser for a widow whose husband was killed in the fire.

Next door is the Painted Lizard, 

a nice antique/gifts/art emporium where Suzan found an incense burner at a very affordable price. There was also an interesting painting of Koshares by Al Bahe for $4,999.00.


The Cornerstone Bakery 

is on the south (left going toward Quartzsite) side of the highway at the west end of town. It came highly recommended, but it was past time to make camp as we trundled out of town so it was "saved" for next time.

Seafaring Gypsy - Theliveaboard

La Bonita - in the center with her blue sail-cover..somewhere in California

I saw mention of Theliveaboard a.k.a. Cynthia Shelton, in Lattitude 38, a free magazine the Bodega Bay harbor-master gave me. I enjoyed her video -- Landlubber to Liveaboard -- about how she got where she is and tho't you might too. Once downloaded, I used Quicktime to run it.


Here's a link to Dock Dorks, her comic book.


And her main website
http://www.cynxing.com/
where you can hire her to talk about her process.

Marilyn Hoffman Leaps into Reality

non-representation reality, no less.

Is it an intrinsic element of being an artist that enables them to embrace change? Where do they find the Courage to Create?

After one conversation, albeit lengthy (is there any other kind with MFH?), Marilyn Hoffman leapt from the cliff of abstraction  and threw herself headlong into non-representation. And it was/is sublime.

You'll have to go by and visit her to see it. I was so startled I forgot to take photos. Her work is in The Main Street Artists Gallery and in the  Capitol Arts Gallery, both in Quincy, CA. Her contact info is available at each.

The one she's holding is recent, but her newest is a masterpiece!!!