Back from Heartwood Residency: Fired up and ready to roll!

Upcoming ART Workshops

with Shanna Wheelock in her Lubec studio

 

The Clay Goddess Workshop for Women

Images of females, animals, and nature that date back thousands of years empower today’s women along their own journey. Learn about ancient art, mythology, and feminine symbology while hand-sculpting with clay in a relaxing and inspirational studio environment. Participants will be guided to discover with which deities and symbols they most connect. Make figurines, wall plaques, pottery, and amulets, whatever your soul desires!

 

Wednesday April 17, 2013

5:30-8:30 p.m.

Tuition: $65 (includes materials and firing fee)

Pre-registration is required. Limited space available. To register or for more info, email me at:

shanna@shannawheelock.com

Click here to find a Downloadable PDF file on my website under "Upcoming Events and News"

 

 

 

 Introduction to Encaustic Painting

Encaustic, meaning "to burn in" is a method of painting with a mixture of beeswax, tree resin, and pigment that dates back thousands of years. Medium is applied in a molten liquid state to prepared substrate, painted in layers and heat-fused. This one day introductory workshop is perfect for beginners who want to learn the basics. We’ll cover history, safety, materials, tools, equipment, substrate preparation, color application, layering, fusing, scraping and buffing, mark-making, etching, transfers, and pigment sticks. No previous art experience necessary. Materials are provided. All you need to bring is lunch/snacks/drink and an apron or paint shirt.

 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Tuition: $185 (includes materials)

Pre-registration is required. Limited space available. To register or for more info, email me at:

shanna@shannawheelock.com

Click here to find a Downloadable PDF file on my website under "Upcoming Events and News"

 

 

WATER, WIND, and TIME: Factory C Drawing series

Shanna Wheelock, 2013

12" x 15"

ink

 

This is the beginning stage for the drawing seen above....I am feeling kind of drawn to it's simplicity.

 

 

Guardian

One of a series in study of Factory C.

Greenware (in progress)

Shanna Wheelock, 2013

 

Our MFA pod during residency weekend at Heartwood College of Art.

 

 

 Sherry Ashby Cunningham explains symbolism in her painting during our "Spirituality in Women's Art" presentation at the Machias Women's Forum.

 

 

 Elizabeth Ostrander discusses her sculpture during our "Spirituality in Women's Art" presentation at the Machias Women's Forum.

 

 

 

 Bouli preens before the Machias presentation. She must have thought that she would be joining us at the talk. Maybe next time, Bouli.

 



 

I'm recently returned from MFA residency weekend in Kennebunk. Twice a semester I am on campus at Heartwood College of Art and ALWAYS it is an amazing event. Fourteen women artists gathered for camaraderie and creation during the intensive weekend. We began on Friday with potluck and critique. As usual, the food was fabulous and eclectic and the artwork was diverse and inspirational: nudes on fabric, stuffed pantyhose, seven-foot felted pillars, dogwood and feather arrows....drawing, printing, painting, and sculpture galore! The weekend was packed with an all-day Saturday hands-on workshop followed by a delicious evening out at Academe. It was a good thing that we filled our bellies (and minds!) with fuel because Sunday found us at the round table for a lively discussion of William James' writing. Let's just say that the book talks can get a wee bit fiery. (Or maybe that's just me?!) I didn't realize this at the time of our discussion, but James was a Swedenborgian theologian. One of my favorite Portland church-hopping memories in the early 90's was the Swedenborg church. Just an interesting connection.

 

I returned from residency weekend fired-up and ready to roll in the studio. That's the thing about being an artist. When the inspiration strikes one MUST act upon it lest one be quite miserable. (This I learned long ago). I am blessed to have the flexibility and time to act upon my creative impulses but have been through many years in the past where that was not always possible. I am truly grateful for this gift of time and freedom. Lately my urges have moved mostly toward drawing. I have always loved to draw but the pottery, weaving, and sculpture has consumed me. This current study of Factory C offered up so many seductive images that screamed for illustration. The drawing is grounding me and allowing meditative reflection and an in-depth look at the finer construction details in this massive dilapidated structure. I could seriously spend years studying this one ruin.

 

My typical day of late consists of nine to eleven hours of intense, obsessive studio time, hopping between the cave, the nook, and the drawing table. When not in the studio, I can be found at a community arts meeting or walking. March was particularly busy with appointments as well. The detailed drawings prompted me to finally get glasses! There is definitely an adjustment period, but so far, I am finding them helpful while drawing thousands of tiny lines.

 

In March I presented art talks at two venues. This past week I joined artists Sherry Ashby Cunningham and Elizabeth Ostrander to speak at the Machias Women's Forum on the topic of spirituality in women's art. The venue was quickly outgrown by the attendees but somehow we all squeezed-in. There were even a few men in the audience which I have a feeling might be a bit unusual for this forum. Nice to see!  I loved listening to both Sherry and Elizabeth realizing how much we have in common in our spiritual paths and creative inspirations. Estrogen and "girl-power" was flowing full force this evening and I found it to be truly empowering!

 

 

Creating Modern Day Artifacts

Visit Shanna Wheelock's website

 

 

Machias Women's Forum presents

Spirituality in Women's Art

 

 

Presenters: Sherry Ashby Cunningham, Elizabeth Ostrander, and Shanna Wheelock

Thursday, March 21, 2013

in the meeting room at Helen's Restaurant, Machias

Dinner from the menu at 5:30 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m.

Although this is the Women's Forum, men are encouraged to attend this special event!

Click here for more info.

 

 

 

 

Art Workshops

With Instructor Shanna Wheelock

Lubec, Maine

Clay Goddess: April 17

Introduction to Encaustic Painting: July 10

For more info, send an inquiry here.

 

 

 

 

 The corner of my drawing table.

Note the old Grumbacher box.

This is the same box that years ago held my mom's drawing charcoal.

 

 

"The Nook"

 I have been spending most of my time here lately

 working out ideas, sketching, reading, researching, and designing workshop fliers.

 

 

I completed nine ink drawings in the "Factory C"series and have now begun to transcribe them onto clay. 

 

 

Some things to keep in mind....

 

 

So many things happen in a week that it is hard to keep track of it all. I am in a mad flurry of art activity as the obsession with Factory C grows. I have felt an urgency to get the ideas down and this week that all began to make sense. I heard a tidbit of news that the dilapidated remains may, in part, be removed. Though I understand the safety issues with a building in such a state, I am saddened at the thought of anything changing by the hands of humans. Until now, the building's condition has been at the whim of the natural elements and the result has been one that exudes a silent and powerful sense of reverence. As my work unfolds over the next few months, I hope to capture some of that feeling in ink, clay, and wax, not only for my own creative self-indulgence, but also to serve as some sort of historical modern-day artifact.

 

This past week's agenda contained a sprinkling of business, health, spiritual, and art meetings along with a talk that Elizabeth Ostrander and I presented at The Eastport Arts Center.  I am always a bit  nervous before speaking in public. Even with more than thirteen years teaching under my belt this feeling has never gone away. I was comforted by the peaceful ambiance of the center and the presence of a few familiar and friendly faces in the crowd. For my portion of the presentation I had created a slide show of some of the key women in my life who have somehow contributed to my development as an artist. Though I focused on only a handful of women, there are in fact so many more who deserve mention. Listening to Elizabeth's account of her art experiences and journey that has sustained her through seventy years of art-making, I realized that my forty-three years on this planet has been eased and benefited by all the women who came before me, who fought for their place in what has traditionally been a "man's world." I am fortunate to have men in my life, as well, who have supported my journey, men who have broken through the traditional roles and stereotypes to value women's contributions to the art world and life in general.

 

The next few days I will prepare for my MFA seventh semester's residency, spend time with creative friends, and work on another "talk". Along with two other artists, Sherry Ashby Cunningham and Elizabeth Ostrander, I will present at the Machias Women's Forum on March 21. The topic is spirituality in women's art. I am still gathering my thoughts for this presentation as it will differ from last week's talk in Eastport. Right now the thought is that I will focus primarily on my fiber works. But we'll see. A lot can change in my mind over the course of four days.

 

No doubt some are singing Irish folk songs, eating boiled cabbage, and drinking green beer by the time they read this blog entry, being St. Patty's Day and all. My Celtic roots are strong but I will most likely be found in the studio with hands steeped in gritty mud. My internal clock, still adjusting to the time change, finds me in bed an hour longer than usual most days but burning the midnight oil to get the work done. Though the temps dipped again this week, there is a feeling of spring in the air. Foolish to think such thoughts perhaps. The calendar suggests that Spring Equinox arrives soon, but local meteorology threatens snow. Several inches. Plowable.

Back to the Drawing Table

 Sunday, March 10, 2013
Women's Art: A Conversation with Elizabeth Ostrander and Shanna Wheelock
3:00 p.m.at the Eastport Arts Center
36 Washington Street, Eastport, Maine
Click here for Shanna Wheelock's website.
Click here Elizabeth Ostrander's website
Click here for the Eastport Art Center website.

 

 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Machias Women's Forum

5:30-8:00 p.m.

Helen's Restaurant, Machias, ME

Presenters: Shanna Wheelock, Elizabeth Ostrander, and Sherry Ashby Cunningham

Topic: How Spirituality informs and inspires our artwork

Save the date and check back for more info.

 

 

Been drawing images of "Factory C" 

(Shanna Wheelock, Lubec, Maine)

 

 

Factory C

(Lubec, Maine)

 

 

Interior View of "Factory C"

(Shanna Wheelock, Lubec, Maine)

 

Photo of "Factory C"

(Lubec, Maine)

 

Back in early college years my ceramics professor told me that being able to draw is a critical skill, even for a potter. Though I enjoyed drawing I fumbled around quite a bit. The fine arts program leaned on the heavy side of drawing credits and for that I am thankful. From those years I developed a love of figure drawing and conte. Drawing for me, though, is one of those things that gets put to the side when there are dozens of mugs or a sculpture needing to be done. I do genuinely love to draw, and just as with weaving or clay work, I can get lost for hours in shading and line.

 

Soon after I visited the ruins at Factory C, I knew that I wanted to draw the images that were burned so deeply in my mind. What I didn't account for was that it had been at least three years since I had picked up a drawing tool to do a serious drawing.

 

I was a bit apprehensive as my logical self laid out ideas for matching paper sizes and a grouping of drawings all executed in one material. I soon realized that I was far more rusty with my drawing skills than previously thought. A few rough starts in pencil then grumblings with shading and tendencies toward detail even thought the material was not well suited for that, I forged onward. A mix of pleasure and pain, if you will. I eventually got into my groove and reminded myself that I don't need to have it all figured out before the first line is even drawn.

 

Four drawings later, I am starting to find my zone and zero in on what I'd like to do. The first few drawings are like getting back to the wheel after a few months away. At first it feels awkward but eventually the hands remember the right pressure and speed. Drawing is meditative in the same was as clay or fiber, and messy in its own right.

 

I plan to use the drawings as a means to an end. They will be studied, dissected, enlarged, then transferred in some fashion. Right now I just catch glimpses of a plan in mind's eye. As with most of my projects, I don't know the end result until I know the end.

 

Drawing can be addictive but right now I have quite a few things to juggle so that obsession will have to be squeezed into allotted blocks of time over the next few weeks. I just spent the past two weeks fully immersed in the factory study from clay work to drawing, ruin site visits, time at the library, and online research. I took a small hiatus from the bulk of meetings that I normally attend and other semi-social functions for that focus, but the roster is once again full and I am at that moment in the calendar year where I take a deep breath, hold up my feet, and move full steam ahead. The next few months until January 2014 are blocked with commissions, vending, stocking shops, speaking engagements, workshops, MFA classes, farmer's market, and community work with Lubec Arts Alive and (newly added) committee work for the Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium project.  (YES! It looks like Lubec, in most high probability, will be one of the 2014 sites! I'll post updates as I know them.)

 

Happy Birthday Mom!

 

 

We just returned from the Samoset where we celebrated my mom's 70th birthday with a lovely evening out on the town. The visit was too short but ended on a fun note with mom and Chris singing all kinds of songs from the 50's. Let's just say that Elvis was one of the faves and when the first line of Hound Dog began the two of them were twisting across the room while belting out the lyrics. It sure was a sight! I hope that I am this energetic and free-spirited at seventy. Crossing my fingers those genes are well ingrained. Thanks, Mom, for forty three years of unconditional love and nurturing, and thank you for being such a wonderful guide and supporter of my artist self.

 

In the downeast area this coming weekend?

 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Women's Art: A Conversation with Elizabeth Ostrander and Shanna Wheelock

3:00 p.m.at the Eastport Arts Center

 

While I was in Rockland and tooling around the streets, I came upon this lovely mermaid resting contently in a window box along Main Street. This is the work of Elizabeth Ostrander, an Eastport artist with whom I will share the stage this coming Sunday as we present a talk at the Eastport Arts Center.

 

Mermaid by Elizabeth Ostrander

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Water, Wind, and Time

 

Sunday, March 10, 2013
Women's Art: A Conversation with Elizabeth Ostrander and Shanna Wheelock
3:00 p.m.at the Eastport Arts Center
36 Washington Street, Eastport, Maine
Click here for Shanna Wheelock's website.
Click here Elizabeth Ostrander's website
Click here for the Eastport Art Center website.


Thursday, March 21, 2013
Machias Women's Forum
5:30-8:00 p.m.
Helen's Restaurant, Machias, ME
Presenters: Shanna Wheelock, Elizabeth Ostrander, and Sherry Ashby Cunningham
Topic: How Spirituality informs and inspires our artwork
Save the date and check back for more info.


 Click here for a recent article about the marathon and my artwork in the Bangor Daily News

Check out Maine artist Kenny Cole's blog about his current project "Parabellum".
Chris is collaborating on part of the project. Very cool!
 

 

Factory C (or Columbian Canning Plant?) Located behind the old Columbian Store , Lubec, Maine

I have been photographing these ruins for a current art project.

Click here to see photo of what it once looked like.

 

Another shot of the factory ruins.

 

 

I collected bricks from the American Can Factory site, North Lubec, and am experimenting with pulverizing the fragments and embedding the dust into clay.

 

 

Just a few days after winter storm NEMO, our big boy Bello Shroom was outside enjoying the sunny day melt-off.

 

 

I found a recipe that clued me in on how to fry tofu perfectly. No batter involved - just straight up tofu and sesame seeds in olive oil. It is so yummy that we have eaten a version of this three times in the past four or five days.

 

 

2013 Bay of Fundy Marathon

 

Click here for an Article about the marathon and my work in the Bangor Daily News

 

Awards are coming along for the Bay of Fundy Marathon. I am giving my wrists a break for a week before tackling the next group of pieces which will be the most intricate and complex of the bunch. These are the tumblers that will be awarded to the teams in the 10k and marathon.

 

If you are traveling to Lubec during the marathon be sure to book your accommodations sooner rather than later. I know that as of this morning, Away Downeast still has a couple awesome and affordable cottage available.

 

For a more comprehensive list of B&B's and motels, etc, check out the VisitLubecMaine website.

 

If you still need help finding accommodations, contact the Bay of Fundy Marathon organizers for suggestions.

 

 

Thinking maybe I should change my blog title to "Food, Cats and Art." That seems to sum up most days here in our little nook in the far reaches of the country. The past couple weeks have been fulfilling on all fronts. Chris and I have our super busy times where we find ourselves on the road to various readings, exhibits, meetings, or family events, but other times we are able to find these stretches where retreating to our respective work spaces is unfettered by outside distractions.

 

I set aside one week to (almost) fully dedicate to the beginning stages of a new art project. Most weeks I am juggling a little bit of "this" and little bit of "that" but this week I wanted to be able to solidify some ideas. For an artist to have that time without outside distractions is worth the weight of any hefty item in gold.

 

I had been waiting for the right conditions to visit the ruins of an old factory site here in Lubec. On Friday I finally had the opportunity. I needed compliant weather, tide, and Chris. I had never been to the site before and was unsure how approachable it would be. It is not a safe space by any stretch with the massive deterioration but was in better condition than I had expected. I snapped over a hundred photos that have been filed and later this morning I will begin printing them to use as inspiration in both clay, conte, and encaustic.

 

I am excited by my level of excitement. When I got to the ruins close-up, I swear my heart skipped a beat. Something resonated with me so strongly on such a deep level. With some things in our lives, we don't always understand our reactions, but over time, clarity begins to come forth presenting the bigger picture. For me, with this site visit, I started to understand some of the images that had been emerging in my work over the past couple years. At the time of creating those works, or even recently seeing images in my mind but not being able to translate, this one afternoon allowed all kinds of connections to be realized. The images, understandings, and connections is only in the most infantile stage but at the precipice of unfolding in a most profound way. I can feel it.

 

It is amazing to look at these ruins and to know that this is not a war-torn village and that these walls and ceilings are not collapsed because of bombs. Merely, it is water, wind, and time that has eroded the structure. Such awesome power in the elements.

 

Looking at these ruins, even though used for a period of time and when no longer profitable abandoned and left succumb to the elements, there is beauty and reverence. The energy is still. In some ways, a ghostly still. But also, a reverent stillness. Pier stubs emerge from the sand like gravestones. Columns, broken, and slanted, lean against one another like Stonehenge dolmens. Slabs of concrete hang from steel rods exposing an opening in the ceiling that is a gateway to infinite sky. Every square foot guards a memory or story.

 

At the moment, my mind is buzzing with ideas. This part of the process takes a while for me to decipher. Images snap through mind's eye and it is an art in snagging the right one that can carry and artist through from conception to artwork. My cave is warming up now, waiting me to begin this journey.

Back to Routines Post Nemo

 Trying out some new moves in the kitchen.

 

 

 Lottsa little pots are in the works.

So many, in fact, that my favorite clay carving tools have worn out.

Luckily I found a similar set that should arrive soon!

 

 

Some test slabs in the works.

Not sure what the end result will be but I'm hoping for something interesting to work with.

 

 

Nemo came and went and while much of southern Maine experienced record snowfall, Lubec was dowsed with a mere eighteen inches or less. Our back yard is notorious for high drifts and the wind did not let us down this time. The driveway was nearly bare but the backyard was a weighty three feet deep in most spots. Chris had been away and missed the last couple storms which fell upon me to shovel. I was relieved that he made it home, with only a day to spare, in time to enjoy the hype of a true Maine winter. His California blood, I can say, is now officially transfused to the good ol' "Mainah" type. He shoveled with a smile and didn't complain once about the frigid gusty winds. We also fared well in the electrical sense. Our power flickered off and on a few times but no real outage to speak of. I enjoyed the three days of being "snowbound". It's good to slow things down once in a while.

 

It's back to regular routines now. Chris spends much of the day in his office writing poetry, working on his novel, and teaching various ethics courses online. I have been focused on carving the herring ware and just began work for the Bay of Fundy Marathon awards. Those two things alone, awards and preparing inventory for summer sales, could keep me busy full time, but I also just tossed the semester work for my MFA program into the mix. I've been a wee bit neglectful on the office type stuff and keeping up with this blog, but I do enjoy the intense focus once in a while and that means letting go of a few things. While I am setting my own schedule for the most part, there are plenty of meetings and appointments that keep me on my toes. Last week I enjoyed an afternoon with some kids at school in the afterschool program. It was an interesting challenge to make paper mache masks with students that ranged in age from four to ten. I am accustomed to multi-age classes, but a span so wide does present its own set of challenges. Luckily I had a couple other sets of adult hands to assist.

 

February has turned out to so far feel a healthy work pace. January hit me like a tornado quite unexpectedly. I had been thinking that it would be my quiet month, but between jury duty, MFA presentations, the flu, my mom's visit, painting the living room, social engagements, and having a ceiling installed in my cave studio, I didn't have much time for anything art-related. This month has so far been about re-focusing, breathing, and getting back into my artistic groove. No delusions. The March schedule is packed and from what I can see, that will be the norm until after next December's holidays. I have already secured a few craft venues and am waiting on applications for a few others. This is my first full year as a full time artist. It's all a work in progress with much to be learned along the way.

 

It's a good life.

 

 

 

Home Remodel Gone Bad

RUINS

One of my most recent projects - a collection of ceramic column vessels imprinted with American Can Factory brick remnants which were found along the shore in Lubec. The factory burned in the early 1900's.

 

 

Heading into major Herring Collectors Series production in a couple days.

I have been commissioned to create the awards for the 2013 Bay of Fundy Marathon.

 

 

 This is what my pottery studio currently looks like.

It's a real mess while I try to mud, prime, and paint.

 

 

 

Well, one thing is for sure. I shall never have a job as a drywall contractor.

 

My Christmas gift from family this year was several panels of sheetrock to enclose the ceiling and one wall of my pottery cave. This mini "remodel" is an attempt to conserve heat and contain clay dust. Funds did not include the finishing details so I have taken that task upon myself. While I actually found the process of applying the tape and mud enjoyable, I am not skilled at it. I made a huge, sloppy, bumpy, crusty mess. Everywhere. This morning I actually looked at a youtube how-to video and it turns out that I was lacking not only technique but also the right tools for the job. Why didn't I think to peek at the video BEFORE I began?

 

What I thought would be a one day project to mud, prime, and paint is now onto day three. The studio is in complete disarray. While trying to smooth the lumps, I cut my finger with the putty knife. Soon after, I stepped backwards off a step stool up against the kiln's metal computer module receiving a nasty scratch on my backside. Blood wiped up, bandaids and neosporin applied, I returned to the task at hand. This time, I resigned myself to the faux stucco bands of joint compound and began to apply the primer paint.

 

This just wasn't my day. The gallon of primer, which I thought would cover the one wall and ceiling did not cover even the ceiling. Tonight, the ceiling is primed with the exception of two 6x24 inch patches. I want to get this done and put supplies back on the shelves.Work is piling up and I am itching to dive in.

 

The past few days were busy with a few appointments and meetings and was mostly about getting things in order for the next few months. Lubec Arts Alive met and it is time to get ideas for this summer's project formalized. I also finished up some paperwork for a new project, submitted state sales tax, lined up summer vending venues, picked up my woven work from the show in Calais, and met with friends for a lovely afternoon tea and talk. I even spent some time at the library looking through the art book collection. I still have more tax paperwork to do but will wait for a nice rainy day to pull out the receipts and forms.

 

I have plenty of work to keep me busy up until the shop re-opens and craft show vending begins. Lubec and Campobello have joined forces in the Bay of Fundy Marathon and I was approached about making the awards for this year's event. I will be spending the next four months carving herring ware for the various category winners. The event will have both a full international marathon and 10k race. If you are a runner, check out the website for event specs. So far over two hundred people have signed on for the full marathon. Amazing! Get training and you just might become the owner an original handcarved Herring Collectors Series piece made by me! All my training will be in the studio. I won't be running, but you can catch me at the Expo.

 

I am in my seventh semester of the MFA program at Heartwood College of Art. I have been fortunate to work with some wonderful mentors and look forward to seeing what develops in the studio this time around. Even though I have a general plan, I never really know what the final project will be until the very end. A lot can change over the course of a few months. It's wild to think that I have six semesters behind me and that there are only four more to go. It's kinda hard to imagine life without my pod mates!!!

I just discovered that Chris's dad has officially been added to the North Carolina Chess Hall of Fame. Pretty cool! He was the youngest state champion at the wee age of fourteen. Congrats Kit! Check out the page, and be sure to click on Tom Hales account of meeting Kit for the first time. It's a good read!

 

Well, that's the current update from Lubec, Maine. Loving my life as an artist and learning as I go. It's time for me to retreat into the studio for a while to get some things done. February I need to stay focused. January was fun with all the socializing, but boy do I need some studio time!!!!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2013 in Full Swing

 Playing around with encaustics.

A friend told me that fish are good feng shui for luck and prosperity.

 

 

It is that season again!

Chris shoveling our first storm of the year. This was nothing....four days later we had over eighteen inches of the white stuff drop into our yard!

 

 

I visited my artist friend Diane Langley on Westport Island for our annual brunch. She lives in an old one room schoolhouse and the space is filled with her various artistic projects: encaustics, rug hooking, spinning, painting, quilting. I love all the colors. All my senses are filled.

 

 

The living room wall has been pink since we moved in, and probably long before. I absolutely, positively, do NOT like painting walls. I finally, in a burst of inspirational energy, patched up the walls and slapped on a new coat of paint.

 

When we first moved to Lubec, Chris' grandfather pointed out to us the various bullet holes in the house. Apparently someone enjoyed target practice at our house.

 

 

I actually thought that I might lament the loss of the pink walls. I knew I would miss the bullet hole and was kinda sad to cover that over along with Chris' grandfather's handwriting....but....I am loving the new warm beige tone and simplicity of space. For the record: the furniture is older than the bullet hole!

 

 

 My beautiful mom visited this past week and tried her hand at encaustic painting.

 

 

For Christmas, Dad made this railing for Chris and me.

He installed it a couple weeks ago. Love it!

 

 

I'm holed up in the one room in the house without windows in an effort to conserve energy. A small  electric heater is warming this enclosed space that is the most protected from the outside elements. Today the temps plummeted to near zero and with wind chill taken into consideration, some parts of Maine may be seeing 45 below tonight. Yes...that is below zero. I was outside a few times today for errands and my hands quickly numbed and ached. This is not weather for the faint of heart. While downeast may be considered balmy compared to northern Maine, I doubt that any Floridian or Californian is jumping at the chance for a non-tropical mid-winter excursion to the northeast.

 

I have not blogged since just before Christmas. It was a studio frenzy of activity for a few weeks as I prepared for end-of-semester MFA presentations at Heartwood. For the first time I think I truly felt what it is like to be a full time working artist. The production pottery was put to the side as holiday sales began to wane and I dove full throttle into sculpture and encaustics. What am amazing feeling that was to roll out of bed each day and devote eight to twelve hours insanely obsessed on the project at hand. I am truly grateful for this interesting and fulfilling life.

 

Let's see, so many things have been going on and not having blogged in nearly a month, I doubt I can recall all. First of all, the holidays were wonderful spending lots of time with friends and family. There are years-old traditions that never feel redundant. The traditions keep me grounded and knowing that there are things that you can come to depend on in life. With so many unknowns, it is good to know that some things remain intact. Christmas eve with my family is one of my favorite nights of the year. Another tradition is to spend time with my friend Diane in her home and studio. It's always a feast for the senses to visit her space and see all the projects she has been working on since the last time I visited. I always return home inspired.

 

We rang in the new year doing what we love most: art and writing. Chris spent time in this study working on novel and poetry and I immersed myself in the creative project du jour. In the evening we found ourselves enjoying a quiet meal, conversation, and pillow time long before the sparkly ball in times square or the herring in Eastport dropped. New Year's Day took us to our friends Jean and Dick's for their annual potluck. It was a packed house with lots of yummy food and a chance to catch-up with everyone we hadn't seen since autumn or summer. Winter seems to bring out the bear in many. I for one relish my time to "hibernate".

 

Despite my usual winter hibernation-like behavior, the past couple weeks have been uncharacteristically social. In one weekend, I enjoyed homemade jambalaya and southern hospitality at a friend's beautiful cliffside home, then the next day stretched, chanted, and shared stories with an amazing and powerful group of women. Come Sunday,  the weekend rounded out with an intimate gathering of  friends for homemade chili, ukulele serenade, and gut-splitting laughter. In between the gatherings, I managed to paint the living room and develop a mild case of the flu. I guess all that fun in one weekend was just a bit too overwhelming for my socially introverted self!

 

After that super active few days, the flu did indeed take me down for a forced retreat. I spent a few days on the couch or in bed drinking lots of tea, guzzling nyquil, and trying to find food nourishment when I had no appetite. Most everything tasted bitter but turns out that the perfect meal was canned peaches and sucrets. Once I discovered that I was rocking and rolling. Well, maybe not rocking and rolling, but once mom arrived for her annual winter visit and brought all kinds of medicinal stuff and a vaporizer, I was moving toward the mend. Only a mother would put herself in harms way of highly contagious germs. I would not say that this was the most exciting visit to Lubec that she has ever had, but she is sure to be well rested since we didn't do a whole lot. Near the end of her visit and myself on the mend, she did have the opportunity to try her hand at encaustic painting. I'm not sure that she will go out and invest in the supplies any time soon, but I do think that she was intrigued by the process. 

 

Before the flu, and before mom's visit, dad came down for a day to deliver our Christmas gift which is a gorgeous handcrafted railing for the hallway. He is such an amazing woodworker. I wish I had half that talent with wood! We have been fortunate over the years to have dad's expertise with various home projects.

 

Well, it has been a whirlwind of activity. Toss into the mix my one day of jury duty and dealing with some business stuff it has turned out to be one of the busiest Januarys on record for me. Every year I look forward to January for some down time, but that just wasn't in the cards for me this time around. Though I guess I can count the few days of couch time while recuperating as vacation??? Um, maybe not.

 

Things are back to full speed from this point forward. I have several appointments and meetings this week and need to get working on some intensive projects both in sculpture and pottery. Exciting times ahead!