In the coming weeks listen for interviews + more with international artists who work within the field of new media. The ongoing focus and feel of our podcast is moving at the speed of sound. Catch the wave. 

It’s great to be back! Right above my home I just noticed a graceful hawk gliding, barely moving its wings, weaving circles in the dense blue sky. It was moments after I heard a deep bass roar above head and peering through the skylight witnessed two sets of fighter planes racing across the upper deck of the cloudless blue yonder, heading west.

Portland is home to Critical Mass, one of the many creative legs of Photolucida (formerly Photo Americas). I’m not talking about the exciting clan of eco-bicyclists that span the citywide streets at rush hour, but sometimes the world of photography is as fast-paced. Here we have an annual competition inviting international photographers to submit proposals to be published and exhibited. The process has been fine-tuned as it’s going into year five. I’m pleased to have been involved since prior to its inception as one of the jurors, and as such have been exposed to a range of amazing work. Looking at 150 portfolios (from an original set of 550+!) certainly helps preparations for my upcoming curatorial gig. The organizers are extremely proficient at balancing the wealth of talented photographers to the ratio of jurors (museums, publications and independents).

At the end of what would seem an arduous process, but is quite smooth actually, the winners of this competition are either awarded an exhibition or publication. But one thing is certain, they are being exposed to many well trained eyes in the sphere of the creative eye. I’m proud to be a participant on this end, honing the critical eye is like any form of training, a lifelong process. Two photographers will be awarded monographs of their work, and the announcement comes in March…

ONE-NIGHT ONLY: All things photo-based are cooking around here this weekend. Newspace Center for Photography holds its 2008 Silent Auction on Friday, February 29th (6-9PM) which includes food, dessert and open bar for only $10! Work by several known quantities, including Larry Fink, Hiroshi Watanabe and many others. Do not miss this fantastic event for collectors and community!

Local photo-luminary, Cherie Hiser, welcomes you to a special evening of stories she wants to share about her Visions of One exhibition at the Side Show Gallery at 23 Sandy. These images are portraits of Hiser made by some renowned and common names in the photography pantheon like Judy Dater (inset photo), Jerry Uelsmann and Lee Friedlander. She studied under one of my favorite photographers of all time, Minor White who, in his latter life taught at MIT. This should be a wonderful intimate evening of stories and pictures. Saturday, March 1 (6-8PM).

OUTSIDE THE LENS:I was pleased to receive an email from Prudence Roberts, one of Portland’s most well written journalists and director of the Helzer Gallery at PCC/Rock Creek. She mentioned the upcoming presentation by rock musician/painter Carson Ellis (The Decemberists). What I’ve seen of her work in the past, mostly via record album covers has always been fascinating. Vintage old world in their illustrative qualities, this should be a great show. A few years back I saw her and her band open for Beck (in Bend). If you are unfamiliar with their sound, I must recommend giving them a whirl or two on iTunes. Smart pop rock with quirky lyrics and groovy undertones, like They Might Be Giants, maybe a bit darker. The show is called Melodies Rhapsodical and Fair: The Art of The Decemberists. Ellis will give an Artist Talk at 3PM on March 7th, with a reception to take place immediately afterward through 6PM. The gallery is located at 17705 NW Springville Road in Portland.

PS: Speaking of sound+vision - don’t forget the Sonic Youth contest in its final days….

2008 WINTER ARTIST SALON SERIES @ Caldera

OPEN TO THE PUBLICSaturday, February 23, 1-3PM31500 Blue Lake Driveabout 15 miles outside Sisters, OR at the Blue Lake

 

DAY 1: ArrivalVanessa (Renwick) and I started our trek out of Portland when she picked me up at the tree house in the early morning. And towards the big Blue and Suttle Lakes, outside Sisters, Oregon to Caldera we went. It had been a bit touch n’ go as she had come down with a bit of a nasty cold, for which acupuncture seemed to do a miracle. The roads were clear for most of the trip, save some extreme winds off I-5 that had the van swaying in our lane. She has a stick, so I wasn’t able to lend a driving hand. As we drove deeper into the Santiam Summit things started to slowly, and surely turn whiter, and we stopped in Detroit (OR) (where they recently had a national emergency, and relief due to record cold and snowy weather) to get a hot cup before setting back out. We noted some National Guards digging out vehicles.

 

Before you knew it things were pretty snowy and blowy. Since there weren’t many turnoffs and we were headed uphill in a few inches of fresh snow we decided to pull over and bring out tire chains. I played traffic guide, as we were on a slim strip, yet a two-way road. Mind you, this has been the large rcordest snowfall in this area, maybe in all of Oregon, since 1967! Vanessa did a yeowoman’s job on the first back tire and it took a bit longer for the second one, but in about twenty minutes were on our way. Before doing so a huge two part logging truck, traveling pretty quickly through the road conditions, swayed its backend dangerously toward us in a swerve that was more dramatic than I would have liked.

 

And into more blinding snow and drifts we went, cross something of a semblance of a major two-way road, unplowed for hours (and the precipitation was heavy). Most of the snow-encrusted road signs weren’t visible, so we relied on maps and intuition, and a compass for what its worth. Over the Summit and into the region the droopy trees seemed so over weighted by the heavy snowfall. In some parts it looked to be many feet, as tall as me, and with plowing, nearly 9 to 11 feet at points in my estimation. The drifts were stunning, shaped by the wind, like white cliffs and the huge evergreens looked like closed umbrellas. There were some complete clear-cut areas that dotted the hillside like dots of pepper in mounds of salt.

 

And we made it to the turnoff with less difficulty (no less snow) and into Caldera, where our friendly grounds person Thom greeted us out of his tractor, hauling snow (two fresh feet as he mentioned). The main space, the Hearth Center is open and light - made from huge wood tresses and planks. Architecturally stunning and almost lost in the white scape we were shown the premises, and my photo studio, which is just huge – dwarfs my studio in Portland! I think this is going to be quite good, I do.

 

We were shown to our resting quarters, individual A-frames, contemporary and comfy, with lots of amenities probably not found much in these woods. The place is airy and spacious, and I have always loved the shape of these types of buildings. It’s warm and quite cozy with plenty of places to sit or lie and think - even had a hidden microwave, which I did not expect. The organizers even left us an extremely sweet welcome sack with healthy treats, teas, a book and goodies. I brought my blender, which I think I’m going to donate.

 

After I put away my large haul (I don’t go away for many weeks often, to a place without nearby tourism and restaurants, et al), it was time to shovel the walkway and the deck. The walkway was slick and pretty easy, the deck (which is extensive and offers a most beautiful view of the tall trees and winding, rushing river a stones through right outside) had at least a foot and 1/2 of snow and it was packed down and heavy. This may be my source of exercise while I am here, a great workout. Made a nice fire in the wood burning stove which wasn’t much of a problem, and they supplied me with a huge bunch of firewood. MK (Guth) not only gave me some wonderful tips as she did this very residency last year, but she kindly gave Vanessa and myself some of those great long matches, which came alongside fire starters Paul gave me, so once the blaze was going, it was quite lovely and super warm in here. Dinner and a glass of Californian merlot will now see me crash soon…and it’s only 7:15PM – and as black as night can be out there. I shoveled only an hour ago and it looks like at least a few more solid inches have fallen since. This is going to be a proper winter! Night now.

 

DAY 2: Slow Dawn, Studio Comes Alive

 

Awake just before 7AM, not much different from the norm, except here, somehow I managed to stay in bed nearly a dozen hours. My rest was not completely peaceful, adapting to the sounds of silence, then heavy winds, something falling which woke me up, but the snowdrifts pulled me back to rest. Looks like another few inches since may have fallen overnight, but it has let up for now and the sky is a soft pale blue this morning. As I sit down at the breakfast table, contemplating my day, I spied the first sign of critter life out there, a very fast moving small black squirrel or chipmunk running to various tree trunks. And just now a pretty jay bird, so blue, just passed by the window. It’s slightly like being inside a fishbowl looking out, or perhaps that’s in reverse? I’m going to move my work materials and supplies to the studio today. Otherwise, today I’m leaving it to nature to direct me further.

 

10AM: Like the delicate drift of a snow globe hint of the white stuff continues to fall. Upon merging from my cabin the stillness outside seemed completely organic, untouched. Shoveling my walkway is a bit of a task, and gives my lower back a trial. From there I cast my big black boots into it, some parts of the walkway and road completely filled in with large drifts, covering all foot and tire markings. I wielded my heavy bag filled with laptop and other technical gadgets down three paths, two of which, because the snow was at least 3 ½ feet or so, I turned back and finally felt some crunchy tractor fossils in the ice. After about 10 minutes I found the road leading to the Hearth Center, there were two vehicles and I noticed a person inside the one closest to me and waved. The woman emerging evidently was waiting for the van blocking the road to move from the egress. She thought it might be mine, and the man driving it emerged from a small side walkway.

 

Once at the center, I shoveled in front of the two main doors as there was no sign of anyone but they were locked (found out later that they were just very unexpectedly heavy). I remembered what I had said to Jeff, one of the organizers of the residency, that I was “anxious to get restful”. But I was in the mood to get right down to work. Thom Brzoska, the main contact down here, and the “snow manager” must open the doors at 10AM. And I think it’s my only egress to the studios actually. Since the bag was heavy and the snowdrifts were too lovely not to capture them I headed back to the cabin to nab my camera and leave the heavy load. On my way back Thom was driving in. But I decided to get the camera as the sun was out in that bleary, subdued way. So I ventured all over the grounds and shot trees and igloo-like snow piles, and some glinting reflections. After about ½ hour I came back to the cabin with snow in my boots after having sunk up to my thigh at a certain curves. Back in the cabin I filled my water bottle with kombacha and when I went to move its nozzle it squirted through the air. So, I’m drinking a naturally carbonated beverage, with a hint of gingery zing and then some kick….

 

After a late morning nap I went off towards the studio again, this time entering quite easily through a plowed entrance. Thom must have worked for several hours clearing the weighty snow, as the weather became slightly milder today. Some icy parts had begun melting to reveal ground and building surfaces. And through the center I made it to the massive doors to the studio. This is the photography studio, with two floors, the size of a healthy classroom. There’s a darkroom with Beseler enlargers, chemistry, tongs, some Holga cameras…and it all feels quite nostalgic to me somehow, having ‘gone digital’ over eight years ago, with a handful of years between without fix or stop bath. I looked around anyway and once I saw Ilford filters and a print drying closet it was like a memory lane I didn’t know I had – tapping into my history.

 

Once I’d been through the cubbies it was all about trying to find the first ‘tip’ from Ethan Jackson who had used this space last year at this time. He had suggested that I may get a potential ‘net signal in the workspace. Though, possibly because of the enormous amount of snow, the satellite did not dawn on my side. That was perfectly fine for a breather from the outside world, primitive as it might seem – there’s something really refreshing about going ‘unplugged’! Instead I spent three hours working on two sets of four 14” x 17” pieces. The first set were initially drips as I couldn’t help but literally mirror the environment’s deep greens and whites, with subtle yellowish glints. Once dried they seemed a bit less resolved than I had hoped, so I moved on to another set which I taped to a plastic tarp I made, flat on one of the many tables in the space. By using a mixture of gouache and ink, both silver, and a roller I coated the masked rectangles. After drying for about ½ hour I added some drops of similar colors from the others but from a freefall of a few feet, then coated them with a watery mixture of the same metallics. The drying process created some interesting warps…I like it when paper becomes object like, so this served a purpose.

 

The other four got a similar treatment with the addition of some Payne’s grey. These pieces had something of a resist quality ending up looking rather interesting prior to drying. And I put my stuff down and headed back towards the main building where I spoke with two of the participants who are here together – a painter and choreographer, both from Portland. A nice chat ensued and then it was out to the front gates of Caldera so I could mail a postcard. I couldn’t resist. Remember a time when sending postcards was a normal practice when you went away? Well, I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by. Though with all the snow it was quite a workout for my legs and lungs. With that I trudged back to the cabin to stare some at the flowing river. It calls me, the moving water. Always has. And after reading a small book filled with Zen-isms I fell to sleep while listening to Chris & Cosey. After an hour I am up, refreshed and it’s time to get my spaghetti dinner on and turn in by 8PM.

 

 

DAY 3: Routine Shapes Itself Even In The Woods,But Never Sleeps With nearly eleven hours of rest, I know one of the things that’s been desperately lapse in my life. Thinking of causes I’d say light pollution and the general frenetics of urban living. It’s quiet and peaceful here. You can think and generally lapse into a trance just by looking outside. In many ways home in the classic sense speaks of responsibility, work and routine. Though, I am up at 8, concocting a protein and super green food shake with hemp milk no less. Mind you, I very much like experimenting with food that will potentially cause me wellness and overall focus. This residency is also about clearing my head as well as my body, from general and built toxins. Now, if only my friend Kent was here to practice Shiatsu, it would be idyllic. Well, I guess that will come in the form of hiking exercise.

 

First thing today I watched Jim Hollands’ 3-D film collage ‘Here’ which uses old film reels he has distorted and added voices, and sound. I took it upon myself to use the 3-D glasses he provided to shoot the surrounding nature, and like the results. Today the sky is blue, there is nothing falling from the sky, and what is on the ground seems to be slowly melting. The weather supposed to be somewhere in the 40s for this weekend – so ground will most likely bare itself soon. I love watching how the river moves so slick and quick, being fed from some of the melt. To the shower and studio soon.

 

The sun cast a wonderful light on the snow which had started to shrink. Filled my sports bottle with blueberry infused kombacha and I was working with inks in no time. Since I was using the photo studio I decided to experiment with ink washes in the photo trays on the paper, which just happened to fit perfectly. I worked twelve sheets with blue-greens, red and yellow fire and some in between blue violet. In the process I resoaked the four I made yesterday, we’ll se how they dry out.

 

Thom stopped by to check on me and thought it was great to see progress being made straight on. Vanessa came by and was headed into the town of Sisters so I hopped a ride in knowing we would stop at the Public Library, from where this is being transmitted. I’m in the quiet room with a fireplace. As we set out there was only a slight bit of trouble manouvering in the snow/slush and then we removed the tire chains with little work, and off we went. I spied the gigantic ’sisters’ in the distance for the first time, and the light dramatized the skyline greatly.

 

We stopped at the post office to mail some letters from the folks at Caldera, and plan to pick up some beer and look around a bit. Tonight I’m going to show John Waters’ Polyester in the main center!

 

Addendum: Back in the studio I reworked the twelve pieces I started earlier by adding another wash of white ink, and then tacking them to the wall. I feel they may have yet another session ahead. I love watching the ink bleed and crate its own microcosm. After another hour and ½ I called it a night to head over for movie night. We got to watch the flick with the huge screen and some stereo sound. Someone brought wine, and popcorn and it was a good old time. Slumber awaits. To bed just before 10PM.

 

 

DAY 4: Black + Blue (Color Runs Deep)

 

As a light rain falls the morning starts with an unusual caw. As I was reading about salt marshes, beetle overpopulation and the future of preservation in a global warming world from High Country News my favorite colors appeared right in front of the dining table. These colors came in nature in the form of feathered friends this morning. The stellar jays were out at 7AM and in the tree adjoining the deck. Better than your average alarm clock. They make various sounds, one that is a bit loud, one that is mellow and content, and one that seems to call others. I had a few crumbs from a rice cracker and put it outside, and sure enough, they came to visit. There were four at one point. I shot a few pictures as those stole the bits delicately flying off to the nearby tall and slender fir trees.How wonderful to catch a glimpse of their fine striped tail feathers and facial markings, like war paint. The sun came up over the A-frame and lit the bird just so. Their pointy headdress speaks volumes about the natives of this country. The black half of their bodies deep like midnight, with a steely sheen, are like my Windsor & Newton India ink. I spot a squirrel prancing through the snow on the other side of the riverbank just as the jays have finished nearly all the airy morsels.

 

5:30PM: Right now I’m listening to various mixes of the Human League’s “Soundtrack to A Generation” which opens with “The smell of trees can only be that way, on a sunny day. Floating through the open window to the cool inside, where we lay side by side.” It reflects the moment, if not the season, perfectly. I am just in from closing the studio after six hours working. Then helping get Natalie’s car, she’s the Missoula writer also here on residence, out of a snowy ice trap. My hands are at rest and I’m cozy with a cup of herbal tea.

 

Though I had planned to take most of today ‘off’ today was the most productive day here so far. My fingers feel numb from all the push pinning of these small paper works. At first, when I walked in the studio the curl of the papers made me pull back, but the more I thought about the paper as object the more I liked them. But I was going to put a majority of what I did yesterday through another water bath and more inking. Working the paper is kind of exciting to see results that end up looking antiqued or aged. Some end up looking like underwater. A lot of cool colors, complemented by a few using combinations of carmine and a sunburst of orange-yellow. One ended up looking like snowfall and drooped trees above – part accident that I ended up directing to a more simplified state, responding to the immediate environment of course.

 

At first I thought some of these looked a bit like, I hate to say it, tie-dye, but since I’ve never indulged in this form, I think they have a character unto themselves. And I also started to draw more deliberately today as well. Perhaps I’m creating more lush backgrounds? Perhaps I will ink them out altogether. But part of my studio time was spent capturing them with my camera. And that was a large part of the intent, was to translate the hand works with my eye. I realized that a drawing, a flat work, can only been seen in its dimension. Then when I started to photograph these from various angles I realized that perspective shifts everything dramatically, even from a single surface. Call it common sense, logic, or some modest cross; it was a bit of an indulgent discovery, albeit pretty simple, got me on a path. The other piece to this was, I photographed these pieces at different intervals, some of the markings have vanished, or been modified since their first gestation.

 

I’m going to have one of those packaged Indian meals, watch High Fidelity with John Cusack for the first time in eight years, and call it a night. Ahhhh…..

 

 

DAY 5: Detox Remix

 

While boiling water for morning tea (Moroccan peppermint), I decided to do something I never seem to have time for, take a look at my music library in iTunes. Just some organizing, or pre-Spring cleaning. It’s the simple things like adding the name of the artist if it didn’t transfer correctly when up/downloaded that I’m picky about. A lot of music on my drive comes from old and new sources. I subscribe to eMusic, which I love, as well as a horde of promotional sounds from my freelance writing gigs, and now for the podcast radio show. As I sit to confer with my Iomega “Jukebox” my blue friend flies to the surface of the deck scouting for bits of cracker, but they did a superb cleaning and extraction of every last element of the single feeding already. So he flies away. Still, it was a nice, curious visit. Birds can be scavengers, and as such, have remarkable short-term memory.

 

This led to a loop of tracks by Sneaker Pimps, which reminds me of going to some dark club and dancing all night. Was it New York, Boston, what year was it? Without Google at my expectant fingertips and the lack of data in my collection, I rely on memory. And memory is ultimately powerful and magically blurry. The songs “6 Underground” and “Spin Spin Sugar” and “Post Modern Sleaze” – I could have danced and tranced all night I suppose….Those songs in turn reminded me of Tori Amos’ “Professional Widow” so I played that. Maybe the movie last night subconsciously alluded to the abstraction of how memory infuses reaction, and sound begets sound. How music association (or certain sounds) correlate to your history. “Honey bring it close to my lips, yeah…” Though I had appreciated Amos’ songs and musicality, that not on the dance floor she and I would be inseparable for years to come. A piano diva, allowing her work to be remixed for my pleasure? It was a perfect new component to the experience of the music. It’s 8:17AM.

 

10:40AM: With a bowl of hearty flax vanilla granola (w/hemp milk!) in me, my lucky #7 podcast of “experimental” music under my belt (hope you like it), I have the day to explore. Part of this month has been dedicated to eating whole foods, almost exclusively, along with cleansing minerals and other nutritional supplements. Pow-wow for the system.

 

5PM: Surprisingly I spent more time in the studio than I expected to, got into a groove, a loose one, not a locked one. Before I left Portland my gallerist Ruth Ann Brown gave me some leftover fine papers, which I’ve started to put to some use. Before I got here I completed two large-ish cityscape cutouts. Voids. And inked them end-to-end with solid colors and a little sheen. The result was surprisingly good to me. So, I broke out the papers and did a few ‘circular conglomerations’ – repeating the shape into forms, but keeping it flat. After a few of these it was time to apply these to some of the sheets I had put through ink and water baths. And the three I left with today turned out great. Now I have to consider if I want to keep them as is or shape the edges by cutting the shapes out from their backgrounds, but I don’t think so. I kind of like the surreal (‘dreamy’) backdrop. It feels like naptime.

 

 

 

 

 

A simple dinner of leftovers, readings from David Toop’s “Haunted Weather” and some further outlining for my May show ensued tonight. This all came to a close with “Thin Line Between Love & Hate” an always-incredible pop ballad by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. Great way to close the evening, in poetic conundrum.

——–Bonnie C. Wieden - 1943-2008——-

In Memory of Caldera Founder, Bonnie C. Wieden, affectionately known as Checkers….On February 11, 2008, the Caldera family of kids, artists, staff, board, and friends, lost one of its dearest members, Bonnie Wieden. With her husband, Dan, and their four children, she was the inspiration and the energy behind the founding of Caldera, and she spent many a summer day among the Caldera kids at the edge of Blue Lake. Caldera kids knew her affectionately by her camp name, Checkers, born of her many victories at this board game. Below is a tribute to her spirit and her life. We will dearly miss her.

 

 

DAY 6: My Aching Brain (the left side, of course)

 

It was a night of Technicolor dreams. I was mayor of a city of exclusively women where my job consisted of delivering pizza and vacuums. Next, there I was at the top of some skyscraper of a lost gothic city, without a car or other body in sight. In that dream I was more like a squirrel than a person, roaming up and down the sides of tall buildings like a sidewinder. When I woke I had many more scrawlings and thoughts to work out regarding my upcoming show, perhaps it will have a ‘performative’ aspect after all. Albeit one where the audience will have keys to let themselves in. Not a public spectacle, no SRO, certainly no tickets to exchange. But a sense of the body as container, keeper or dispenser of the unexpected…and its sense of purpose.

 

The sky is blue wonder today, and the light seems directionless.

 

And the sound of those Pretenders still emanating from my laptop, with “Porcelain” kicks me into a frenzy of 50 sit-ups!

 

Cabin #4 comes complete with a cool ‘modern’ carpet, more throw pillows than you could toss for a month, the almost too cozy wood stove, and a small book with writings and drawings from past inhabitants. I just read something funny by Andrew Dickson who stayed right here in December of ’03. He mentioned the books he read while here, a whole slew of ‘em – as well as allowing his Art Forum subscription expire in lieu of getting the New Yorker instead. Hey ya! Cynthia Nawalinski drew many natural scenes with the neighboring wildlife. 2004 resident Lori A. Brown quotes Thoreau: “To be awake is to be alive” – and illustrated this with a two page rectilinear magazin collage, minimal and clean. I had to smile knowing that Bruce and Marne (Conkle and Lucas) stayed here in ’06 and left some funny tips…they made ice cream out of the snow!!!!!

 

That’s better than making lemonade, et al! Their recipe:

 

- soy milk, vanilla, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut – add snow and stir. (Substitute mango/banana – mash up and cook on stove, cool in snow bank)

 

Someone simply initialed “MTM” (Mary Tyler Moore?)..wrote “I Feel like the world has spun on without me”. Sounds right. And finally, Ryan Pierce who was here just last month seems moved by his experience here, drawing a bald eagle he names Jason.

 

I added my thoughts.

 

4:30PM: Just sat down with a hot cup of blueberry tea. Imagine. How do the people at Stash get the blueberries in there? It’s not as good as their peppermint or chamomile varieties. Spent about 2 ½ or 3 hours in and around the studio today. Got some new things down, after collecting my thoughts about the upcoming ‘Couture’ show in May. I emailed Ruth Ann, and went about the grounds with my camera. The area is plain beautiful, I decided to take the trail that gets to Dan Wieden’s house. Along the way there were darker patches, where the flickering light through the trees creates these glints akin to an old reel film. I also spotted a few unusual paw prints as mentioned by David, a painter and one of the other folks on residency, who said it may be a cougar. A few of us discussed how to react (or not, actually) upon encountering such a wild feline, and Vanessa mentioned not to turn your back, always face the animal. She had mentioned that Michael (Brophy?) has been close to cougars in the wild.

 

The winds have increased and the air is cooling, Natalie mentioned that snow is in the forecast. And my outdoor deck is finally clear as of today. But snow fits this place, its big character. Being snow bound with a bunch of creatives can’t be all that bad. It looks like most people have voted for Reform School Girls for Thursday evening’s feature film. Yeah, that’s the one you never saw, with Wendy O. Williams! W.O.W. – whom I’ve written about here before encapsulates a particular chapter in my life. Unforgettable.

 

After I closed the studio doors I cracked open the video camera to shoot some of th grounds, with the sun bright and everything melting in the slightly warmer weather today, but the air has shifted some and I think the forecast holds some water (or snow as it were).

 

A few bats fluttered around the trees just as I was typing these last words (not my last words….).

 

 

DAY 7: Instant Postcards

 

8:36AM: Lucky seven! I slept on and off for just exactly twelve hours. But I was up and about with slight queasiness as the evening grew. Feel fine as I open my eyes to another beautiful postcard day! The sky is, well, sky blue – and the groundcover of about an inch of new snow perfects the entire scene here. Cleans up all the brown, earthy spots. A clean slate. I grab my camera and, Pop, a perfect picture. Only prior to ever studying the possibilities of what the camera can do as an extension of one’s body would I ever have considered work as a nature photographer. Though I am confident that I could sell a dozen of these to some stock shop. Though when I shoot an image of the way nature stands, in its stillness, it may be to document that breath in my life. And it goes well with Vladislav Delay’s Multila disc, let me tell you that.

 

Before I had crashed last night I watched the 1991 film “Daddy and The Muscle Academy” about the life of Tom of Finland – shot in the final year of his life when he was about 70. I almost forgot that Nayland Blake is one of the several “witnesses” commenting on his life and work. It was funny to see this man looking more like Harry Connick, Jr. rather than the furry guy he’s become. I did notice he was wearing a Bear Magazine t-shirt. I think that was in my own heyday of the ‘bear scene’ – I was 25 – and remember things like ‘Girth & Mirth’ – the whole predecessor to this – and I remember my curiosity, stepping into a meeting one evening, it was an ice cream social, and I bet they were not serving the vegan variety. It was before the days of lactose consciousness. How did I get on this topic?

 

Oh, yes, Nayland Blake. A wonderful artist, works within themes and narrative, often hidden, often repeated. When the Portland Art Museum opened its contemporary wing, one of his pieces were on the upper floors. It must have been borrowed as it soon disappeared. The work appeared somewhat utilitarian, a steel tray on wheels, with leather straps. For me it harkened back to this time, when I would travel to New York frequently to see th most challenging contemporary art by day and into the darkest bar and most intriguing nightlife I could find. Blake relates a personal wisdom, infusing hints of a life and its ‘style’ into what he does. Glints of loss, of race reality and quirky ambiguity. Over the years we have become virtual friends in the way we’ve traveled in similar circles, and one day I’m sure we will meet, and it may seem like old home week.

 

I’m gonna kick-start the day with some sit-ups again, a new trend without a nearby 24 Hour Fitness, or public transport to get me there.

 

4:53PM: Soupspoon of secrets

 

Have you ever had a mangosteen? Not going to say anything more, except I had some dried today. Spent four hours in the studio today. Drawing, rolling, thinking. I worked about four or five of the pieces I already had going, and then just started three more on fresh paper. Colors came alive on three of the reworked pieces. That was pleasing to see happen before my eyes. The more I mix the clear and opaque inks the more interesting the result. That and the luck of the drip, dip and roll. It’s not about precision at first, more about the way things fall into place. Natalie came by for an impromptu studio visit and seemed to like the work. She was the first person with whom I expressed my idea for the May show. Though she lives in Montana, said she wanted to come for the opening. It was encouraging. And I got an email (limited via satellite) from Ruth Ann who is planning to possibly come by this weekend to sneak me ‘off campus’ for a day in Bend, maybe this weekend.

 

9:47PM: First full night here so far. Jim and Patty hosted our evening meal together. They were gracious and told good stories about meeting, about their farm, hosting cyclists from all over the world for years, about a dog jumping off a cliff…huh? Patty made some homemade Goddess dressing for the salad which accompanied the vegetarian stromboli from Angeline’s in Sisters. All with a nice Italian pinot noir to go along with it. Wonderful conversation ensued between all of us, oh and their dog Lucky who also joined us. We discussed grants, travels, each others’ work, funny stories. Oh, and Patty brought each of us a vegan chocolate cupcake. Ahhhh. Vanessa is leaving the residency early tomorrow, but she did stay an entire week. Glad she did that, and will miss seeing her participation in the Winter Salon on the 23rd, however, it’s important for her to be with her family in their time of need. My heart goes out to her. And my body goes to sleep….

 

 

DAY 8: Love & Human/Nature

 

My heart goes out to you (and you and you and you…)

 

6:56AM: It’s Valentine’s Day. Last night, around the dinner table people talked about the corny nature of this “day of love” – but I don’t know, maybe I’m just old fashioned. I think it’s wonderful to focus on something so free and misunderstood. Of course, being in the woods without the one I love, though supplied with a lovely wood-burning fireplace/stove and all the pre-supposed wonderment of a romantic getaway has a certain disconnect.

 

Brings to mind the song “Life On Your Own” by Human League. I know Paul would appreciate the sentiment. It was nice to have my e-box filled with lots of very sweet thoughts.

 

Just before entering the shower I was deleting duplicate songs on iTunes. As I was toweling off, strangely enough, the early R.E.M. song “This One Goes Out To The One I Love” played in the background…

 

It’s into Sisters once again today, with Hilary who is here from Seattle working on her novel of fiction and Natalie, putting together a collection of poems. She mentioned at dinner that her work was on the inside of the buses in Missoula. I always take the time to read in transit (when I’m not behind the wheel that is). They both have a great sense of sharp humor.

 

[ Another transmission brought to you by the Sisters Public Library ]

 

5:50PM: Being in Sisters with the women from the program turned out to be great fun. We started with two solid hours of hi-speed Internet at the library (hence the latest transmission). Then it was on to lunch, and we had terrific Mexican food, I had grilled shrimp salad. Then a quick stop at the post office to mail more postcards, and back to Angeline’s to gawk into the pastry cabinet. I got myself a chocolate/coconut coffee cake which looked amazing, but turned out a bit too dry for my taste, probably should have had it with coffee! The gals needed to pick up beer so we all went to Ray’s Grocery Store. While they got their needs a very friendly grocer eagerly offered me help, though I think it was more flirtatious. Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day! It’s nice to be noticed.

 

Back into the car, we chatted about arts opportunities, and our lives. Hilary shared photos of her cute kids, Natalie has a full laugh. And just then, just off the side of the road I spied a fox. It seemed young by its size, and was moving rather slowly. A wonder of nature.

 

Back to Caldera I headed back to the studio to check on the pieces I started yesterday, and hung them for a vertical view. They still need some work, but I attacked two others, with the continuation of my circular fractal/spatial motif. I think my set of sixteen are complete by now. Three new longer pieces in the process, two line drawings with markings and naked paper still waits inside the portfolio. Tomorrow will be a big work day I imagine. Then it was off to our group movie. David made a fantastic veggie soup with curry and other spices, just right. Suniti managed to get the video apparatus working (so many buttons). Tonight I brought Repo Man – that’s the 1984 flick with Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton. I hadn’t seen it since then, should be a treat!

 

PS: Last night’s dinner was dedicated to Dan Wieden’s wife who just died this week. Though I never had the chance to met her, we toasted her spirit.

 

 

 

DAY 9: The Check, Please. (As in ‘reality’ check)

 

First thing playing at 8ish this morning is Jason Forrest’s Mochipet project, a funky 45 minute jam cut-up that pairs an airy Journey song with soulful electronic grooves. Time for sit-ups!

 

5:40PM: “Raise your flag, higher, higher….” I love Bjork. OK, I said it. Her song Declare Independence reminds me of the days of X-Ray Spex, and then when it’s all mixed-up, it makes your body move too. Damn, today was just like this song. It was warmer today, everywhere, except in my studio space where it was 43 degrees when I walked in, 53 when I left after this eight hour stint. Well, I did my laundry, went for a nice walk and attempted some basic satellite Internet, but trying to stay on task. The cold studio situation is nothing new to me, at home I have to deal with that daily. One day I’ll have a cozy studio with a nice surround sound stereo system. Yes.

 

Nothing stopped me as I may have completed three, possibly four pieces today. Slightly larger than the first grouping (maybe 15” x 20”?). These I started a few days ago, and worked a bit yesterday, something was stark. So, I added elements that completed the various compositions, somewhat geometric abstractions. One reminds me of Christmas for some reason. Not its nostalgia as much as its garishness.

 

On my walk today I finally got to see Blue Lake in its fullness, snow-covered still, but beautifully wide. It’s only a 5-minute walk from the Hearth Center. Along that short walk, from the sky above flew a graceful eagle. I always think it’s a private experience to see these fine birds. Four in one year, the tribe’s are on my side. I climbed around a bit, staring into the sky and across the entire panorama. The sun was warm, the clouds, in some wonderful pure white shapes. A wind blew my coat up a bit, and I immediately thought of my grandmother who passed away nearly 20 years ago. I froze. She’s always been in the wind around me. On the walk back I spied a treeful of small birds, finches I think, black and white, and a few I could hear but not see. I whistled back and carried on.

 

All of the artist’s here visited my studio at one point or another and I also did a studio visit with David who is working on a series of oils that are unusual characters, skulls, dancers, birds. We talked about his practice, and upcoming shows. Tonight, Natalie has invited everyone over to a pasta dinner she is cooking in her cabin.

 

11:10PM: Dinner was hearty, and filling. The night was full of stories of hi and lo art and bold laughter.

 

 

 

DAY 10: Cold Comfort (Cupcakelessness)

 

It was time to try snow-shoeing this morning for the first time. And I liked it a lot. The ease of walking over huge snowbanks without a leg dropping several feet into a crater. I brought the camera because I wanted to get a closer look at the Caldera Fish Ladder. An interesting wheeled contraption with several slide like partitions that fish travel through in the season, probably much to the neighboring birds’ delight. A nice hike, but when the camera battery died, I headed back to the cabin to await Ruth Ann’s visit. I’m looking forward to her reaction of the work I’ve made here. It’s definitely different. A bit less cerebral, and more fluid. Then the plan is to head towards Bend for lunch I guess. The others have gone as a group into Sisters. It’s a nice day with a warm, blue sky.

 

Made a quick jaunt into the studio to work on one piece, something of a target. It looks better than it did, but is a bit ‘dark’.

 

3:50PM: After much walking and waiting for my guest, she may have gotten lost, or stuck or perhaps decided not to come today, without cell I won’t know until later. One thing I did to let her know I was here is make about a couple dozen snowballs and put them in the center of the road for a long stretch. The other residents loved it! I took a quick nap, nice day as it were.

 

After watching “Cold Comfort Farm” I was able to connect on the dial-up to learn the Ruth Ann got as close as just about 20 miles away this morning. Evidentally she was stuck in three miles of traffic after an unfortunate traffic accident of some sort that would have delayed her arrival by three hours, so she turned back (and I learned she had vegan cupcakes in tow!). I’m just glad she’s safe, but it would have been a great time had the accident not held her up. Soon.

 

 

DAY 11: Nature’s Assymetricality

 

My friends Abi and Steve may come down to the area, to go skiing somewhere nearby. They are avid outdoors-types. Thinking back to yesterday when I walked out as far as my feet could take me in one stretch all I could conjure was coming upon a pack of wolves, and what I would do to survive. The trees became ever more friendly, though I’ve never climbed one. By instinct, somehow, I’d be up eight feet in a millisecond, yes. So, though I won’t get my hopes too high that intelligent city life may perform a visitation today, I am going about my business. Maybe after some light exercise I’ll work on some photographic images in the cabin. I’m rationing my last four large sheets for a special project that may come up as the week flows.

 

1:45PM: Sounds like the weekend is a bust on visitors, however, I decided to turn plain checkers into the Chinese variety and invited the other residents over for game night. I’ve mixed some dry roasted pistachios and tamari almonds and plan a pot of rigatoni. Wrote some postcards about next Saturday’s Winter Salon (1-3PM) and am very much looking forward to that, and possibly breathing in a bit more of the local ambience (there’s plenty). Plus, a few of us are headed to Bend on Tuesday (tomorrow is some sort of holiday). I received a wonderful postcard drawing from Gabriel Liston. Very thoughtful, and kept me feeling connected to the urban energies. It’d be nice to have the whole cake, and eat it in bits and bites.

 

Myself and two of the gals here decided to take a walk to the edge of the Blue Lake. It’s 300’ deep in its basin. Seems pretty amazing. In between things, speaking of chasms - I worked on a single ‘scape. In varying reds, after drawing the craggy edges which in inverse is either a cityscape or a canyon, I filled in the center in a patchy style with a brush and roller. I have to go back into it tomorrow – lighten it up a bit. And I have a plan.

 

9:44PM: Time for bed. We had a great game. Suniti won, David came in second, and conversations ensued about family, career and full lives over wine and pasta. This is a very interesting group of diverse people. The stars are bright tonight.

 

 

DAY 12: “It’s Electric!”

 

7:20AM: I like to walk on the ground early in the morning when there’s been a freeze. No mud, no mess, just the light crackle beneath you. I encountered a frisky, fearless squirrel. These little animals always amaze me, how they manage in the very cold temperatures. He saw me clearly from a few feet away but wasn’t about to move, he was eating something. I felt slightly odd having interrupted the tiny creature’s breakfast.

 

This morning I was on my way to check email via satellite and I’ve been asked to write for an art magazine. After some contemplation I sent in my response, which is that I would be happy to take on the role of one of Portland’s correspondents, but with my current roster of duty that I couldn’t take anything on until May. So, if that works, I will let you know.

 

Today I started playing with images shot in the studio, in combination with those from electric sources. The results are only preliminary. They are not unlike photo collages I’ve made in the past. There is a lot of tweaking ahead. And once I undertake the purchase of a new, larger computer, the passageways will open.

 

4:05PM: I worked on two larger pieces in the studio, then decided to combine them. I’m getting images of a destroyed empire, and 16MM film reel loops. It’s just what surfaced. The sun is nicely warm today. Funny I thought this would be a perma-Winter when we arrived, and it hasn’t snowed since the third day I got here. Though it’s in this week’s forecast. I always love the blue cast snow makes in shadow. Tonight Hilary is having us all over for rice n’ beans (and haikus)….

 

9:52PM: The evening at Hilary’s was lovely, until some guy arrived in a big truck with a Washington plate in the dark. He startled us as we were not expecting any visitors. We watched as he went from the Data Shack into Cabin 5. He emerged in a yellow trucker hat and studded belt. It seemed odd that he was wearing a t-shirt in the cold. We called out to him and he only said he works for Caldera, then occupied the A-frame next door to mine for the duration.

 

 

DAY 13: Take Me To The Slopes:The Lives & Times of a Country Bumpkin

 

My blue buddies are back this cold morning. Today I’m leaving Caldera with Natalie to go to a ski lodge so she can take advantage of ‘Tightwad Tuesday’. If there’s hi-speed internet I will be all set. A funny version of “Smoke On The Water” by Señor Coconut and his Orchestra starts the day with the rhythms of deep groovy salsa. I couldn’t be readier to take to the pavement, or thee slopes as it were.

 

10:30AM: OK, Natalie brought me a soy latte from her cabin. How nice is that!? Then after a quick trip into Sisters I realized I forgot my wallet, she also bailed me out on the cost of some postcards I wanted to send, unfortunately I only had enough to send five of the seven cards as they were a touch out of the ‘standard size’ format – story of my life! I picked up a two-liter of ‘organic’ lemon fizzy water (what makes water organic?), and a cookie at Angeline’s. Anyhow, I did manage to quickly listen to a few voicemails (a few friendly calls and one business that I had to pass on due to its sensitive nature) before I went out of zone within minutes.

 

Now, here at Hoodoo Ski Lodge I confront the fact that I am without any net connection, which is a bit of a bummer knowing that Natalie will be on the slopes for four hours. Well, I have my trusty ‘Calderalogue’ for which I am grateful. So many of the men up here look like the guys in the Doobie Brothers, and it’s a nice, bright day for snow-bunnies. Speaking of which, Natalie showed me the ‘bunny slope’ which is supposed to be for beginners…and I say, no way Jose. I love the atmosphere, but want to kep my legs intact for the duration of my stay. It’s also odd seeing people in these ridiculous color-coordinated jumpsuits and boots, goggles and such. The slope is lovely, small, I guess, in comparison with others like Mt. Hood – that’s an assumption.

 

There was this little kid and his dad helping strap him into skis, so small. It was a very sweet bonding moment to witness. Though most of the crowd here has a waspy aire about them, yes, I guess it comes with the territory – even on ‘Tightwad Tuesdays’ I guess. Finally got to see someone wipe-out! Wasn’t too bad as they got right back up without limping. A guy all ski-dude’d out just passed by in the nearly vacant upper lodge area, complete with his ‘Lt. Uhura’ earpiece. Sure feels like I’m in a film.It’s 11AM and the early morning natives are slightly restless to be served. The bar up here is not operational as yet. But a burly guy with that mean ridge in his brow was walking by and you know he was seeking brew. He was directed downstairs by a splitting image of that sexy black-haired lady who could tie cherry stems with her tongue in Twin Peaks. People continue rustling back and forth rather quickly. Two beefy ‘rdnck’ guys just popped up and asked me if they can wear their boots up here. Sure! The point is, I probably look ‘official’ sitting here, practically alone at the top of the stairs with my white laptop in tow, typing rabidly. I’m trying not to make eye contact – but there’s something irresistable about this brand of people watching. There! A blonde mom and her equally blonde young boy just passed by. Could they be Swedish, or is it the mountain air and sun?

 

Oh, were you thinking why am I not out there catching the drift? How’s the powder today? You see, growing up in New England probably spoiled me. Well, actually I only ever skiid once (maybe twice). I sprained my ankle, and that was it. It would seem that I manage to try everything once, like water skiing a few years back – which I just played into miserably. Maybe it’s coordination? Maybe it’s my relationship with water and its various offspring, like this white stuff. Mind you, I love watching the people do these incredible jumps and loop-dee-loops as they are paring downhill at 80 some odd miles an hour. I was never good on ice skates either. Now roller skates and boards – that’s another topic altogether.

 

Being a Libra, and trying to present some respectable amount of balance is sometimes pretty dismal. Of mind, maybe – but the feets have failed me more than a few times in decades before me. A ‘super cute’ couple circled around here, followed by a pack of hungry looking guys – all disappointed that the Miller Light sign has yet to be illuminated. Deciding to sit at the table just behind me, they splay out a pack of cards. One b-ball cap’d guy in shiny orange goggles looks to be serving himself. More interesting faces and the clomping of heavy boots surrounds and engages me. Someone finally ‘got the memo’ to pour from the golden spigot. Many happy faces, soon to become flush with shades of pink. People are magnets to hops and barley. Seems somehow a natural pre-occupation.

 

Anyhow, I am not out there because they don’t offer cross country trails, just the scary downhill variety. It suits me fine to be among the thrill seekers. The skiboarding thing, I have never tried it, but it looks more difficult to me somehow. One day, somewhere in the privacy of my own slope – maybe as a video game…..Some lady checked out a ‘ski bike’! Looking at it I thought, what in the hell? Odd looking contraption for sure. Wonder how many g’s it pulls. I keep expecting Fabio, or some such likeness to breeze up in a froth of snowy bliss, dazzling white smile with a just glistening stare.

 

It’s a lovely day none-the-less. And I’m not just saying so out of expectation or boredom. Glass is still ½ full here. My phone rang and it was Paul. First time I’ve heard that in weeks – funny that, huh? The sound of the phone being something novel seems out of context as it’s usually innocuous.

 

Two muscular ‘galoots’ just sat down at the very next table, one with startling light blue eyes, and like a hetero counterpart for ‘Jack’ on Will & Grace. Both very stern, focusing on the food they brought, and not much talk. The strawberry blonde with the broad chin is wearing a ‘Bill Rice Ranch’ t-shirt. Is that a Christian ranch? Are they corn-fed? Maybe I’ve been tapping away too long…I don’t know. But for some reason there are no smiles today. Maybe, too, I expect too much from male bonding? Somehow the scene, like something out of 50’s-style Howard Johnsonian Americana has lapsed the days of Rockwell (as in Norman). Suddenly there are more people up here. Funny how they walk in those moonboots - slower, clunkier and more robotic. Makes me cringe with a smile. And somehow I think I’m going to see someone I know, but to no avail.

 

The space starts to fill in around the noon hour. A tanktop donning stout guy with defined arms and wide strut courts a Tonya Harding lookalike. They seem miniature compared with some of the wide bodies here. People watching is fun. But, I’ve probably already said that twice, and not on certain terms.

 

I think at this point I’ve typed myself out even though a new circulation of speculative bodies have just jostled on through, including a swarthy, wind chafed handsome stranger with aviator glasses affixed to the top of his squareish cranium. Oh, yes, and lastly, the new Millenium darkly remodeled Bo Derekesque young lady just clomped quickly towards two young studs in waiting. OK, admittedly, I’m no Jackie Collins, but I still got a quip or two. Now, I think I’ll grab a slice and call it a day in the powdery slopes of Hoodoo.

 

Asking a sun-burnt and wind-chafed Natalie how were the slopes?: “Sunny and a piece of cake”. To which I responded, how powdery was it? “There’s no powder here as it’s all groomed down.”

 

PDX NOTES: I just learned that the Affair at the Jupiter Hotel has completed its lifespan after a four-year run (there were rumors in effect to that end, but it may be revived), and Joseph Gallivan has finished his culture writing stint at the Portland Tribune. Ch-ch-changes…

 

[Transmission from the Sisters Coffee House where reflected on their fridge “Jesus paid for our sins.” I promise - I am not a heathen , maybe a lil' on the Pagan side, but not full-tilt boogie - but this kinda joint makes me smile slyly for some semi-unbeknownst reason]

 

 

 

DAY 14: Women Are (also) From Earth

 

All that r(apid) e(ye) m(ovement) expended yesterday put my lights out around 7:30PM last night. That’s both good and bad – good for rest, bad for tossing and turning and multiple waking visualizations. Through it though I managed to have so many vivid dreams. One where I was an invisible partner to a crew of ladies who work at WAMU. They wore fifties styled uniforms and small pillbox hats, but were royally bitching about their jobs. It was so refreshing to have a dream from this perspective. For years I have heard the voice of women, often one questioning their ‘role’. My personal opinion is that I belong to the less rational, more haphazard-minded sex. Now, aside from that as a generalization – I think women have equal strengths when it comes to a fully balanced view. When you equate cunning, intelligence, basic common sense, strength, will power, determination (etc etc) – I think there is a perfect balance. And since I believe there is a larger ration to men on planet Earth, we’ll do fine.

 

Crashing early also did wonders for my upcoming solo stint at NAAU. I think I had a breakthrough, and feel like it may be etched in stone. Yes, it will be a way busy March and April – but full steam ahead. Words and ideas gelled, and things made sense – rather than being made up. It hit hard given the reality that my solo installation at the Portland Art Center for November had been cancelled. And there is an incredible thread to fold and turn inside out here. You’ll see.

 

Crashing early also did wonders for my upcoming solo stint at NAAU. I think I had a breakthrough, and feel like it may be etched in stone. Yes, it will be a way busy March and April – but full steam ahead. Words and ideas gelled, and things made sense – rather than being made up. It hit hard given the reality that my solo installation at the Portland Art Center for November had been cancelled. And there is an incredible thread to fold and turn inside out here. You’ll see.

 

Tonight we learned that Jim’s mom has just passed away, he’s the caretaker of Caldera. And his wife Patty was so nice to set out some dinner for the group, we had vegetarian lasagna, salad and wine, with a tasty carrot cake for dessert. This was held in the company of David Jasper, a cultural features reporter from the Bend Bulletin, and Kit Stafford, an arts teacher for Caldera’s at-risk youth programs. It was another cordial and festive gathering. We also met Tyler, out new neighbor in Cabin #5, another teacher of photography. The night was highlighted by a total skywide darkening lunar eclipse. The darkness is comparative with the hinterlands of upper Maine, parts that have zero population. No light pollution. This could be imagined to be close to true solitude.

 

 

DAY 15: Has Major Tom Risen in Rank?

 

100 sit-ups! Yes.

 

As residents here, we’ve done some chat about strong men (I am a larger-than-life o’phile). You see, Natalie’s brother is a championship lifter (she stresses he can bench press 500#). At this point in my life, that sort of pursuit has become a foregone conclusion – but I do what lil’ I can. Strength comes in various composites, from various sources and its outcomes are vast. Persevering within your vocation is a testament to hope, and the pursuit of the subconscious at times. You see that clearly being amongst a solid group of creatives such as this. Tiny successes reveal themselves, illogical shifts occur at the most unexpected times. Sometimes all it takes is a lunar eclipse to soften the edges of your grounding a bit.

 

On my way to the studio a pug-faced bird with a fancy split tail flew past me into a nearby tree. A lovely bird, seemingly unafraid, unlike the stellars. And when I opened the door to my studio, a woosh of warm air hit me, which was a wonderful fix to a weeklong heating problem. And to work I went, detailing my final sheet of fine Arches paper. This one is half infinity, half dna strand. Or perhaps a collision. For sure its something quantum, something I yet do not understand. But the mind wanders around such things subsize, macro and out of sight.

 

This evening’s feature was 1986’s incomparable Reform School Girls. This picture has got to be one of the best/worst b-movies of the last quarter century. It’s got much in common with the ‘porn lite’ as seen on the “lifetime channel for women” (remember that slogan?). On the way back to the cabin I nearly collided with a fairly good sized raccoon rummaging through the recyclables.

 

 

DAY 16: The Simple Complexity of Discovery

 

The twisted and slender limbs outside my sliding glass deck door is a wonderful helix of sorts. The barren branches form this amorphous connective tissue wildly traveling but somehow remaining unified. It’s like a drawing in the air. It’s probably been the second most inspirational natural event down here. And unlike the changing skies, so dramatic in blue shades I’ve only seen up here, the stoic tree has performed its ballet, and remains still until spring, naked.

 

Each cabin here is supplied with what we collectively realized are the ‘axes of evil’. Since our wood stoves are a wonderful natural heat source the wood supply per cabin also comes with a small axe, marked Iraq, N. Korea, etc. Yeah, you ought to larn ’something’ about being a woodsy lumberjack type if you are planning a stay of any sort out here, sans tv and the luxuries (passive magnetization) of home. I thought it was a bit odd at first, but when conversation started, we realized the fertile soil we are on is always infected by the culture of fear. That is both the real thing, and much political fabrication. Axes of evil, indeed! I prefer mine with a handle to wield any day.

 

Yesterday afforded me the opportunity to see or experience each of the women’s work here. First I watched Suniti move about, her dance style is very fluid and knowing, something slightly tribal, undulating from a heavy crawl-like stance into motions that were quite organic. Almost like Spring popping open with her kinky black hair and starry ice blue eyes dressing her face, usually bright and open, now so focused and contained with the space she makes for herself.

 

Surreptitiously, both Natalie and Hilary left me copies of their writings at my front door to read. You see, the other night I gave each of my fellow residents a small work on paper, reclaimed from a portion of a piece that didn’t work. I reworked the four small 4×6 or so sheets into miniature versions of ideas that continue passing through my mind, allowing each of these fine artists to select one of their choosing. The gesture of giving has always been in my blood. I certainly get that gene from my mom.

 

Hilary has quite a gift for transforming the English language into a mélange that sounds like a screenplay of sorts. There’s a subplot, and all sorts of hints of something menacing, or curious. When we all went for a walk through the snow the other day I shot some pictures of the Blue Lake which she thought would b perfect for her book. After reading the chapter she left, I see why. There’s intrigue and mystery, and something familial, yet foreign about the characters – only making me interested to read a whole lot more.

 

Natalie provided me with a copy of her working book of poetry ingeniously titled The Feasting Spider. Visions of very physical circumstances, broken into breaths of thought, equipped with urban smarts, without its pedestrian aftertaste. With a free sourcing of creative punctuation, not to mention endless associations, some like fine quips, others imaginative and far-reaching. There’s a certain rhythm in it, not in the form of pretention and rhyme – but in dark tempo. Peterse’s words are not purely stark or bleak, however, some lines are indelible phrases. She references cities and wildlife. The reading is challenging, thick and thoughtful. Makes you wonder.It was a day in Bend with Natalie. We walked through downtown, through the library, a record shop and into the nearby public park where geese scared off some cranky bluebird, and two daschunds hobbled by with their lipstick-glazed mommies. This city of 16K is a wealthy clatch of sorts, with some nice restaurants, the wafts in the air at noontime, and lots of ’specialty’ shops as my dad used to growl. We eventually decided on a nice contemporary Italian place that Natalie endeared as ‘bougshee’. She had the goat cheese tart, I, the grilled shrimp pizza. All was completely divine, and topped off with a visit to Goody’s old fashioned ice cream fountain for cold sweet treats.From there we explored the Metolius River and drove through Camp Sherman’s woods. Stopping for a pack of does who were munching on the dried side of the road, only a half dozen feet from us. We then got out of the car at the sight of a super large tree that had fallen over the river - trunk had to have been at least five feet in width, and we crossed it, over the rushing dark and cerulean waters. A further navigational drive took us to a scenic outlook where many varieties of fish flow through the cold waters, and on to the fish hatchery where we walked from cement pond to pond, with over 2.5 million fish swimming galliantly. It was quite beautiful, especially the rainbow trout - how shiny are they? Deep breath….And then back to camp for rest and organization of tomorrow’s event.

 

Tomorrow is our Winter Salon (1-3PM) and the weather seemingly has held up for the event. It will be great to have the locals descend into our word for a few hours, then leave us to our own devices.DAY 17: Showtime/Snowtime: A Winter Salon

Today is our public presentation for the residency at Caldera. Most of the Portland staff will be unable to join us due to the untimely passing of Mrs. Wieden, whose ceremonies will also be held today. However, we will dedicate our event to her spirit today. Our group has a plan after organizing the proceedings last night. When polled we guessed that between 15-50 people may show for the salon today. Last night the first light dusting of snow fell for the first time since arrival, the skies are overcast, but we will prevail. In prepartations we had our own variation on a talent show last night, and imagined ourselves in different disciplines. David did wiry, impromptu dance, Natalie also created her own form of movement, Suniti helped make an incredible dinner of veggie burger burritos and played DJ, Hilary unfortunately fell on the ice on her way to the center and rested her leg and its new big bump and I sang acapella on a lavalier headset. It was probably some kind of silly, yet important release of energy before today’s program. We’ll see…

9:20PM: Our salon was great, with 42 folks visiting from the area. My friend Antonio came down which was nice. Suniti started things with her dance ‘phrase’, then David and I had studio visits, then Natalie read ten of her poems and Hilary finished with a few chapters from her upcoming book. Afterward we all headed out to Sisters for dinner at Bronco Bill’s and back to Caldera for one final game of Chinese Checkers for the road. David took this one. Tomorrow we’ll have a final brunch gathering then start heading back to our homes. It’s been a true pleasure getting to know these folks. And I am sleepy tonight as the snow just starts to drift down to soundproof the evening!

DAY 18: Full Circle, Let’s Make Snow Angels

The beginning of this residency was covered in the bright light of Winter. Through the wee hours the heavens opened and dropped another few inches to cover most semblances of road and human traces. It’s a fine powder coming down now, all the surroundings lightly decorated in white trim. Everything goes unusually silent.

Today we celebrated our last Sunday brunch, and David concocted some amazing rosemary potatoes, a scrambled egg with herbs and I brought Belgian mini pastries. Coffee, juice, english muffins, and even chocolate covered blueberries! We agreed that treating ourselves made this feel more like a Swiss ski lodge. One more game/movie/misc. night ahead and the group starts to disperse over the coming days.

DAY 19: It’s Practically Crystal Clear

As things wrap-up here I’ve packed my temporary studio and started to prepare to head home in the coming day or two. Originally I was going to be here through Friday, though I’ve depleted most of my supplies and resources, and am missing home. Not quite homesick, just changing the lens so to speak. There’s this sense of the known that’s been on hold, and other obligations that need to be met. Getting back to the basics of the domestic, my relationship, and the common studio practice. It’s been a fulfilling experience, though it’s time. Time to dedicate solely to my upcoming exhibition. It’s all clearly designed in my head – now to make it something real (well, it’s a stretch from ‘reality’).

As a group we had our ‘last supper’ last night. I tried to intermittently get results of the Oscar winners back to the table, over spaghetti and wine. Despite the rollercoastering writer strike, it was a night of international actors. Seems right.

Natalie, the Montana-based poet left under cover of early morning to pick up her pug from the kennel and embark on her 12 hour journey. I head back Wednesday AM with a friend coming down from Portland, which I’m sure we can finagle. The group of artists at this retreat formed a nice bond, and we plan on visiting or contacting each other. We certainly had a ton of laughs. With only a touch of precipitation in the air, it seems that things are warming some today, and a bit of the past day’s snowfall is turning slushy. And the birds are back, which is a sign that today will be rather pleasant.

DAY 20: Morning Papers

As we artists began to disperse the presses rolled on….

MONASTIC + HERBAL Though this is predated, I’m not simply vying for your attention — yet again, lest you forget me while I am among the evergreens, in what may have become a miraculous mirage of a setting. And so what if my visions of these three sisters have appeared like the Alps for a moment or two. Call it “triple vision”. All hallucinations aside, I could probably go for a shot of Chartreuse right about now (made from all sorts of things and twigs gathered in the higher altitudes). Alas, there’s no ‘packie’ round here, as my dad used to call your local friendly liquor mart. And as some have endearly termed me “Betty Ford” I’m known as a bit of a lightweight anyway. And this potion is potent, fostering some lovely memories. But it’s back to work, and rest for me. Look for secret reports from around the big lake and cozy woodstove soon….

With the environment ever under siege, and the volume of overwhelming emails and suggestions I’ve received - please take a look at Dia Foundation’s site regarding some steps towards writing a quick letter to save this Robert Smithson master Earthwork, Spiral Jetty. In many ways, as the industrial climate evolves so too do works such as this. Though you can be part of its preservation with the power of your passion. Located in the Great Salt Lake of Utah, this 1970 work is Smithson’s most celebrated. You can spread the word (a sample opposition letter is here) by acknowledging the proposed offsite oil drilling that could seriously impact this historical work. For additional information or materials please contact Ashley Tickle, Dia Art Foundation, 212-293-5518 or atickle@diaart.org

As this post hits the streets I’m hopefully past the highways and bi-ways, through the Santiam Pass (check that cam!) and safely in the company of Sisters (not to be confused with those of perpetual indulgence)…..though that’d be a creative residency for sure! Being at the foot, between three big mountains makes for lesser communication possibilities, so allow me to say a few things as I travel into the wild.

And speaking of indulgence, as I’ve just completed my first teaching experience in many moons it must be said that the last five weeks were nothing short of shared growth and learning. When you think that people offer you the privilege (however earned) to stand in front of them and shape your thoughts (and in turn, potentially theirs) in this type of forum it can be beguiling. So, actually, I tried to have a basic outline, but didn’t think as much as improv critically about images. It was a completely refreshing experience, and all my students really participated and were vocal and/or visionary to different degrees and ends. Our guests included Jim Lommasson, Richard Speer and Ethan Jackson and I almost coaxed Jim Riswold as well (next time!). All of these folks gave fantastic presentations and overall helped form some of the dialogue about style, critical thinking, and the basis of looking and the sum of its parts. Hats off to all participants and to Newspace Center for Photography for offering me the venue and opportunity. Now, in a few p a rti ng wo r ds its time to take to the hills, or talk to them, or some such….and don’t forget the contest below. Are the hills really alive with the sound of music?…guess I’ll find out soon enough. See y’all in March unless I can eek in some form of satellite report (smokesignals, Morse Code?) from my further adventures in the Cascades.

OK. So, I’m headed out of town for a month. My web connection (posts and podcasts), since I will be in the eye of the tri mountains named Sisters, will be questionable and fewer. That said, the plan for Caldera is to break from the norm. To truly search and find even headspace to think and create freely sans the day to day (that includes my regular posts here). And the intent is to have a respite as well. That’s why during the month of February I turn the creative pen over to you, my readers, and an opportunity to win something I’m offering, a brand-new copy of Sonic Youth’s Corporate Ghost DVD (The Videos: 1990-2002). So, it’s a bit of a contest, but all responders to this posting are eligible, no restrictions.  Here’s the deal: write something - a sentence to a paragraph long - that creatively describes being either at a crossroads, a point of departure or a momentary glitch. Most creative response takes home the prize. Due by February 29th at Midnight PST.

  

Stick around, as we’ll be back in March (after a hiatus on residency) with new interviews, soundings, and observations…. 

If you haven’t heard this quartet live, consider your pool without water. Better Homes & Gardens will be featured on KMHD-FM tomorrow at 2PM, and performing at Jimmy Mak’s swanky new venue on Tuesday the 5th (see poster above). In the meantime you can ‘try before you buy’ and listen to the improv and experimental jazz magic leanings that Tim DuRoche and company make happen - over at MySpace.