We are going to Birmingham on Friday

This week is already in a whirlwind of activity. Steve and I are headed to Birmingham, England on Friday to see Mathias in Cyrano and to see Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) in a Stravinsky triple bill. Mathias is not cast in the later; he is only a "cover". Yet, in Cyrano he is dancing several parts and with the "first" cast. One scene features a sword fight. Obviously, the cast is all male. Yet, only Mathias is a member of the corps. He's quite happy about this. He said that tomorrow is a performance for critics and to be televised. I guess this might be called "dress rehearsal" but he said that they were already in costumes--or at least in partial costumes, like wigs and other props. I'm really not sure. Steve and I intend to learn more about how a production like this unfolds. We are also planning a day trip to Worcester. Steve is quite excited as we own a book about the cathedral. Of course, our book was published in 1836. Likely, nothing much about the architecture, art, and sculpture has changed much in the past 170 years. It could be really fun to take digital images of the same interior or exterior scene for comparison to the 19th engraving. We plan to take the book along, like our guide book or something!

Bohemian Home, ballet, and Pub Night

This post is going to cover several thoughts. First, I called Bohemian Home, a new store on Divine Street. It's new, but not really. Originally, it was called Storehouse Furniture. The staff is the same, the place still sells upscale, contemporary furniture, and the focus is on residential interiors. Yet, Storehouse went out of business.

Bruce Schultz, long time owner of Bohemia, took over the location. Bohemian is just down the street. It is a wonderful shop full of fine art crafts, African artifacts, funky clothing, and interesting objects of all sorts. Best of all, it is LOCALLY owned and operated. It reflects Bruce's eye for quality. Bruce has included furniture for years and had a building full of great pieces that just didn't open onto the street. Now, he's got Bohemian Home.

While at my art reception a few weeks ago, Bruce suggested I hang some work in his new location. I called and talked to the manager, Tom Chinn, who said I could bring the entire African series later that very day. That was Friday. The next day was a "sidewalk sale" up and down Divine Street. All but four of my pieces were on the walls. Even the four were in public view. I went by and took these pictures. I'm totally thrilled.

Later that night, Steve and I went to see "Where the Wild Things Are" at the Koger Center. The Columbia City Ballet production included a new piece called "Men's Class" and a tribute to Fred Astaire before the intermission.

We enjoyed William Starrett's choreography and humor in "Men's Class". The dancing was good too. Five dancers, a ballet master, and an accompanist made up the piece. I particularly like the pause with the five dancers assuming the five ballet positions.

The ballroom inspired works, however, were dreadful. Perhaps the line of men opening this segment were under rehearsed. The movements seemed simple but was not often in unison. Much of the rest was suppose to be humorous, only it failed to amuse. It was suggested to me by another viewer that this was just "ballet's" impression of ballroom. Thus, it wasn't good ballet or good ballroom. Maybe?

The crowd just went wild when Mariclare and William danced together. Some even stood in ovation at the end. Steve and I bit our tongues. We thought William danced adequately but was painful to watch. It was further suggested to us that William danced poorly because he might have been in pain. Our friend added that the audiences' adoration of our local stars made this an important part of the evening but that it was utterly unnecessary for the two to attempt what could not be accomplished well. Ballroom steps don't have to include lifts. Ballroom dancing doesn't have to pair a couple in a grand wedding pas scenario. It didn't have to set these two up as if they were the principal dancers, the finest in the company, the best. Because it tried this, it failed.

Certainly my family owes a large debt to William and Mariclare. I like them both, dearly. I wanted to cheer and stand with the others, but not for the performance. What we witnessed did not merit this. Our feelings were so mixed that we left after intermission. We've never ducked out of a show before this.

On Saturday I worked on the biggest "In Box" I've ever attempted. Hopefully, this will suit Barbara Blau's small conference room. If not, it will still be wonderful. Later that night we went to CMFA's (Columbia Music Festival Association's) annual fund-raiser, Pub Night. The evening is all about good food and drink, a dart tournament, and dozens of door prizes. The "big" prizes each year are two round-trip tickets to anywhere in the continental US. Steve won one of them! We were stunned and had a great time! Alex worked setting the place up, selling raffle tickets, and cleaning up afterwards. I stitched until someone brought him home at 1:30 AM. One of the pictures is of Pub Night emcee, TV's Joe Pinner with Harriet Green and Rusty Sox of the SC Arts Commission pulling raffle tickets.

Winter Exhibition

While Steve and I were in DC the annual "Winter Exhibition" featuring Stephen Chesley (my mentor!), Mike Williams, Ed Wimberly, and David Yaghjian opened in the gallery just outside my studio door. I look forward to this show every year. These four are about the "best" in the area. What do I mean by that? Well, they are SERIOUS artists, full time and mostly self-supporting. Their work attitude, approach, and reflecting resumes are to be admired and emulated. I cannot say enough about Stephen Chesley's work. It is simply wonderful. His generousity to other artists is almost as famous as are his oils and pastels. Mike Williams, the youngest, has been "hot" ever since he graduated from USC only about a decade ago. I've liked earlier work far better than most of the pieces in this show. For me, his more minimal approach killed the energy, atmosphere, and movement I so admired in his swamp and fish imagery. It is David Yaghjian's work, however, that steals my breathe. Steve and I purchased one of his oils (in the most gorgeous handmade silver-gilded frame) three years ago for Steve's 50th birthday. It pictures a quiet seaside dune with the most serene blue sky above. David's work now, however, has moved into a figurative cycle. Most of the men look like David but are clearly meant to be "Everyman". Each picture shows the amazement I often see looking back at me from the mirror: shock at my own aging and stunned at the world around me. I particularly like the man riding a unicycle while trying to hold a rattle snake and the man diving off a board into a pail of water. There is comic, innocence, and life in each painting. The show is up for about four more days!

The Archeology Project Goes to Second Grade

This morning I was the guest speaker for Ms. Regi Matheny's second grade classes at George I. Pair Elementary School in West Columbia. I was asked by Rebecca Cibic, doctoral degree candidate at USC writing a dissertation on how children construct meaning through their art and language. Rebecca has been collecting research for quite some time and it showed in the organization of the classroom. First, I shared my artwork. I brought the Archeology Project. Why not? It was created for a hands-on experience. There were plenty of things to touch without anyone having to wait a turn. All the young students seemed quite thrilled. Afterwards, the children were given time to "respond". They each have two notebooks, one with lines and the other without. Their "tools" are markers, pastels, watercolor, pencils and pens. They are encouraged to respond to the artwork using their own choices: images, text, color, texture, whatever suited them. This was followed by a very respectful individual sharing by each student. Each presented his or her artwork, talked about it, and asked for comments or questions. I heard the words "please" and "thank you" more in the time I spent with this group than I ever heard in an entire week as an Artist-in-Residence in other schools. The students asked me to share my embroidery. I brought the "Elements of Architecture" piece on which I am currently stitching. I stitched while the students painted and drew. Thus, I was the last in the sharing portion of the morning. They gave me the nicest "goodie bag" full of embroidery floss, chocolate, and a hand written card. I was quite impressed with the classroom, Ms. Cibic's approach to education, the student's excellent behavior, and the way in which each student responded to questions, searching for new words to describe their work and feelings. It was an excellent morning.

MVSEVM and David Beck

Joseph Cornell paved the way for artists like David Beck. Beck was commissioned to create MVSEVM to commemorate the reopening of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in July of this year, and Cornell's influence is apparent: when closed, the model takes the shape of the Old Patent Office Building, but it opens to reveal miniature artifacts and artworks as well as drawers containing smaller models. Cornell invited sculptors to investigate the interior space of a sculpture—to investigate its moving parts, its guts. Beck complies. (From the American Museum website.)

In an earlier post I talked about a fabulous piece of art on the second floor of the American Museum in DC. I said I'd research it later. Well, this is what I found. I had hoped for the movie that played on a computer located nearby. A single image is hardly enough to appreciate this work. I was blown away! I was also introduced to William Christenberry's work while in DC and will post more about this later. Still, it was the Joseph Cornell exhibit that influenced me the most. Seeing this show for a second time only reinforced the feelings of meeting a kindred spirit. Cornell is KING!

Elements of Architecture XXVIII

I finished the free-motion machine embroidery on the piece I stitched going to Washington, DC. I'm still hand stitching the one I started on the return trip. So, here's the newest piece in the series with its counterpart in collage.

Yesterday I posted a few images on the Altered Book Yahoo Group. It is so wonderful to receive positive feed back from interesting people living all over the world. I am truly indebted to this site. I learned about Sheer Heaven paper, embossing powders, and other primarily "craft" ideas to which I would never otherwise have been exposed. There's been discussions on this site that have been quite thought provoking and very inspiring. I really thank all those who sent me messages.

I've also created a "map" of the Blues Series to slip under the plate-glass table tops at Mac's on Main. I'm planning to drop them by the restaurant on my way to I. Pinckney Simons Gallery. Today is the last one of the "Stones, Bones, Fiber" show. Thus, my Archeology Project will soon be packed into its suitcases and stored in the back room--just in time for the next thirty-five spools to be added (they're almost done) and for the imaginary maps to begin taking form.

Blues Series Goes to Mac's on Main!

http://www.macsjazznblues.com/

Today I installed my Blues Series at the popular jazz restaurant/performance center on Columbia, SC's Main Street. The piece will hang for the entire month of February, which is, of course, Black History Month.

The photo depicts Chef Fatback with the image of my twenty-four early, female Blues singers. I've got two days to create a "map" that can slide under the glass table tops to inform the clients more about the art and about me!

They've promised some publicity, but even if this doesn't quite pan out, it is an excellent opportunity to share my work with a brand new audience. I am absolutely elated. Around 7 PM, I drove home from the studio with Alex (who had been volunteering at CMFA). We went past the storefront and were thrilled to see the artwork from our lane of traffic!

Dining With Friends Triptych

Within an hour of our return from Washington, DC, I was altering the Triptych. We found the "perfect" knife and fork at a Thrift store benefitting the animals of Fairfax County, Virginia. I think it looks great. Tomorrow it will be delivered to Margaret Nevill at Mad Platter (www.mymadplatter.com). From there, it will go to the graphic designer. I can hardly wait to see it in use to advertise the annual charity event, Dining With Friends!

Posting from Washington, DC

Steve and I have had two fabulous days in our favorite city, Washington, DC. I'm so glad we came. We'd both thought that trips would be far and few between after Mathias graduated from the Kirov (or UBA as it was called for four of the six years). I'd spent a week chaperoning a bunch of ballet dancers, including Mathias of course, during spring break. I visited all my favorite places, just to say good-bye. It was so sad. I figured I'd mourn the loss of our regular trips and go into "museum" withdrawal. That hasn't been the case, thankfully.

This trip has, however, been entirely different. There's been no ballet but plenty of books. Though Steve had been to Quinn Auction House, I never had been. We drove directly there on Thursday for the "shelf lot" book auction. It was fantastic. All the shelves are numbered. Each shelf is sold as a single "lot". Most were grouped by subject but many were listed as "miscellany". There were lots of architecture, modern art, Mayan culture, ceramics, old auction catalogues, Civil War, birds, toys, Bibles, leather bound, Shakespeare, theater, pottery, European history, railroad, poetry, furniture, textiles, carpets, heraldry, hardbound fiction, etc. Most of the volumes were new, hard back, in great condition, and were arranged in desirable groups. It was easy to lose oneself in the process of looking at the selections. It was easy to forget the lots in which one might be interested. Taking notes was a MUST. There were several lots with very, very old volumes, 1600s and 1700s. Just the feel of their paper and worn covers made me want them.

The auction itself was quite rapid with over sixty lots selling in under an hour. Everyone was seated in another room. The auctioneer simply called out the shelf number and started the quick bidding process. Steve and I were unsuccessful on almost all the lots we wanted. We sat on a nice oriental rug in the back of the room sipping a glass of provided red wine between us. We laughed a lot. Many of the lots we wanted went into the hundreds of dollars. We certainly could pick the best books! Amazingly, we got two lots, both for less than we were willing to have paid. One lot includes the future source material for my upcoming "fantasy maps". Soon, I'll have the Archeology Project back home and will be ready to continue bring it to a fuller life.

On Friday, we went to the American Museum/Portrait Gallery and spent the entire day. It was wonderful just wandering around all three floors. The collection is vast and very interesting. Happily, we found some of our favorite paintings. We'd fallen in love with Thayer's Virgin Enthroned and his Stevenson's Monument (an angel) while they'd hung for years in the Renwick. We had no idea where they'd gone--and so many others from that Grand Salon at the top of the red carpeted stairs. Now we know. They're in the American Museum. I can't wait to tell Mathias. He, too, missed them last spring. Sure, Caitlin's American Indians are nice....but we preferred the variety and great beauty of these other works. It was especially nice to be so close to them. Hanging in the Renwick, they'd all been far overhead.

In a grand foyer on the second floor is a most amazing mixed media piece called MVSEVM by a guy named something Beck. There was a video about the construction. I will research this more later. It was absolutely fantastic. I thought museum's inspired me! This is truly a remarkable obsession.

We also enjoyed the presidential portraits, the portrait competition (51 pieces were selected from a jurying process that started with over 4000), and the exhibition on Josephine Baker. Later, we bought wonderful, inexpensive wine at Trader Joe's and had dinner in our Towne Place suite room.

Today, we went to Quinn's other auction, the regular event with prints (loose and framed) sold before furniture, carpets, china, silver, etc. We were terribly interested in the several lots of Audubon birds. Most lots had ten each. They were put up early in the sale, but there was a problem. The auctioneers (a family business) were all very, very sorry...in fact, embarrassed. The estate from which these prints came had reservations about the sale just last night. Very high minimum bids were imposed. This sale was being simultaneously held on eBay and had a bank of employees minding various telephone bidders. Most of the Audubon lots did not come close to the newly required minimum bid. Some lots sold. One lot, with fifteen songbirds, even became ours! We also bought the Denton fish; which we really wanted. Amazingly, we were able to acquire a lot of nicely colored, early etchings. We were quite happy.

To celebrate, we took the metro to DuPont Circle, had lunch at a newly opened Johnny Rocket, and went to the Phillips Collection. Later, we visited the Catholic Basilica to see the newly mosaiced dome over part of the center aisle.

Tomorrow we head back home. It's been grand here. I hope we can continue to come, for both books and art!

Dining With Friends and other art!

The last two days have been quite "artsy". My head is still spinning with the rash of activity.

It started yesterday after I had lunch with a friend. We met at Mellow Mushroom in order to indulge our appetite for pizza and because it is just across the street from I. Pinckney Simons Gallery.

After lunch, we went to look at my art in the gallery. I was able to share the Archeology Project with someone who loves history, fine things, and supports art. She purchased Man's Fate, two textiles and a paper piece from the Archeology Project, two spools, and one of Janet's mosaics. Rick whispered to me that it was the largest sale of the show. The amount really wasn't my concern. In fact, I think talk of money so immediately is almost a little vulgar--too close on the heels of art's priceless beauty. What truly impressed me was that someone actually purchased one of my altered books. It is the first such sale I've made. It reassures me that this is time well spent. Someone wants to enjoy my art and the words I've selected to include!

Today I went to the State Museum with another friend, an artist whose work and approach is entirely different from my own although she focuses on using fibers and creating books. Thus, I think we are each among one another's greatest fans. Anyway, we talked and talked. It was a great conversation. One of the subjects centered on the Southeastern Book Art Conference that is coming up this May. Hopefully, I will be able to participate.

Finally, we ended up at Vista Studios because I was meeting Barbara Blau, president of DP Professionals (http://www.dpprofessionals.com/). Barbara was considering my artwork for her brand new, gorgeous office. She bought Leader at Rest from my African series. We are discussing one of my In Box pieces, a commission, for another space as well. I am to meet with her, in her office, next week.

While in the studio, Margaret Neville and Travis Johnson came to "track me down". They were excited and soon I was overjoyed. Margaret had come to last week's reception and fallen in love with a piece--but for a particular purpose. She and Travis wanted to know if I would "alter" my Triptych and allow them to use it for this year's Dining With Friends poster (they spearhead this charity event). Would I remove the flowers and apply a knife and a fork? Why, yes, of course! So, off they went up the street to buy the Triptych. Within fifteen minutes they'd returned with the piece for me to alter!

I've posted a picture of the Triptych as it looks now. I'll be on the look out for the perfect knife and fork over the weekend in DC and post the resulting artwork later! It's been a good day.

There was bad news though. The little "blemish" that had recently been removed from Steve's face, near the end of his eyebrow, had been cancerous. He now must return to the doctor's to have a little more tissue taken off--just to be safe, just to be certain that no cancerous cells remain behind. Hopefully soon, this will be nothing more than a small scar.

Another "Element"

I finished another piece in the "Elements of Architecture" series. This one is XXVII. I've uploaded it with its counterpart in collage.

I've started the next one already and will stitching on it during the car ride to Washington, DC in the morning.

Altered Physician's Book from 1943

Over the past month or so, I've leisurely been practicing my "imaginary text" in an old journal I found in a little used book store. All the pages were meant to be used as a sort of "day planner" by a physician. None had any writing. The book was evidently one of those "freebie" items given to doctor's by pharmaceutical companies.

It was relaxing to freely draw "made-up" symbols. My mind would wander. Then it would land on a plan for the rest of my studio time. I also noticed that I tend to write several little markings over and over. If I keep at this, I'm pretty sure I'll find about twenty to thirty "letters" as if in a mysterious alphabet locked in my subconscious.

Most people say the writing looks like Arabic. I think it's all the shorthand I tried to learn, failed to memorize, and it now trying to find self-expression.

Mathias' new videos

Last Friday Yellow Freight tried to deliver moulding to us. We had ordered two boxes from a place in New Jersey called Decor Moulding. One box, the bulk of the order, was intended for Stephen Chesley's larger oil paintings. (The show will be hung on Wednesday night). The delivery should have been made earlier in the week. The poor driver was very sorry about the situation; one box was missing--the box we needed for Chesley. We refused the order, wisely. Had we accepted it, we would be responsible for the entire freight charges despite one box being missing (odd, I wonder if I could still charge for a half-framed picture?).

Unfortunately, this happened late in the afternoon. Decor Moulding closes early on Fridays. I was in Charleston making a delivery; Steve tried to handle it alone. Nothing was actually done. I had to handle it today.

The moulding is still "lost" but Yellow Freight will not take any responsibility for the resulting problems. They've only agreed to pay Decor for the missing product--when they "officially" determine it is really "lost". They don't actually call it "lost" at this point (eleven days after picking the moulding up for a 6 day journey). They claim to be "looking for it". They say it is "reasonable" to consider the moulding "in transit" for double the amount of time a normal delivery would take. Thus, it won't be lost until tomorrow--at the earliest. They reserve the right to extend the "search time", even by a month or more.

I asked lots of questions and learned that after a "claim" is filed, they will assign an investigator who "rapidly" works on the case. I asked what "rapid" meant. Generally, thirty days but it can take up to 120 days before a claim might be paid. I was also told, in no uncertain terms, that if I ordered additional moulding, this was MY CHOICE and MY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY for all charges, especially for additional charges (like the Next-Day Air shipping).

Basically, Yellow Freight hasn't "lost" the moulding at all. They are looking for it and might admit that it is gone four months from now---if proper paperwork is filed by somebody else! At that distant time, they will pay only the amount of the moulding--no penalty, no interest, no admission to have caused lots of extra work and expense by anyone else!

In the meantime, Decor Moulding is filing the paperwork but my account still has an invoice for the order. Decor might not get paid for four months--FOUR MONTHS without the product available to other customers and without money. (While my account becomes flagged as "past due".) If the moulding is found, even on day 119, Yellow Freight only has to return it to Decor; they'd owe nothing.

In order to solve the REAL problem, I had to place an order for the same moulding to be shipped NEXT DAY AIR. Yellow Freight won't even entertain the idea of paying the difference between their cost for delivery and the air charges. The entire thing is ridiculous.

This is what has become typical of "service" in America. Few companies take responsibility for anything, even providing the product/service they advertise. Few companies care about the "real" problem and are only trying to watch their own expenses. There is no pride in these businesses; there is only staff training in "passing the buck" so that it never finds a desk on which to land.

Okay, this is a rant. Mouse House has never operated in such a manner. I would rather pay the next-day air charges than let the problem trickle down to my client. That is exactly what is happening. At least I've taught my children to take responsibility for their actions and to try to overcome obstacles. This can be seen on Mathias' newly posted videos. He finally figured out how to upload videos to his MySpace. One features his incredible fall in Round One of the Varna International Ballet Competition. He even added words about dealing with a "screw up". He never tried to "blame the floor" or make excuses. He laughed about it even before he knew he would advance to the next round. To see the video, go to his MySpace.

I don't understand many things about MySpace, but I know how to get to Mathias' one way: Click the provided link to my MySpace and then click on Mathias' profile. He is one of the few "friends" I have!
http://www.myspace.com/susanlenzarts