I learned . . .

Pleased to meet you all, I'm Harriett and I used to be a pretty regular blogger, until I started college in middle age . . .

Glad to be back! School is out, I did decently, and am getting ready for Summer school and then a month off before Fall semester.
I learned:

I can figure out m=y2-y1/x2-x1!!!!!! Took me all semester . . .

The immense value in disciplining yourself to do a sketch a day, even if it's seemingly worthless.

The comfort of friends who really understand if you don't return their call.

A new appreciation for those who struggle and sacrifice so others can achieve a dream (namely professors).

Here's a page from my sketchbook:

Back From The Dead

I just realized it's been over a month since I last posted! I have no excuses, just reasons:

1. Spring Break was just that - a much needed break from all things except food and sleep, Hubby and the company of treasured friends.

2. My new found respect for college grads continue to grow with each MLA -style -500 -word paper -that's -due -2 -days- from- now.

3. That goes triple for those 15 -color- hue- only -gray- saturation -figure- ground -reversible art projects.

4. "What do you mean you don't have 150 sketches - they are due tomorrow!"

But no complaints - I am learning . . .

It's socially OK, and even expected of you to text your 18 year old friend during a math lecture, even though you are sitting side by side.

Coffee is a magic elixir.

So is chocolate - but I knew that already.

Will post pics, of something, when I come back up for air. For now, back to looming exams. Yippee!

From Harlem to Hubble

Taking a short break from approaching midterms. My goodness, how time escapes! My goodness, I am ready for Spring Break in 2 weeks!

A wonderful thing is happening tonight. A new dual exhibition has been installed at the IP Stanback Museum and Planetarium on the campus of my school, South Carolina State University, and tonight is the grand opening and reception. These exhibitions are The Hubble Space Telescope; New Views of the Universe and Harlem on My Mind Part II; 1940 -1959, and they are fantastic.

These images encompass where we have been, the struggle and misunderstandings; and where we are going, to new worlds and vistas we can scarcely imagine. It is hope housed in a building of brick and mortar; it is a continual fight for freedom- artistic, social, intellectual - documented and shared so we will always remember.

If you can, please make every attempt to see this exhibition. It will be available until June 15, and you will certainly be glad you did.

Golden Discovery

One neat thing I'm discovering about college is the richness of the learning environment, and the unexpected ways new ideas can be discovered. Of course there's the traditional classroom way, with lectures and interaction between professor/student and student/student.

But I discovered a real gem in music . . . and no, I don't mean Brittany's out of rehab and decided to actually attempt to sing, or any otherwise unlikely event.

No, I mean a real talent in the person of Paul Robeson.

I write and maintain the blog for the IP Stanback Museum & Planetarium, which is on the campus of my school, South Carolina State University. We are getting ready for a new dual exhibition, The Hubble Telescope and Harlem on My Mind. Harlem is a a group of photos from the Harlem Renaissance era, taken by some of the best photographers America ever produced. The Harlem part is dedicated to Paul Robeson. I found out about him after researching for the blog.

Lord, oh Lord, what a voice. This voice will make every cell in your body resonate.

Take a listen if you haven't heard him before. If you have, reminisce.

Coming Up For Air

Finally able to see a bit of daylight after being in the dark for a bit. I've been in the thick, tangled forest of school and work.

I am enjoying myself - the college experience is one I can appreciate more, given that I'm older than the average student, than I could have if I attended when I was younger.

I don't have to worry about fitting in - I don't and it's perfectly fine. Cool even.

I don't have the self esteem issues a lot of the younger students seem to have - I have a confidence that I've bought through happiness and heartache.

I don't abuse time - achieving "middle age" makes one aware of every tick of the clock.

It is a privilege to be able to go to college. Though the work load is sometimes daunting, time
has become a precious commodity (as if it wasn't before - now I'm more aware of how precious it is) and I am realizing how ignorant I am . . .

This is an exhilarating experience.

Photo courtesy of dcJohn

Act II

The second half of my life has begun. I began school last week, and much to my surprise I found it enjoyable. Of course, the key words here are "I just began". . . time will tell whether I'll regret this decision to the marrow of my bones, or just through to the first layer of dermis.

On this day, I'm off from both school and work, thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr. and our government, though lately I have major criticisms of said government, at least they set aside a day to remember this heroic fallen son of America. I am using this time to study and do homework.

I've found a fountain of youth of sorts, old school memories flood my mind. I'm much more thankful this go 'round, much more cognizant of the sacrifices the professors make each and every day, and of the incredible journey many students have embarked upon just to be able to be there. Everyone in their middle years should go back to school. Just sitting in a desk again, after 20+ years, is a miracle in itself.

Time to get a cup of java, and get back at it. Here's a sketch I did for my art class. . . pen and ink on paper. We are assigned to do a sketch a day, which is a great way to build focus and skill. I recommend it highly.

Rural Splendor

Had a super time this weekend riding around the countryside looking. I am fortunate to have artist friends who need company, an accomplice for restocking art at a gallery that is a long way from civilization, or the type of civilization that most of us have come to expect.

The day was clear, the sky the color of blue memories are made of. The sun bright and gentle. I am rejuvenated, and aching to tell of my impressions of that day using the language of paint.

Yes, Yet Another New Years List

Like almost everyone else on the planet, I've been doing a bit of reviewing here at year's end. Here's a few things I hope for the new year:

• That somebody will TAKE charge, and get our men and women out of the train wreck called Iraq.
• That for once, just once, my bills won't exceed my earnings.
• That at least one person in the world will allow their inner artist to come to life. (OK, really I hope about a million will)
• That stupid Head ON commercial will just go away.
• That my head won't explode from school, paint, work, blog, school, work, blog, paint . . . (Hmmm, wonder if Head ON works??)
  
• That my hand remain steady, my eyes clear, my soul easily inspired.
• That no child will ever see a hand raised to injure them, and the ones lost find a way back home.
• That goes for pets, too.
• That I never forget to tell and show those I love that I do.
• That even though I posted this lame end of the year entry, you all will bear with me and stick with me for another year.

Peace.

THE Gift

Been very busy as of late getting ready to start college. I had no idea it was such an involved process. I guess I ignorantly assumed I would just march in and sit down and begin.

I have had to chase down health records . . . which after all that chasing left me with having to get shots anyway . . . been shuffled from one building to another, been given a new appreciation for reasonably close parking to a destination (only 3 blocks away? How fortunate!) and have filled out at least a pound of paperwork.

But it is worth all the fuss . . . I'm in!
I'm the first member of my family to go to college.

A Christmas gift above all other gifts.

Hope all of you have a splendid Christmas/Winter Solstice/Kwanzaa/Chanukah.

Fini Revenir de Suite

Managed to get together and paint with fellow artist and good friend Ellen Zisholtz this weekend. This was my first experience painting with someone, and I am hooked! We cranked up Springsteen, went into our corners and fought with our respective canvases. It was energizing to be able to bounce ideas around and receive instant feedback. No wonder the Impressionists created such masterpieces!

Here's the finished Revenir de Suite (Be Right Back) 8"X10" acrylic on canvas.

Rainbow Painter

Well, I've gone and done it. Really gone and done it.

As if I'm not busy enough, as if I don't have more things to do than ever, paintings that need to be painted, etc . . . I just had to pile one more thing on.

I have decided to go to school and get my degree. Full time. And still work. And still paint.

Documenting the whole chain of events that got me to this place in my life would take more time than I have at the moment, and more time than I'm likely to have for a very loooong while. Let's just say an incredibly special someone encouraged me and believed in me, and took steps to make it happen. I won't be getting a free ride, I have to continue to work to see the end to this rainbow. But for the first time in many years, I do see a rainbow, and there is a pot of gold there at the end. All it took was for my someone, my mentor, to sit me down and paint the picture for me. Thank God she's an artist, and a very fine painter.

I'm going to get my BS in Art Education. So I can paint pictures like the one painted for me.

Photo courtesy of Darwin Bell.

Revenir de Suite

I finally got back to my easel!!! It's been entirely too long . . . and oh how I missed it! I set aside some time this past weekend and worked on a painting I started a few weeks (months?) ago. The brushes in my hand felt heavenly, working with and mixing the paint like a reunion with a long ago friend.

Here's my painting, revenir de suite, (Be Right Back) which isn't quite finished, still on the easel, and a corner of my studio.

What has kept me away from my first art love has been another form of creativity - writing. I've begun the first ever art blog for my town's newspaper. I get to make people aware of what's happening art wise, and I hope to joggle a few folks into realizing art is as necessary as other forms of commerce, even more so. To those of us who create, and those who appreciate the creations, it is our lifeblood, our reason for being, not just a way to make a buck, although making a living off our compulsion is nice, too. I find it exciting, and a bit scary. I intend to trumpet the artists and the artists' creations, to show how much richer we are with them around.

The blog is called Drawing Attention. I hope you all like it.

Artist Jonathan Green

South Carolina artist (he now resides in Florida) and native son Jonathan Green graciously granted an interview with me. I have always admired his work - the colors, the joie de vivre that is so abundant in his paintings. Here are his thoughts on art and culture, and the role they play in our lives.




"Marsh Woman" 1999
Copyright 2006 Jonathan Green Studios, Inc.


What are your thoughts on the role of artists and what
specific needs do they fulfill?


Artists are our shamans, their role is to record and inform visually- through music, through dance- the culture. Artists create and through that creativity the culture can be remembered for all time. Every community needs artists - they are vital.

What inspires you?

The now. What I'm feeling, doing, seeing, drinking, eating . . . all that and more.

What is your day like?

It depends on the season. In the Fall I'm up later, around 4:00 AM, and I work until the sun goes down, about 5:00 or 6:00 PM. I take an hour or two for lunch. I work six days a week, I spend the seventh day reading, relaxing.

Do you use studio assistants? Do you stretch your own canvases, etc.?

No, I do it all myself. I want to put time into art, not stretching canvas. I want to implement the imagery I have in my mind. My inspiration, my muse, is always around. I live in my home for my work and for other people - I represent that in my work.

What was your early subject matter, and at what point did you decide to focus on Gullah subjects?

Gullah has always been my subject. As a child I saw and did things and I knew the more one participates the more one is respected and acknowledged. People around me were always working and doing.

How do you support the arts on an individual basis?

I like the younger up and coming artists, and I like WPA art out of Chicago, and African American artists. I devote my life to making sure the imagery of American artists is not forgotten.

What are your thoughts on the way art is taught in public schools?

It isn't taught! It is a wide open field. Art should be taught at the family level. Families need to take the responsibility to support the artists in their family, to nurture that creativity. They should be taught to tap into their intuitive inner feelings . . . which is the importance of family . . . love, food, beauty, history. Art was our first language. The notion of art has nothing to do with an institution - it has to do with family. It needs to be nurtured by family, and the family needs to invest time into the child's vision. 99.9% of families are not supporting their members in the arts. If the family supported the arts, communities would support the arts, then cities, then states, etc. It ALL begins at the family level.

Many visual artists also write. Do you?

No, I speak rather than write. I put a lot of emphasis on speaking.

Can you share where your artistic direction is taking you?

On the first week of March, 2008 I'll be conducting a symposium on "Seeking" - I will start at the Gibbes Museum, then go to the Charleston County Library, Then to the University of South Carolina, and finally end at the College of Charleston. For more information contact Barbara Burgess 843 345-3664.

Still Thankful

It's almost Thanksgiving again, and I suppose I will join the hundreds of other bloggers and report on the season. Not terribly creative or original, I know.

Thanksgiving, however, is a time I look forward to each year. Not for the obligatory food or family get togethers, though. Of course I remember Turkey Day's past, and instances of both family peace and drama.

What is special about the day for me is the call to be grateful, to be thankful, for all things. As I posted last year, here are a few things I'm thankful for:

Leaves that are more beautiful than any painting
The ability to see those leaves
Men and women who have the courage to fight for the freedoms I enjoy, sitting here writing.
Election Day
Friends who love me like we share genetic material
The sound and smell of the ocean
Coffee and chocolate
That feeling you get when you get home after a long day and your dog is wagging all over
A loving, supportive spouse

Have a super Thanksgiving, everybody. (Photo courtesy audreyjm529)

Art Star

I had an opportunity to meet an artist I have admired for a very long time. Jonathan Green, a world renowned South Carolina artist from the tiny hamlet of Garden's Corner (which is nothing but a sign along side the road) was at the Penn Center's Heritage Days. This is an annual event that takes place on St. Helena Island, and is a celebration of Gullah culture.

Jonathan Green's work is a celebration of life, with bright colors, bold compositions, and inhabited by people who are happily going about their life. Seeing his work has inspired me to embrace my cultural heritage; to appreciate beauty and to see it everywhere. His paintings are harmonious and cause me to feel relaxed.

There was a long line to meet him and calendars and other items with his art were for sale.I bought a calendar, and got in line. There were people from all over the state, as well as out of state, there just to meet him. This is the small town guy who made it big.

Finally, my turn came. About six photogs were milling around - my friend Neta snapped my pic with him.

"Hi, Mr. Green! I've been an admirer of your work for a long time . . . if you have time may I have an interview for a blog I write?" Just knowing this man is too busy - look at all the people! He has had a ballet written and performed based on his art; he has awards and degrees . . .

"Sure", he said, "Here's my personal number, give me a call anytime."

Well, I'll be.

Unique Creativity

Creativity can and does come in all forms. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because of it - it brings out the artist in people who don't, or won't, let it show at any other time of the year. This was evident at my dayjob in the library, when one of the librarians just let her inner Van Gogh burst through . . .

Here's the cake she made, which freaked us all out good. The poem she wrote read,

"Is this a trick?
Or is it a treat?
Is it nasty,
Or is it sweet?

If you're feeling brave,
Then scoop up some and eat!"


Thanks, Julie Knotts . . . it was delicious, by the way.

One Neighborhood, One River

I am winding down from the busiest month I have ever had in my memory. I am currently catching up on things neglected - housework, yardwork, family, friends . . . slowly but surely.

This past month was exciting, and very rewarding in many ways. One of the rewarding parts was a film that was shown as a part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, Third Ward TX, Directed by Andrew Garrison, produced by Nancy Bless and Noland Walker. I was able to see the showing at our local art museum, the IP Stanback Museum & Planetarium, on the campus of our South Carolina State University, as well as meet Andrew Garrison.

To recap - Third Ward Tx is about a group of artists who remodel a neighborhood's row houses, or "shotgun" houses from the local vernacular (so named because you could shoot a shotgun through the front door and the pellets would go straight out the back door without hitting any walls) . They cleaned up the houses and yards through the generosity of corporate and individual sponsors. Single mothers were allowed to live there rent free for up to two years, as long as they were enrolled in college. The artists used a few of the houses to have exhibitions of their work bi-annually, and community response was enthusiastic and warm.

Seeing this film ignited a great hope in me, and set my mind on fire with possibilities. Artists are the impetus for change, change for the betterment of people. Artists can affect that change, can get the ball rolling, by using their unique ability to see. Artists can and do make the mundane and common beautiful, and can use these powers to translate, to help others see the beauty that is in all things, in all people. As artist John Biggers aptly said, "Art is life".

Another example, on a personal level, is my friend and fellow artist Janet Kozachek. Janet heard about "Environmental Blog Day", where bloggers were encouraged to write a blog along an environmental theme, or "go green" for a day. Well, Janet went one step further; she decided in order to write about the environment, she needed first hand experience. So she went to our local river and picked up trash. She got the attention of a local environmental group, as well as the Mayor, and last Saturday a group of volunteers showed up and cleaned a good portion of the river. Janet uncovered the beauty, allowed others to see, and our community is that much richer because of it.

Be proud, Artists! We can make our world a better place; one neighborhood, one river at a time.

DiverseArt Success!

Our DiverseArt exhibition for 2007 is now in the annals of history. We had about 150 or so people come and view the art, mingle and generally have a good time. There was a lot of good food, wine, and peach iced tea. There was a lot of laughter, and renewed appreciation for the dedicated artists and their creations that we are fortunate to have in this area. New friendships were begun, and older friendships renewed. It was, as Merriam-Webster would say, "a favorable or desired outcome" . . . the definition of success.

DiverseArt Loosed

OK, it's crunch time! We artists who are showing in DiverseArt are tying up loose ends, finalizing plans. Most of the art has been hung, and the art that will reside on tables will be ready to display early next week. We have been interviewed in our local paper, planned the menu, sent out the invitations. All that remains is for us to show up and showcase our work.

It's exciting to see us come together, working to promote not only our own work, but each of the other's as well. I'm glad to be right here, right now.

It hasn't always been thus. There were times when I'd rather live anywhere but here. But I suppose we all have feelings of doubt and at one time or another are disenchanted with where we happen to be. I haven't had the opportunity to live outside my small geographic area, but I have had the privilege to know many who have. I am amazed at the artists who reside around me, and how varied their backgrounds and perspectives are. I am so thankful to be here and to know so many of them. They have all enriched my life in ways that are as colorful, dynamic and thoughtful as their work.

So, if you are anywhere nearby, please plan to come to the Orangeburg Arts Center Thursday October 18 from 6-8, and meet these fantastic artists (and me!!) and hear their stories. It will be a night and an experience to remember.

Title Trauma

I'm aching to get back to my easel! I have been away from it for far too long.

I started a new painting weeks ago, and really got into the groove; the lose- yourself-in-the-paint, drop-away from-the-world trance you get into when and if you're lucky. Unfortunately I got called away from it and am trying to clear up other obligations so I can get back to it. Here's my progress so far. I have a title that popped in my head as I was working, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with it, but it's at such an early stage I may change up. Titles ooze out of me as I'm working and experiencing the emotions it takes to create a piece. I think they are important, an intimate look into the state of mind of the artist that serves to enhance the connection between artist and viewer.

What do you think? I'm open to ideas. What should this work in progress be called? And nobody better say "Chairs"!!!!