Sunday, November 7, 2010

opening and walrus

an enormous thank you to the many folks that attended my opening and then the open studio the next day. it was amazing to see so many precious friends, and one family member (you know who you are, o bringer of lunch!) i had lovely conversations with so many of the people who have touched my life over the 30 years i've lived in the north country. 
my nephew rob macdonald is a wildlife biologist in alaska. he sends me pictures. sometimes the pictures remind me of my life, here, in (what i call) the second to last frontier. i've felt a little overwhelmed lately, but had a delightfully easy day today. (do you see, SEE, the hands on these creatures, so different from us, but look!)
my photos from the show that opened on friday night are lousy. i whipped through and took a few. but hilary had beautifully arranged many of my books on ecodyed cloths. above are four books with shifu pages with stationers' bindings in vellum on cotton printed with eucalyptus from the local florist. the book on the left is a deep gold--that's how far off my color was. i'll get better pics when i can.
the print book and august, 31 days placed on cotton dyed with pomegranate and iron
this woven photograph (on my paper) of my barn's back door got lots of positive feedback. it's under glass, sorry.
the three vessels that i showed, two from pbi, one i made a few weeks back. on ecodyed cotton. the tiny hemlock spruce (reddish with white rim) piece was the first sale. below, is how i felt after the opening. dead. and then i went back to the gallery yesterday for open studio, i sat and demonstrated and talked and talked. and talked. i found myself unable to remember how i had dyed cloths, or what kind of paper was in different books. pure exhaustion.
this poor walrus didn't make it. rob (legally-i have the documentation) gave me a "chip" from a walrus tusk, one that resulted in breaking from a massive fall by many walrus off a cliff, a mistake they made on their way back to the ocean.
this was what i saw on the way home yesterday, after open studio. hope and weariness here. after the opening, i drove home, sobbing a bit. exhaustion can take us strangely, i was not unhappy, anything but. saturday i came home to a luscious eggplant lasagna, a surprise prepared by my sweetie. we celebrated his birthday, my opening, and the november that we both love so much. 
i'll end with a pun. do you see it?

16 comments:

  1. YAY! hooray, and congrats, and hugs, and love, and everything! of course you were overwhelmed, but that is also what happens when you put yourself out there, all of it, all at once, and also all over time. don't worry about the photos; that's not your job. really, it's a wonder you could even be dressed and standing at your own opening; someone else can take care of the pics. the color is just a matter of using a different light setting and they can all be fixed in photoshop. when i can, i like to hand my camera over to someone ELSE to shoot during my shows. like i don't have enough to deal with! ask ben. yay for lasagna and birthdays and november and your show! big love!

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  2. I got it! Thanks for posting the photos, so much...it looks grand. Big huge congrats and hugs from me as well! Love that woven photo...

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  3. I got it,too! And it didn't even take too long. Rest, relax and bask in the glow of sucess. The show looks wonderful, don't worry about the colour. It's amazing you took the pictures and posted them so quickly. Congrats!

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  4. wow lovely story - and even if you aren't pleased with the present pics - it's enough for someone a VERRRRRY long way away (one of the other 'last frontiers' believe me!) to really feel the passion of the maker.... lovely stuff

    (ps yep - got the pun..... which is saying something..... we're not always that sharp here at the creek!)

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  5. congrats and thanks for sharing the photos with the couldn'tgoers.coo coocoocoochoo!( is that how the chorus ends?)

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  6. V-nice one with the pun - however the important thing is that your books look great; and I am glad you were rewarded with Lasagna - and a good red would hove rounded it off. I think it is great when someone such as yourself creates a new niche - who would have thought of picking up split rocks and making books with hand made paper - that is a world first. You are a leader. Go well. B

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  7. i love the display style, fabulous, and your sense of humor. glad it went well. settle in.

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  8. How truly wonderful... Wishing you moments of peace so that you can catch your breath.

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  9. Lovely!!! Wish I could have been there, but sending you good energies from wny. Good pun!

    You are an inspiration for us all, Velma!

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  10. thanks, again, everyone. you all got the funny! and neki, even the walrus! barry, we had a terrific french white, so it was ok! i do wish you all could have been there! i'll post better pics when they come my way.

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  11. this is all so beautiful velma, congratulations on such a wonderful exhibition. Your books are so special. I love the way you have set it all out on the ecodyed cloths. I would love to have come and had a look in person.

    I like the rock, paper, scissors pun too.

    they look so comfortable those walrus, and there is lots of expression in their hands.

    Another big congratulations.

    xt

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  12. thanks so much. really. the cloths with the books were wonderful. hilary oak, the director, is terrific. so are the staff there: suzy, mary, ginny, anna.

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  13. Wow, Velma! I thought your show was amazing and fantastic and thought-provoking as well! I am so glad I was there to ask all my questions and you were very gracious in answering all of them!!!! I love the playfulness of your dyeing, loved the wovens (of course), wish I had come back Saturday for the spinning of paper (I was too tired for some reason) the rock books were so sculptural and I am still processing all of what you do!!! What a show!
    xo Cait

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  14. cait, i was SO HAPPY to see you. you're amazing! and thank you for coming.

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  15. lovely lovely lovely!

    And I completely understand the sobbing too - I was laughing hysterically and couldn't couldn't stop...

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