Struggling with some pictures. Just doesnt seem to gel. Frustrating. But, I do know that if I dog these things--I can get close--as scrapping is not an option. 


Have been driving R's car as the Wonderbus is at Winks in Perry City getting bumps smoothed, crinkles straightened, bumpers mended (and the deer hair extracted) and painted to make it brand new (at least looking brand new). Yesterday was 57˚--today more normal (20s) and we have driving slush with great promises that we will have a delightful freeze. Can you say school buses sliding off the road? Or that marvelous time when one steps off the porch and end up on your ass as your feet decided to slide and slip on the stealthy black ice.

Met with a group of artists on Sunday afternoon to begin to think about putting up a website of visual artists who live and work in the Trumansburg, Greater Ulysses area --essentially hanging a shingle to say "we're here"--but linking to everyone's individual site. We will have links and notices to regional shows and maybe, just maybe, a bit of PR for those who are getting into things, having exhibitions or being locally, regionally or nationally noticed.  It was trying for me (as I hate teams)--but after some very direct talk about wheither this is very exclusive (6 artists) to a wider group (30+) but still with a bar/ a level set for quality--a standard. We moved to the larger group (my preference)--which gives a range of style, work, approaches. But with this standard, we may limit the sunday watercolorists or the tribe of shaggies where art is part of their individual brand...and not necessarily excellence filtering the work. This site will be something for the local Chamber of Commerce, the Beds and breakfasts to point to...as there isn't any "real" businesses beyond a bank branch, a grocery store, a coffee shop, 3 bars, a few pizza/hamburger restaurants, an insurance agent, an eyeglass company---but there are lot of single people or small teams in Tburg making their living making things....selling things but invisible to the community at large. Should be an interesting process and I think important to giving this quiet aspect of the community a rallying point.

Had lunch with a wonderful artist yesterday. He was an attorney in NYC for decades and recently shut down his practice to devote himself to his art and painting. He is very confident, entrepeneurial and filled with optimism. It was tremendously inspiring to experience his energy and thinking as he is way out there--with this project and that project, this work and that work, how to think about the work etc. I think we should continue these conversations as I can help him with advancing his work, thinking about methodologies and process, and marketing. He can help me by letting some of his confidence rub off. It is cool to begin to link in with the Ithaca tribe of artmakers--a bit a expanding. The other cool thing is that two of the people I had the opportunity to  talk with on Monday and Sunday were participants in the MARK program offered by NY State. It teaches and pushes artists to be able to express themselves, show their work, write a mission and artists statement etc. Pretty much a dose of what spun off the thesis and thesis show from last summer's fun with Syracuse. It sounds like a great program and for both of these artists, they were inspired and challenged by meeting creatives from all over the state and by the work of talking about themselves. I totally agree. It is some of the hardest lifting I have done. But valuable. Really valuable.


Basketball tournaments about to start. K is wild with practice for the school play. She is exhausted and her normally ebullient spirits are deflated and dreary. I am going to have to do some major motherly stuff (like baking) to lift her sights. Nothing like  a big dose of butter, sugar and  flour to do that. Have a nice pot of soup made from the random thises and thats from the fridge. We may have more for lunch as the "smooth boards" are being applied to the fascia of the new pushback on the carriage house, Mandy may paint, Erich and me, and R home with work and no need to drive through inches of slush promising to freeze.

Should be interesting with the voting today.