I spent a delightful evening Friday at the reception for my
‘Looking at Water’ exhibition. The
Convention Center set out an amazing display of hors d’oeuvres to snack on,
including butternut soup, gouda mac and cheese, and pumpkin tartlets. Elegant servers whisked through the
well-attended show with glasses of red and white wine on platters. There was even a harpist, which
provided a beautiful complement to my visual art. We decided that the harp was perfect because of the connection
between the strings in the instrument, the warps in the weavings, and the
collection of yarns and wires comprising the pieces. The subtle intonations of the harp are reminiscent of
rippling water, creating a beautiful atmosphere. I’m very grateful for how much effort that Patti Russo, Talisha
Coppock and the Convention Center personnel invested in making the reception
and show a wonderful event!
The show itself marks another turning point for me. It felt great to have all the water
pieces completed and hanging. It gave
me closure to that body of work.
The highlight was all the delightful conversations I was able to have
with people at the reception. Many
were new to my work, but it was great to bond with long-term supporters I have
in the town. Many picked up on the
new techniques and subtleties in composition that were developed for the
water-based exhibition. It was
heartwarming to share my sense of pride in accomplishment as we talked about
the cohesiveness in the show and distinctive features in each piece.
The life of an artist, sadly, isn’t all receptions and
celebration. With so much time
invested in creating pieces for the exhibit, much that is mundane was pushed to
the back burner. I spent most of
this week trying to restore some order in my life. I fixed the vacuum cleaner and ran it over much of the
house. I processed a mountain of
laundry and generally cleaned the rest of the house. I even devoted some time to creating the last of the props
for the Sounds of South performance of ‘Phantom of the Opera.’
I created an elaborate jewelry box for
Carlotta and trays of beer steins for the cast members in the ‘Don Juan’
scene. I made it out to Long’s
Landing, and the supportive crew there donated large foam pieces for the
phantom’s armchair. I did just dip
my toes back into the art world at the end of the week by adding colorful
flowers along the walkway of my large-format commissioned piece. I need some green yarn for a third
commission in my cue, which will require dyeing various textured yarns.
I wound skeins of yarns in preparation
for the big dyeing project. I even
did a little needle felting for a second commission in the cue, creating
mushrooms and olives for the piece.
Last, I’m gearing up to make some more sweater petals for the holiday
season at By Hand Gallery, as well as the upcoming Artisan Guilds ofBloomington show this fall.
This
year the three Guilds (Spinners and Weavers, Glass, and Pottery) will combine
to show at the Convention Center on November 14th and 15th. My ‘Looking at Water’ exhibit will
still be there in the Rogers room, so stop in to visit both!
Of course family events are still proceeding at full
steam. The boys are both heavy
into rehearsals (two nights a week) for Phantom of the Opera. Tommie will be on stage, while Jacob
was tapped to handle the lighting for the show. It’s amazing to see how far they have come since the first
rehearsals I saw in late summer, so now I’m looking forward to seeing the
final, polished version on October 18th. Parents have been charged with ramping up advertising,
meaning putting out yard signs, posters, magnets for cars, and anything else we
can come up with. Tickets are
available on line, and we hope to see you there!
Still, the best part of the week might have been the
raspberry pie that appeared last Sunday morning after Saturday’s farmer’s
market. I had a slice each morning
this past week, finishing the last one this morning with espresso. The weather turned cold, but I’m
looking forward to the first fire in the fireplace of the season tonight! I hope you stay warm too!
Until next week,
Martina Celerin
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Wow! Martina is 'on fire' with talent!
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