I am inspired each year not just by the artist and their art but their surrounds. There are some forty artists involved in this tour which can wind and weave its way through our town and out into the county. My choice is usually to head out into the county away from town and hit those studios first. I like the opportunity to get out of town and see some of the farms and acreage where these artists are living and creating.
My girl and our crew visited maybe seven artists on Sunday. We returned to see three artists who struck us deeply last year. Potter: Brian O'Neill. Woodturner: Vernon Liebrant and sculptors: Don Anderson and Susan Averre. We were lucky to get to watch Vernon turn a bowl on his hand-made lathe. Sawdust flies as the wood takes shape. He gave my girl a piece of wood trimmed from the bowl in the making. A treasure to be sure.
And this year, We added to the list Deanna Elliott an abstract painter. Her paintings are about texture, color. In some new works, she uses wool, hand-dyed by her Mom from her own sheep to create what look like water color paintings. We stopped in next to see Julia Clifford who paints big expansive gorgeous pieces of trees and pasture, flowers. Her pieces are layered and surprising, dreamy like her website says. Our day ended with a visit to Tommy Gibson a photographer who quite simply blew me away and reminded me of how much I have to learn. In a good way. That reminder is inspiration in action. Each of these artists resonating in some way with me. Their work or their surrounds or in others we were lucky enough to see demonstrate their work, the quiet and grace in which they work.
Really, I should call this my fantasy tour because that's what it is. Most of the studios we visited sprung from old barns or timber frame loft or came alive in a beautiful yurt. i have visioned myself for years living on some land facing the mountains and having a studio out back to work my art...whatever that may be..for now I say card-making, design, photography, writing, working with people one on one and in groups, listening and guiding. All about art that is learning and experimentation in action.
I took pictures from the day to bring into focus pieces of my dream. Images from my dreamscape brought to life perhaps. Giant sunflowers wilting, dying off, a sign of summer passing. Through the leaves, I see an old barn in the background.
Gardens in mountain view dappled in color with the remains of this season's harvest, apples that fell early, discovered by worms, brilliant deep green chard still sprouting leaves, linden grapes nothing short of luscious. One bite and plump tart sweetness bursts in your mouth.
Fall color, a brisk chill in the air makes me feel happy. I am inspired by art and the land with freedom to roam and the land that is open expanse.
Here I am writing and talking the dream aloud: A warm, efficient, open home for us. One that doesn't need much fixing. A studio out back. A dog and cat. Chickens too if I'm dreaming real big. And room to garden. I see my rubber boots and old pair of pants in the mud room ready to go out to work again. I see our hands at work in art and dirt. Pots on the stove. Fire burning. Mountains in view.
This is one dream that lives in my soul. I've had the same dream for years and years. I can see the studio, feel myself in it. Feel others there too. The important part of any dream is to keep dreaming it, putting it out there, working and shaping it like a piece of clay. And I will keep shaping, visioning, feeling and working this dream into reality one step at a time.
I am glad for this day touring art and dreaming my dream and oh yes feeling the burn from a beautiful, early morning, chilly bike ride with a very good friend. We climbed hills and coasted down again. Sharing as we pedaled on.
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