The spirit of Jo Renbeck

I have just armed this Goddess created by Jo Renbeck, ( 1942-2013), with a braided vine scepter. It is so good to have her out in the forest, watching the house, trapping the sunshine and sending fierce love back to us. I miss my friend Jo Renbeck, the fabulous poet, book artist sculptor and painter who died in 2013 while I was living and working in Miami. For 9 years the sculpture of this Goddess was in storage in our basement corner. Putting her back out into the world, especially into the forest, was one of my first acts moving back.
At Jo's funeral I am told she requested this song be sung to the melody of Amazing Grace:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the earth,
the dirt between my toes,
the sun pours down upon my crown,
the mighty river flows.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
of bird song in the trees,
the air is dense with fragrant scents
soft floating on the breeze.
Amazing Grace the ocean swells,
the waves break on the shore,
the moonlight rides upon the tides,
oh, who could ask for more.
Now we’ve been here four million years
sustained at her sweet breast,
let’s sing her praise for all our days,
then in her womb we’ll rest.
 -copyright by Elizabeth Cunningham, 1995. (Feel free to sing at any occasion. For permission to reprint, contact Elizabeth through her website.)

 Elizabeth also shared that, "Jo was a seer. She saw keenly the visible, natural world around her, and she also saw the invisible world, the spirit at the heart all things". ... "She was someone who could go between the worlds, inner and outer, visible and invisible, waking and dreaming, the world of deep human connections and the intricate connections of the natural world, of all life."

Looking out into the woods, I would welcome a visit from my friend Jo. This time of year so much is shed, and we are distilled down to our bones. The spirit world seems palpable.

Jo Renbeck (1942-2013)

Studio vistit to ERIX

 Have you ever felt like you could shrink down, to the size of a coin, to fit through a slot and enter into the illuminated, colorful, stimulating and  frenetic world of a pinball machine? That is how I felt walking into Rick Gilstad's home studio last week. Gilstad, aka ERIX, has a full gallery of works from floor to ceiling. In fact, on the ceiling he has glued every pair of shoes his ll year old granddaughter has ever worn. In a trail that loops above our heads, the empty shoes make a path that defies gravity and embraces wonder.

 That is how I found myself slinking back and forth among the shelves and trays and drawers of collage sculptures. Everything speaks of abundance and collecting. ERIX is a collector. A very gregarious personality, ERIX brings humor into even the darkest works with a gift for titles.

 Working with material from flea markets, antique stores, and with a strong sense design, the works use items from the past to comment on the present. There are multiple ways to appreciate each sculpture.

Spring is in the Heir

 Hundreds of duplicated objects are assembled and displayed with an eye for the funny bone. His photographs of details are works of art themselves.  Sometimes those photographs are collaged into another work. There is so much to look at it will make your mind explode.

Gridlock(detail), Elvis has Landed

 The studio is definitely a great place to have a conversation.

Statue of Limitations (see bloody stumps?)

details of his mini collages, these are in fuse boxes

 Bring friends and stop by ERIX at 3610 Pleasant Ridge, Wingdale, NY
Because the ARTEAST open studio tours are over this year, you should email him first. erixarts@optonline.net

ERIX desk

Collects everything, even words.

There is an Ink tree on the hill

Black Walnut tree

Do art supplies really fall from trees?
You would think so!

Lately I have been in a foraging frame of mind. An abundance of acorns have fallen on the deck. Horse chestnuts litter the driveway. Up on top of the hill, a row of widely spaced black walnut trees are loaded with tennis ball sized green walnuts.
On Instagram I follow my friend Martha Miller who has spent this October making inks from nature. She has experimented with pokeweed, acorn caps, tumeric, saffron, blueberries, marigolds, rust, amaranth, elderberries, blackberries, goldenrod, rosehips, basil blossoms. The colors she gets are just beautiful!

I am in awe of the work that she did to transform my black walnuts into a batch of brown ink. She sent me back a gift of it and I can't wait to do something special.
Also on my wish list is this book:
Jason Logan, Make Ink book

#inktober

Painting plein aire at the Diner

The weather was lousy or I just hadn't developed the skin to feel comfortable in this northern hemisphere. So I tucked my art supplies into the warmth of my jacket and ordered a booth at the Millbrook diner, out of the wind.  Luckily, I work small and clean. A little bit of paint, water, paper towel and some acrylic paint pens, and I am all set to go. Sketching it in light sage green, I layered the colors until I felt the perspective to work.

Needless to say I could have been overwhelmed with the chrome and reflections...and at times I was. I took breaks and painted my coffee mug and the table settings instead. It always helps to work on more than one painting at a time.

The effort was to support the local free library with an art sale to celebrate the arts in and around Millbrook (NY), that evening. I thought I could not be more satisfied when I placed the picture in a fresh frame and up on the display easel in the library lobby.
BUT! Guess what?
I got even more happy when the art collectors snapped it up within the first couple of minutes of the opening. Stunned, I asked them what it was about the work that made them so eager. The husband replied that he was a local and he practically grew up in the diner. This is going to a good home!!!

All three works sold that weekend. I am so happy. Love it when I get to paint and the work goes home with other people.

#sold #artcollectors #pleinaire #painting #millbrookny #dutchesscountyny

Go see the Icons Salisbury, CT

On a grassy knoll, down the Twin Lakes road in Salisbury, sits a simple white clapboard chapel that promises an experience both dramatic and inspiring. A delightful sensorial surprise is had upon entering the All Saints of AmericanOrthodox Christian Church. Picture a space with angels and the heavens sparkling down and around you. Saints and martyrs look out, with eyes of resilience and wisdom, and catch the gaze of all who enter. Brilliant colored Icons and relics line walls and a large mural of Christ as Triumphant King encapsulates the spectator from overhead.

Icons are a distinct art form of the Orthodox Church. They serve as an art-based path to direct revelation, giving the viewer access to the spirits. The holy images may be on wood, canvas, mosaic or fresco. An iconographer creates an icon, “written with light”; to be a transparent window and, using an inverted perspective, the church installation manifests a great cloud of witnesses, reminding the assembled that they never worship alone. The interior warm white plaster walls reflect the abundant gold leaf, and bounce the light which combined with the pungent smell of burning wax candles and smoking incense, transports you to another place

The enthusiasm of past visitors has prodded the church into initiating free Saturday afternoon tours before Vespers. Rev. John J. Kreta and the abundance of available literature at the door, reassure the secular visitor of the gregarious hospitality of the church. My tour guide on this third Saturday of touring was Evelyn Kreta. She was bubbling with enthusiasm. She is choir director as well as an experienced icon painter. The first thing she explained to me is that icons are not painted, instead they are “written”, because they serve as a way to transcribe the scriptures just as any words might do.

The artist, Reverend Andrew Tregubov, is an award winning iconographer and historian. Commissioned by All Saints of American Orthodox Christian Church, Tregubov has written the majority of the icons in the style of Father GregoryKroug. Father Kroug was born in Russia in 1909, but left after the revolution to study at the Art Academy in Paris. When he became a monk he was given the name “St Gregory the Iconographer”. He died in 1969 in a small hermitage outside of Paris after he had written 550 different icons and wall paintings. Tregubov has received grants to study and archive the work of Kroug and other master iconographers.

The iconostasis, or icon stand, divides the nave and alter. Hung with icons of angels and saints and portrayals of events from scriptures, the structure has three doorways and is meant to serve as a bridge between heaven and earth. Written dark to light, the figures have gentle delicate features that seem lit from within. Garments are brushed with all shades of colors and the folds are highlighted with bright streaks of lines. Red outlines surround much of each figure and frame. The contrast of the frenetic lines to the simple expanses of background gives the figures a feeling of active presence. Brilliant details attract my eye and standing in the space I sense the feeling of collective inspiration.

Eleven relics of American saints with expressive eyes and symbolic gesturing hands are assembled in the prayer niche to the right of the alter. Each follows a prescribed pattern with minor variations between them. Small shards of bones are encased in circular cavities below each portrait. Layers of transparent brushwork enrich the robes. The large searching eyes are the most striking. Young and old, the American martyrs engage us in their story of faith. This is an encounter that must be seen!

Tours every Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 before Vespers at 5.  

All Saints of American Orthodox Christian Church on 313 Twin Lakes road

THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE LAKEVILLE JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT, "DISCOVER SALISBURY", OCT 2019

www.allsaintsofamerica.us

The importance of writing (and illustrating) our art history book

Wouldn't it be cool if I wrote down the stories that have come down through the family tree and have helped shape world histories? I feel like, in doing so, I would find my place and even give validation to my perspective...as well as share some pretty wild tales.
It's about perspective.
As a woman in a society increasingly bent on marginalizing our story and removing our rights over our own bodies, I want to be the one to tell the story! Those who write history, it is said, are the champions of the times. So much of the history is about men. I guess that is why it is called "HIS story". I am tired of being told. I am sick of learning about another well respected and successful female artist who is systematically wiped out of the records after her death. I mistrust the historians of the past.

Fall chores with Dad

I am so happy to be home on the farm again. Living in Miami I missed the seasons and I missed my dad. This year both Michael and I got to help him with his annual cider making event.

Dennis taught us what had to be done in each station and we all got cleaning, cranking, crushing, pressing, and finally... sipping!

Forgive Me Flowers

It has been raining a lot both outside and through the telephone lines.
Young hearts are broken, my cousin's wife was buried, my friend from church is ill again. As I was about to throw out the flowers scattered all over the house, I saw their lasting beauty and grace in the drooping form and draining colors. (Isn't it great when we can really see? sometimes I am awake!)
They said to me:
I am sorry you are hurting.
I am sorry I was an idiot.
I may not be perfect but I still am here for you.
Sad flowers today...
Perhaps they are what our sad souls really need. Miniature paintings only 4 x 4 x 1.75 inches.

Freelance writing

I have been slogging away at my own book idea, and have found a good way to practice my word crafting. By writing reviews of art shows or about local fun places to explore I both get out and get working. It is fun to have a deadline and try to distill an experience down to 500 words. In the process, which takes me HOURS, I have started reading more and collecting favorite lines and phrases. I hope to do lots more, but it isn't so easy. It is a lot of work.
This week two of my articles under the editorship of Alexander Wilburn were published in the "Discover Salisbury" (ct) special supplement to the Lakeville Journal!

Ohara's Landing, still the place to be

Still time to catch the fall foliage from the water's vantage point. This week the Lakeville Journal printed my article about Ohara's Landing in their #discoverSalisbury special edition.

Even though you might be shivering and wearing turtle necks, its not too late to be on the water, by any means. Nestled in the NW corner of the state, at the edge of Salisbury, Twin Lakes O’Hara’s Landing is still bustling with marina activity. Since it is after Labor Day it is easier to maneuver through the grassy lot and nab a parking space between trailers of sport fishermen and water skiers.

In it’s 45^th season under the Haab family, not much has changed at the Landing except that there are a lot more boats, and the floating dock has expanded it’s coverage. The marina is a casual spot, idyllic in setting, with a family atmosphere. A sense of timelessness like the weeping willows at the water’s edge, greets the visitor whether it is your first visit or if you recognize the faces of Dave, Mary, Barry, Fred, and Collin who have been working at the landing for years and probably decades.

Just off the parking lot, the restaurant is decorated in 1940’s décor, complete with enamel folding tables, riveted vinyl chairs, and vintage dining accessories. Mary’s Cafe has been serving up hot dogs, burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches and fries for exactly 40 years. My son, who worked in the bait and rental shop when he was a teenager, swears by her breakfast sandwiches. Every morning, he said, groups of local fishermen would file through the screen door and congregate at her counter. Grab a seat to enjoy the view outside on the porch or inside by a windows, which are lined with unique pitchers, plates and even a collection of flour sifters.  Sitting at a table you can watch the boat ramp activity as well as peer into the Mercury Marine, Starcraft Marine and Ebbtide showroom.

Watch out as you may start dreaming over your lunch and find yourself under the spell of David Haab who has been selling Mercury Marine boats for 56 years, since his days on the dairy farm back in 1963. It is obvious he loves what he does. Haab has been running the marina for 45 years, and yet, when he thinks of retirement, he just thinks how there is no other place he would rather be. Make sure to check out his small mini museum at the edge of the showroom with an array of working motors on pedestals that attest to the technological and design metamorphosis of the industry. Each motor comes with a story.

The bait shop sells minnows scooped up in nets by teenage summer employees. Kokanee salmon, brown and rainbow trout, large and small mouth bass are all lurking in the clear cool waters of the lakes. Fishing tournaments of fewer than 20 boats are allowed each weekend. Those looking to relax and enjoy time on the water can rent a boat for the day. Choose from the 14 foot rowboat with a 5 HP motor or one of the six available pontoon party boats. They are perfect for families wanting an easily controlled, stable and safe platform for recreation on the lake.

The lake view from the marina includes barely a rooftop among the surrounding forested hills of the Tristate area. Summer’s passage may have slowed down the action seekers, but some weekend skiers are still pulled out on the water. This is the perfect time to experience the beauty of the area and enjoy the transition of the lush green and blue landscape into the fall colors. Certainly the fall foliage is an upcoming attraction. “Every year”, Haab says, “its different, but always stunning”. He recommends you take a boat out on the water and then turn back to look at the marina and the maple filled hill behind it. “It just makes you gasp”.

Though the season is winding down, and there are more boats than ever in the marina, O’Hara’s Landing will stay open as long as the weather is decent.  The Cafe will close after Columbus weekend.

The ex-kennel room is now a warm room

Krisse and I got the insulation up, so at least one room upstairs is insulated. It was a messy job because we taught ourselves and should have gotten tips ahead of time. Also not a single beam or post is straight, the floor slants, and we were reminded over and over that we were in a barn. But we forged ahead, did it and I feel quite proud of that. It will be a perfect place for storing out art supplies over the winter, and running art workshops next spring and fall. There is running water to the tub, so it has a ready prep and clean up station.

Of course, being an architect's wife, Krisse had to place a window through the wall about hip high to allow light on the sculpture at the top of the stairs on the other side. It is all theater and it makes a nice surprise.