John Tagliabue
Will you stop for a while, stop trying to pull yourself
together
for some clear "meaning" - some momentary summary?
no one
can have poetry or dances, prayers or climaxes all day;
the ordinary
blankness of little dramatic consciousness is good for the
health sometimes,
only Dostoevsky can be Dostoevskian at such long
long tumultuous stretches;
look what that intensity did to poor great Van Gogh;
linger, lunge,
scrounge and be stupid, that doesn't take much centering
of one's forces;
as wise Whitman said "lounge and invite the soul." Get
enough sleep;
and now only because (as Cocteau said) "poetry is the
literature of sleep";
be a dumb bell for a few minutes at least; we don't want
Sunday church bells
ringing constantly.
When Deanna read this I was reminded of a quote on a Yogi Tea bag, "A relaxed mind is a creative mind." {That quote is also part of another art project I did on C-mas day using a bunch of Yogi Tea quotes.} Relaxation must be a mindful thing; it seems often neglected in lieu of other tasks.
Friday Deanna & I decided to get together in the evening, eat & be creative. So, I packed my dog on the snow-go & we zipped over to Akiuk, 2.5 m. away. She also has a dog that Baker is friends w/, Lola.
I haven't been keeping my initial "do something artful weekly" promise to myself. This filled the void, for both of us. It was really satisfying to spend hours being creative, listening to music, & in good company. I ended up staying the night b/c I was going to spend some time w/ another person in Akiuk the next day. (Plus, it was -30 w/ the wind chill & I was too lazy to drive home.) She ended up going to Bethel, so Deanna & I spent the better 1/2 of Saturday continuing our creativity, adding in some poetry reading & "The Office" watching. #_#
The products...
The first one here was practice using the "How To Draw Graphic Novels" booklet I have. It was the first time I used Sharpie markers to shade though.
This Korean flutist should be finished now. The inception of it dawned in 2002 & remained a head w/ partial torso & the moon w/ clouds in the background. I completed most of it by Jan. 1st this year. Saturday I went back to touch up some shading, mostly w/ the plants & clouds.
I want the door to look weathered w/ deep cracks in between the planks. It's not working so far. I think I like it better the way it was w/ more red coloring. It was started in 2004, returned to in 2009, and now again. This one is still a work in progress.
Deanna used some photos she'd taken during her AlCan Hwy. trek last summer as models for her watercolor pencil drawings. One was a landscape scene seen through tree branches. The other was the sunset in her side view mirror. They turned out really nice.
What's next? --- I need to practice proportions of the head more. Then, I'll go back to practicing the expressions. So, I went ahead & set up the book so I can dive right in next time.
To top the great weekend off, Maria hosted a belated Lunar New Year mini-feast Saturday evening. She & Jacquie served maybe 30 people a variety of Asian delectables: wonton soup, egg drop soup, stir fry (a few kinds), salun'aq (raw, salt cured salmon), & salmon dip.
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