for love or money or both?

painting by Carmen Herrera

Never have I considered the possibility of being able to make a living from my art. Truth be told, I still can not grasp that idea. People who are able to do that are amazing to me- or they have big trust funds- either/or, it seems far from my reach. Despite these feelings, I have been contemplating ways to make it happen for myself. I know that I am in love with what I do- and have been since I was 14 years old- and yet the concept of having a career as an artist is overwhelming to me. I know that in order to attempt it, you have to put yourself out in the world in the most vulnerable way possible. Sure, I am as stubborn as it gets but rejection is scary. And maybe that is just it- making a living in the arts but not through my art is safe. I get to be around what I love but I do not have to risk so much in order to do it.

Being part of the NYFA MARK program I am starting to learn about different strategies to succeeding as an artist. First, of course, you have to determine what success is for you. Harder question than you might realize. I ask myself it and I come up with a different answer every time. So many definitions of success run through my head: Being happy-supporting myself-getting gallery representation-exhibiting often-having a lot of studio time-etc....

I found out about the amazing story of Carmen Herrera through the reading material given to me through this program. She is one of those rare examples of someone whose passion for art finally paid off with "success". Not until she was in her 90's were her paintings "discovered" by the art world. Because the art world often focuses on the trends rather than art as a whole- her work did not find its relevance until recently (you can see one of her images above). She was supported by her husband for most of her life and was able to be a studio artist because as she put it, "she had to".

This story is almost too romantic for my taste, but i am inspired. Mostly, I am happy for Carmen who deserves to be recognized in this way.

You can view the NY Times picture slide show here.

what up winter

not very much snow fell so far today but a few more inches should be on their way. I did get a chance to walk in the woods a bit this afternoon. the property here is so rich with interesting views, wildlife, and plants.

i hope everyone is having a nice winter day- staying warm and being inspired.

wet your plate in 2010

Came across this image yesterday hidden in the deep valley of digital files- it was taken by a CPW student during a weekend Wet Collodion wokshop taught by Michael Mazzeo in 2008. I always come across so tough in pictures- which is funny cause I an as soft as a bunny : )

The exciting news is Michael will be returning to teach in 2010 for a 3-day workshop called Blackening your Fingertips: Wet Plate Collodion! He is incredibly talented and is a great person to learn this unique process from. No question- it is hard work- but when you start making plates on the second day you will be so inspired.

Curious about who else might be teaching this summer? The schedule will be on-line in early March so sign up for CPW's email list to be notified. I promise- it is a killer line-up with new faces and class topics....

my sunday local artist ramble

Happy Sunday! It is sunny and beautiful here in Woodstock. I am back and forth between the computer and the backyard where I am making silk cyanotypes for the store at the Green Country Council of the Arts gallery (opening Feb. 20th).
I may be busy today, but I am still excited about my sunday local artists ramble...

This ramble highlights the artist George Quasha who lives and works in Barrytown, NY. He is one of those rare and versatile artists who has mastered several creative mediums in order to express his point of view. His sculpture, video, 2D and written word all share a common language throughout Quasha's life work. It is the language of the uncertain- the spontaneous moment- the balance between control and chaos.

Along with his wife, Susan, he founded Station Hill Press, which has specialized in publishing art, poetry, and philosophy, with titles ranging from presentations of work by performance artist Gary Hill to novels by French thinker Maurice Blanchot.

View his website here for more info.

I discovered Quasha's sculptural rocks at the Samuel Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz around the time i returned tot he valley in 2007 (see sculpture image above). I was taken back by the balance he was able to construct. He had pushed these elements to the absolute farthest they could be pushed before collapse. What a beautiful metaphor for so many things in our world.

I then heard about this video piece:

From his website:
art is develops an open-ended video art work in portraiture that registers artists in the act of saying what art is. It is presented as a continuous series of speaking faces viewed up close, one at a time, with no overlaps or special effects, filmed “on site” under many circumstances. One unadorned face at a time fills the image area, and the image frame is contained within the face, thus reversing conventional portraiture. The framing effectively removes most social indicators (hair style, clothing, context, etc.). While many famous artists are included, they are mixed with lesser known ones. Identification of the artist is indicated only at the end of each "speaking portrait" in o rder to keep the viewer's attention focused on the act of saying what art is rather thank on the identity of the speaker.

A preview of his video piece "Art is: speaking portraits" can be seen here.

Quasha's work challenges his viewers to trust what we see and hear and feel-
he is a lovely representation of our valley.

all images are of work by George Quasha.

Blog that inspires...

Imagine having a locally made farm fresh 5-course meal out in open, fresh air?
That is the mission of the wonderful group of chefs, community activists and foodies involved in the group: Outstanding in the Field.

Their wonderful blog, which can be viewed here, follows their travels and has great photographic documentation of the varied seating arrangements and meals prepared specially for each location.

Yes, I did say travels. Outstanding in the Field is nothing short of a rock band of foodies traveling the country and staging these elaborate local meals at different farms. When you sign up for a dinner (which is not cheap and is priced from $180-$200) you get a 5-course "family-style" meal with wine pairings, all gratuities, and a tour of the farm that the dinner is presented at. And, you cant forget the atmosphere. Included in your dinner is the rare and unique experience of eating out in the open, on the land where it all begins, where the seed is planted and life emerges...
...ahh....so romantic.

It is mentioned on their website that this may not be suitable for people with food allergies.

Keep in mind-the dinners sell out. Their website indicates that sign-up begins on the first day of spring (so cute). If you need more direct info you can view their website here. And guess what kids...they even have a few NYC locations!!! Yumm!

delicious words

From a 6th grade classroom...

the return of my sunday local artist ramble

dear facebook, the social networking epicenter of the universe. I do enjoy your accessibility and easy connection to my friends, family and peers-but all the time you absorb is taking me away from my precious blog! Love, me

No more I tell ya! I am back to being a blogging regular. And with that statement I bring back the "my sunday local artist ramble". In the name of Woodstock's Levon Helm (yes, from the Band), who produces his own ramble aka the Midnight Ramble, I will highlight on my blog Carbon Copy a local artist that I admire every Sunday- hence the name "my sunday local artist ramble". There are so many incredible artists residing in the Hudson Valley region and beyond- some of my past rambles have included the work by Craig Barber, Judy Pfaff, Tatana Kellner, and Laura Moriarty to name a few.

Now that the logistics and excuses have been ironed out, this sunday I would like to present the work of Albany-area artist Jeri Eisenberg.

I first saw Jeri's work in Woodstock at BMG Galerie. These out of focus views of corners and crevices of the landscape on large panels of Japanese paper and thinly coated in encaustic had immediately grabbed my attention. Their majestic quality and delicate nature made them easy on the eyes- yet the disrupted view made from the lens and the use of several panels to create one image forced something deeper and more emotional. They are dream-like and visually unclear- but they make sense and are reconstructed in my mind into a familiar view.
These fractions of a "view" equate to something more than themselves....

from Jeri's beautiful Artist Statement:

I feel no need to seek out grand vistas or exotic locales, majestic mountain ranges or rushing rivers. It's the common wooded landscape of my day to day life that captures my attention. Many of the images in my current work are from areas close to my home; others are from farther flung places, but places that I just happen to be for one prosaic reason or another. They are places that are generally more ordinary than spectacular.

By photographing the treed landscape with a purposefully oversized pinhole or a radically defocused lens, however, I capture it as it is not often seen. The images are firmly grounded in the natural world, a particular place, a particular season, a particular time. But by obscuring detail, only the strongest brush strokes emerge: the images become sketches with light, literally and figuratively. They tend to float between there and not there, to dissolve into abstraction and reconfigure themselves back into recognizable form.

I began this series when my father, then 83, started loosing both his sight and his memory. Strangely, the work has been comforting. Beauty, though fleeting and fragmentary, seems to console me.

all images by Jeri Eisenberg.

You can also see Jeri's beautiful work at the Albany Center Gallery on view until Feb. 27 with 2 other artists. If you cannot make it out there, check out the Carrie Haddad Gallery or Galerie BMG website.

oh WiNtEr

image taken in mohonk preserve, ny

So bitterly cold today...
...it is just what you have to deal with when you live in the northeast.
working at CPW and then an evening at home by the fireplace. ahhhh, sounds nice, no?

Keep an eye on my blog tomorrow- I will be bringing back a classic- the sunday local artist ramble. yeeehaaa.

Have a wonderful saturday...I hope you are up to something great and grand.

i really need to visit...

...the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY. It has been years since I have made a pilgrimage to the photographic epicenter of the united states- and it is about time. It is a beautiful location and Roger Ballen has a show opening the end of February. Sounds perfect to me.

image by Roger Ballen

If you never heard of GE House, this may help. Their mission is:

The George Eastman House, an independent nonprofit museum, is an educational institution that tells the story of photography and motion pictures—media that have changed and continue to change our perception of the world. We:

1. Collect and preserve objects that are of significance to photography, motion pictures, and the life of George Eastman.
2. Build information resources to provide the means for both scholarly research and recreational inquiry.
3. Keep and care for images, literature, and technology to tell the story of photography and the motion picture in history and in culture.
4. Care for George Eastman’s house, gardens, and archives, maintaining them for public enjoyment and as a memorial to his contribution to our lives and our times.

We do these things to inspire discovery and learning—supporting the education of a regional, national, and international audience.

life with geordi

I realized today, while sick in bed, that I have not shared a picture of our new dog. He was adopted in Newburgh, NY by my boyfriend J just before new years. His name is Geordi (yes, like Lieutenant Commander of the star ship Enterprise) and he is estimated at about 10 years old. He is our big black senior citizen. He is such a wonderful spirit to have around. I love him and highly recommend that if you are thinking of adopting a dog a senior is a great choice!

Back to being sick. Hoping this flu thingy does not last another day. Bla to illness!!!