Archive for March, 2007

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On the griddle

Friday, March 9th, 2007

March experiment—day nine— Captain Zach and I talked “Army Biz” while we flipped pancakes for Rotary at KSD. When I returned home, I was happy to find a delicious meal, admittedly much more nutritious than what I’d been feeding to others all morning. Something about the full awareness of all the requirements for the Salvation Army banquet in a month, ongoing commitments to the Brass Band Festival, the delicate business of wooing a new client, the necessity of moving Bruce to Danville before the end of March, and everything else I’ve challenged myself to accomplish over the short term—well, it made me feel like I wanted to collapse this evening. Maybe I just need some rest.

Today’s sight bite— Three exquisite watercress salads with avocado and sprouts—c-l-i-c-k—prepared lovingly by Dana and Lee for our lunch in the mild air on the front porch.

Tomorrow— Back to the checklist, after a good night’s sleep…

Posted in Business, Community, Dana, Food, Friends | Comments Closed

A fairly straightforward day

Thursday, March 8th, 2007

March experiment—day eight— I have a steady momentum now. On paper it looks like I’m ahead of schedule, but the schedule may not reflect the proper pace. We’ll see before long. If I do need to bump up my stride a notch, I shouldn’t do it too early in the race.

Today’s sight bite— The full volume of clear, undisturbed water, aglow with midday’s penetrating beams—c-l-i-c-k—viewed from beneath the pool surface, my fins propelling me forward, feeling like an anonymous demigod of the deep in search of a mischievous mermaid or two.

Tomorrow— Rotary Pancake Fry and the completion of my entry for the national SLMM exhibition…

Posted in Art, Exercise, Studio | Comments Closed

Sighting Ephraim, my favorite town hawk, inspires attack mode

Wednesday, March 7th, 2007

March experiment—day seven— I came back from the gym this morning with a strong desire to make up for lost time, and the result was a day of progress beyond anything I could have hoped for. My pace was such that I could even feel the “rusty” spots in my collage technique, but those shouldn’t be too difficult to burnish over the next couple days, and then I’ll start working on my first “Joe Box” this weekend. I use that term because of its double reference to Joseph Cornell, the master of box assemblage, and Joe Wood, who personally acquired my raw materials. It pleases me to know that, for whatever reason, these objects appealed to Joe. And now, with Joan’s approval and due to her kindness, I’ll interpret them as three-dimensional art. Speaking of Joan, her entry about the Lady Rebels says it all. In tonight’s paper, Hayley is quoted as saying she’ll be “out for blood” next year. Admir’l Lice himself couldn’t have said it any better!

Today’s sight bite— At the highest spot in town, the morning sentinel glides from atop the tallest tree with one pump of his massive wingspan—c-l-i-c-k—and circles the human far below, who stands earthbound amid the downy evidence of a recent meal.

Tomorrow— “Cruise control” at my basement work station dedicated to collage…

Posted in Art, Family, Joan, Nature, Pirates, Priorities, Sport | Comments Closed

Just keep moving and don’t fret

Tuesday, March 6th, 2007

March experiment—day six— Good grief. I think I’m complicating this too much. Isn’t it just a matter of how hard I crank the pedals?

Before
enlightenment,
chop wood
and carry water.

After
enlightenment,
chop wood
and carry water.

— Wu Li

Posted in Angst, Verse | Comments Closed

Awareness of the drift

Monday, March 5th, 2007

March experiment—day five— After a Sunday break, I struggle to dominate the desired level of focus at the heart of the exercise. Rest is important, but I shouldn’t have to learn all of last year’s lessons over again. I’m not happy about my productivity today, but I’d best not stress about it. Perhaps there’s something important to learn about maintaining the essential inner momentum, even when the outer goings-on don’t match the prescribed agenda—for example, this morning’s distractions with a plumber down the hall, and my unforeseen but necessary email replies. Tonight’s Mozart at Newlin Hall is not on my checklist either, but if I’m receptive, it may prove more inspiring than a full box of collage scrap.

Today’s sight bite— Ancient trees in McDowell Park—c-l-i-c-k—engraved by sunrise against a blue sky.

Tomorrow— Making up for a bit of lost time…

Posted in Angst, Music, Studio, Time | Comments Closed

Masters of their media

Sunday, March 4th, 2007

March experiment—day four— Not much to report. Trying to get past that early sleep-dep hurdle without overdoing the caffeine. First half of today was invested with plotting the next few weeks of work at my collage station, and then we were in Lexington with our friends, the Simpsons, including dinner and a movie. Amazing Grace is worth the ticket price. Ioan’s impressive performance is what I would expect from him. I might say the same for Finney, but the truth is he knocked me out with his supporting role. If you are in England and he is performing anything on stage, go there—tonight!

Today’s sight bites— Reproductions of John Salminen’s watercolors, stopping me in my tracks—c-l-i-c-k—c-l-i-c-k—c-l-i-c-k—as I browsed the art magazines at Joseph-Beth.

Tomorrow— Time to put my rest break behind me and press on…

Posted in Art, Friends, Movies, Personalities | Comments Closed

Dawn’s silent majesty

Saturday, March 3rd, 2007

March experiment—day three— I awoke before the alarm, and I figured that was a good omen, but then I saw the full moon setting in the west, and it was awesomely huge, maybe the biggest moon I’ve ever seen. I don’t know what the heck that means, but I’m glad I was up early enough to view it, and then I ran four miles with my chum Mort, talking about the local bike initiative, politics, leadership, business development and the market jitters. It was great to start my day with a friend, and to close it down with one, too. I had another classic coffee-shop consultation with Danny this evening, bringing back a few pearls for my ongoing artistic investigations, and understanding better that the most effective way to infuse meaning into one’s creative output is to seek truth in the contemplative side of the equation.

Today’s sight bite— The enormous lunar disk—c-l-i-c-k—magnified above the blue-over-black horizon like a telephoto backdrop.

Tomorrow— Life’s teacher is where we spend our time…

Posted in Art, Awe, Creativity, Exercise, Friends, Nature, Priorities | Comments Closed

The mystery prospect

Friday, March 2nd, 2007

March experiment—day two— After a full week of uncertainty about whether our recent client referral would actually manifest as a meeting opportunity, we finally got our face-to-face introduction today. The scheduled hour mushroomed to twice that much time, and I was never quite sure who was interviewing whom. The most interesting aspect of the interchange is thinking about how differently I might have reacted at various stages of my tenure as a creative professional. Sometimes I wonder if I’m only just beginning to understand how much this business hinges on complementary personalities and the “chemistry” of a working relationship.

Today’s sight bite— The enthusiastic visitor spreads promotional samples from his carrying case across our living room carpet—c-l-i-c-k—to illustrate a description of his need for visual communication.

Tomorrow— KOSMOS:A suspension of collage activity to be lifted…

Posted in Business, Psychology | Comments Closed

Return of the March Experiment

Thursday, March 1st, 2007

March experiment—day one— My regimen of self-study from a year ago ended with an artistic victory. Strangely enough, my revisitation of the experiment begins with the same kind of breaktrough. This morning I put the finishing touches on my painting for the Brass Band Festival, and the new executive director says she couldn’t be more pleased. Even though I “tricked” myself into plunging ahead with the artwork by calling it a study, there is no doubt that I relied on insights gained during that previous month-long period of rigor. What am I prepared to learn this time?

Today’s sight bite— Hayley with the game ball over her head, as every player on the court pauses—c-l-i-c-k—while she considers how to manufacture a point margin that will take home a district title.

Tomorrow— Ready or not, the full schedule begins…

Posted in Art, Family, Sport, Studio | Comments Closed

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