Saturday, June 4, 2011

not an island

Sitting on a table in the yard at dusk, I'm happily anticipating the communal dinner that is done here several times a week. It's so nice to have dinner made for me and to gather 'round together to enjoy it and get to know the others, all creative, hands-on sorts of people. Eventually it'll be my turn to reciprocate. I did make apple-walnut-cranberry bread for the house today. Yesterday afternoon I went on a ferry ride, with another artist resident and her 13-month-old, around nearby Alexandria Bay and the 1000 Islands. I saw enough of them to feel assured that there are indeed 1000. Just has to be 1 foot in diameter and capable of having a tree to be considered an island, and they ranged from tiny to grand- some had cabins, some had castles. We crossed briefly into Canadian waters. Just last month I was thisclose to Mexico (but was advised against popping in), and here I am dipping my toe into Canada.
We've had several bonfires so far, huddling sociably around the flames in the dark evenings, the sky overhead littered with stars in the style to which I have grown accustomed! How spoiled I've become in this respect. My paintings are coming along, though I must occasionally pause to evacuate from the barn an errant bee or dragonfly buzzing frantically inside the window, or wait patiently while a snake silently makes its way along the wall til it slips back outside. (I can handle glimpsing a harmless snake or two, but I can't blithely paint on while it is keeping me company.)
I fearfully turned my computer on tonight and it seems okay but for a water 'stain'. Cautiously optimistic. I cannot overstate my relief.
I just got invited to exhibit my paintings at a temporary gallery in Cold Spring, back in the Hudson Valley, in July. A friend and curator who supports my work will be mounting several short-run shows in a small space on Main St. I would include some of the new pieces I've been doing, as well as less recent work. More details to come.

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