Of birds and blogistas

Crowd of birds in sweetgum tree, something good to eat there, I think.


One of my favorite sights at this time of year is a crowd of birds throwing themselves about in the sky, like many iterations of a single bird in a net, then settling on a tree, like decorations, then flying away, all in concert. Individuals but working together for a while, very modular.

I love modular -- some of my biggest art pieces are modular, each part made separately in the limited area I have over the years used as studio spaces, then put together in the optimistic hope that they will work together, and surprisingly often, they do.

Putting up a solo exhibit is another modular feat, since I literally have never seen the whole exhibit all at one time until it comes time to hang it, no space for it! so it comes as a surprise. Some pieces look radically different in different light, against a different surface, in relation to other pieces, often for the better, now and then not so much...

Many years ago, I was invited to do a solo corporate show, my first, big honor, very exciting, and loaded my little Plymouth Horizon tiny hatchback with 50 count them, framed monotypes. The art committee for the company had asked me to meet them at the loading dock, and they looked down with amazement as I pulled up in this tiny car! they were expecting a van, I think....and after they got over their surprise and amusement, one of them said, well, if you ever get a bigger car, will you make bigger art? to which I explained that if I made bigger art I would have a van, but I didn't, so I didn't! the show went very well, was warmly received, all very thrilling stuff.

But again, I had never seen the pieces all together at one time. They did the hanging and did a very nice job, too, good, since it was a serious piece of work for several people to decide on the relative positions of 50 pieces of work. And they were proud of their efforts, pointing out how well it all worked together! well, yeah, since one artist did it all, chances were that would happen...but they did grasp that hanging a show is in itself a work of making art.

But speaking of the modular, it dawned on me as I took the pictures of the birds yesterday, in the trees,



one huge one presiding, not a hawk, otherwise the smaller ones would have vamoosed, and then flying off after posing was over, that it was like the individuals who read and follow and post and email around this blog.

Some of you have posted your pictures in the followers section, some are more abstract, some are shadowy presences, some comment in here, some never do that, but email, some neither email nor comment but catch me in passing to talk about what they read in here. And some read and I have no idea at all until they eventually say so. It's all good! there's harmony and unity there, great art principles.

And some of the blogistas know one another in rl, some via internet life, some not at all. But I thought you should know what a distinguished company you comprise:

Mostly women, one or two men that I know of, from New Zealand, England, Canada, the US, including Alaska and Hawaii,as well as the lower 48, and various other points on the globe as you travel about.

Talents and skills and professions ranging from printmaker, to performing musician, to dancer, to watercolor painter, to cook, to photographer, to gardener, to librarian, to weaver, to spinner, to pianist, to computer specialist, to permaculture consultant, to marketing whiz, to social worker, to knitter extraordinaire, to knitting designer, to higher ed admin, to writer, to nurse, to doctor, to teacher, to retired executive, and I'm sure I missed a few, feel free to correct this listing! and to realize that quite a few of you are in several categories all at once.

And religions from Jew to Catholic, to Moslem, to agnostic, to Quaker, to atheist.
And races including all of them that comprise the human race.

And without exception, wonderful senses of humor, which show themselves over and over as you cope with my wild and headlong blogrush.



So consider these bird pictures a loving portrait of you, dear group! bye for now, come back soon.