Ivan's Day 7 comments

8 Jul 2004 @ 00:31, by John Ashbaugh Sounds to me (Reads to me) like part of what’s going on here amongst the participants of the NCN blog-o-sphere, amongst the necessary preoccupations with global and national political and economic events, and the spirituality, art, and poetry and all that sort of thing that comes through, and the challenging intellectual revelations and go-arounds, are various this-is-what-my-day-was-like kinds of entries, which, within the context of the overall purpose and direction of this community, fits right in. Now and again are posted discussions about who’s participating and who’s not participating (who cares?) and how much these ones or those ones are or are not throwing logs on the fire. Always gotta be somebody prodding at the embers, stirring up another flame, and that is a good thing. From the point of view of someone who is half-in and half-out, I currently don’t feel like I currently have anything particular to say, so here is this little what-my-day-was-like ramble. What is this about? It’s about this is who I am, and I’m in here reading you people, you (hyper) active, to me, participants in this bonfire, and I want you to know that I appreciate you, even if I’ve got not much to say. That book of poetry and pictures was my thing. Whatever comes after that is pot luck. July seventh into July eighth. Wednesday into Thursday. Having been through two days at school now after a three day weekend, during which Rod and I took an evening walk at the volcanoes and watched the darkness settle over the city. Showed some of my paintings to John and Helen at the DSG gallery. They took four of them and I became a member of this gallery. Here is an opportunity to see if there is a market for what I have done. School wears me out. Between Tuesday afternoon and evening, and Wednesday morning and afternoon, by the time I get home Wednesday evening, my brain has been through a preparation and a class and a grading session for Economics, and a grading session and preparation for tomorrow morning’s Comp Two class. Then I will have to prepare for my Friday World Cultures class and my two Saturday Comp One classes, not to mention that Friday afternoon Economics. I got Wednesday and Thursday evenings and a little piece of Friday morning to let my brain rest in its preferred cycle, pattern, and subject matter, although this little entry itself should make it clear that there is a spillover effect from one set of concerns to those of a more personal nature. The DSG affiliation is an opening, a perfectly reasonable foot-in-the-door to the New Mexico Rio Grande Valley Art Community. I will do whatever I can, and there will be only so much that I can do, and I will do it, for the quality of my relationship with the world will depend upon it. Beginning this weekend, between Saturday evening, all days Sunday and Monday, and that little piece of Tuesday morning, it will be time for the artist’s persona to emerge from his chrysalis. He has been all wrapped up in this writing teacher’s persona, and has been using his voice to worthwhile purpose in interaction with students and fellow teachers. Now there is this whisper of a hope for a reasonable possibility for something else, another way of life, with a whole new community of interactive relationships. The words are few in the beginning, and they are mine to choose, and they may open doors in unexpected ways. A casual conversation between Rod and one of his teacher friends last week led them to a casual visit to the DSG gallery, just for a look; where Rod fell into a conversation with the owner. The gallery is opening a whole new wing and is looking for three new artists to represent through a perfectly reasonable membership and commission program. Rod showed the man his work and was accepted as the first new artist. Rod told me to go down and talk to the owners, so I got all of my paintings out of the closet Sunday morning and afternoon, and dusted them off, and they had collected a fair amount, I should say. Monday afternoon, the owners liked what I showed them as far as the paintings go, but are emphatically emphasizing that my framing style needs to be changed from its present dark redwood shade, to a lighter color and lighter weight wood. The paintings are a little too boxed in the way they are now presented, and the boundaries need to be, well, lighter. Helen has recommended a framer for me to get in contact with. That is one thing that needs to be done, and the other will be to get those tubes and brushes and palette knives and canvasses out and start putting those colors down. If nothing else comes out of all this, I will have a few more paintings in stock, the direction of my method and style will have take another step, and my framing problem will be solved. If something more comes around, there will be more paintings, and more steps, together with a new venue for thought and conversation. Nice to have something to put a little heart into, as far as doing what I think I need to be doing and saying what I think I need to be saying is concerned. Like the seed of a little blessing has blown in through my open window, and now it will be up to me to water and nurture it and watch so that it gets the right amount of sunlight and the right amount of shade, so that it doesn’t burn up or wilt. What kind of seed is this really, I’m really not sure…..

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