The Art Vine Spring Show and Sale is Saturday May 8 form 10 AM to 3 PM at the Chehalem Park & Recreation District Office (125 South Elliott Road, Newberg, OR 97132 just off 2nd Street across from Living Waters Church.)
We will be offering paintings, ceramics, textiles, and more just in time for Mother's Day.
Nate is firing the kiln this weekend so there will be some very new work to be shown.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Trying to understand Artists
I have encountered a mindset I find troubling from a professional organization that professes to "Promote Creativity, Excellence & Growth Through Education & Cooperative Spirit" and from a current pottery professor. What is that troubling attitude, you might ask? It is that only named and therefore famous (either locally, nationally or internationally) potters should be included in a show.
How do you raise the next generation of named potters if they are not given a chance to show their work?
In the case of the organization I can see it as the show that illustrated the point was to show that group's work. But there are two way to do that. You could go the route the group went having an outside jurist jury the best of the best of the group. Or you could go the other way and show the depth and bredth of the membership - both the named potters and older members and the newer members who are up and coming. If you have thirty spots and 400+memebers, shirley you could have the outside jurist determine the best in 5-6 categories and have 5-6 potters in each.
In the case of the professor, I have no idea. He seemed to view me still as a student even though it has been 5 years since I took a class and I have sold my work for most of that time. I admitmy work does still seem like some of the work of his students. But even more baffling, he lumped my husband's work inwith the students' as well. Prior to this weekend, the last time we saw this professor was at the opening of the Allison Inn and Spa. Both the professor and my husband had work in the hotel (and this is a 4 star establishment so a big deal artistically) so he has to know that my husband is developing a "name". The factoid that the professor might not be aware of is that the Husband had his plates selected (and purchased) for a new art community endevor in SE Portland. The opening of this building was attended by the art movers and shakers in Portland, including its Mayor. So why not include a piece of the Husband's in the auction for Haiti relief that is being held at the University? The only comforting thing is that the professor lumped his pottery work in the unworthy group too. He seemed to think that only his scultpural work would be worth including in the auction.
So I ask, what should the criteria used in judging work worthy of display? Should the artist's reputation be a leading factor? Or a factor at all? Should the work be judged without a name to it and by someone who can't recognize the artist's work by looking at it?
On a side note what differentiates art from craft? And what makes Oriental and, specifically, Japanese forms better than European forms?
How do you raise the next generation of named potters if they are not given a chance to show their work?
In the case of the organization I can see it as the show that illustrated the point was to show that group's work. But there are two way to do that. You could go the route the group went having an outside jurist jury the best of the best of the group. Or you could go the other way and show the depth and bredth of the membership - both the named potters and older members and the newer members who are up and coming. If you have thirty spots and 400+memebers, shirley you could have the outside jurist determine the best in 5-6 categories and have 5-6 potters in each.
In the case of the professor, I have no idea. He seemed to view me still as a student even though it has been 5 years since I took a class and I have sold my work for most of that time. I admitmy work does still seem like some of the work of his students. But even more baffling, he lumped my husband's work inwith the students' as well. Prior to this weekend, the last time we saw this professor was at the opening of the Allison Inn and Spa. Both the professor and my husband had work in the hotel (and this is a 4 star establishment so a big deal artistically) so he has to know that my husband is developing a "name". The factoid that the professor might not be aware of is that the Husband had his plates selected (and purchased) for a new art community endevor in SE Portland. The opening of this building was attended by the art movers and shakers in Portland, including its Mayor. So why not include a piece of the Husband's in the auction for Haiti relief that is being held at the University? The only comforting thing is that the professor lumped his pottery work in the unworthy group too. He seemed to think that only his scultpural work would be worth including in the auction.
So I ask, what should the criteria used in judging work worthy of display? Should the artist's reputation be a leading factor? Or a factor at all? Should the work be judged without a name to it and by someone who can't recognize the artist's work by looking at it?
On a side note what differentiates art from craft? And what makes Oriental and, specifically, Japanese forms better than European forms?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Weight Loss
YeeHaw!! I'm down t0 226 (From a high of 244 last year) I know it isn't speedy but then again I'm not doing drasctic changes just trying to make smarter food choices and adding in some exersize. I doubt I'll make size14 by ConCon in a month and a half but I should be able to wear my favorite Blue Silk dress to SCA events again this summer.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The list of in progress projects
So no progress on any quests in the last 8 days. I have been sick. Now I'm almost well with the exception of an extremely scratched throat from all the coughing. So my thoughts turn back to writing. I want to write but am unsure of exactly what.
My currents projects:
Untitled Rom-Com 1- This is the wish fullfillment rom-com that pokes at all the things wrong with the way women are portrayed in movies. Set in Portland and some of the characters bear more than a passing resemblance to me, the husband unit, and my BFF. It currently is 51 pages long.
An Exposition of Irony- The President William McKinley bio-pic about the 1901 Pan American Exposition where McKinley died. This was a project I was working on last year but stopped because while the subject fascinates me, I couldn't (and still can't) answer the basic plot question of "What does McKinley want?". I have to answer that in order to find the way to put stumbling blocks in his way to make a plot. otherwise it is more documentary than drama. (I could answer the plot questions from the asassin's point of view but that would make him the protaginist but I don't want to go there.) Currently it runs 23 pages
Siskiyou Pines- The traditional western that is more or less complete but could use a good polish. It's the story of a new widdow trying to hang on to the ranch and her family. 90 Pages.
A Happy Reunion- The more or less completed Rom-Com about a couple of high school friends who got drunk and married at the 15 year reunion in Vegas. It needs good polish and some more snappy dialouge. Currently 95 pages.
Untitled Rom-Com 2- This is set in Porltand about a pair of Yuppies who have been married for about 10 nearly break apart over a missunderstanding. Currently 34 pages.
Anyway those are just the original features I'm in the middle of. I also have a Leverage spec episode and one for Chuck that I'm working on.
My currents projects:
Untitled Rom-Com 1- This is the wish fullfillment rom-com that pokes at all the things wrong with the way women are portrayed in movies. Set in Portland and some of the characters bear more than a passing resemblance to me, the husband unit, and my BFF. It currently is 51 pages long.
An Exposition of Irony- The President William McKinley bio-pic about the 1901 Pan American Exposition where McKinley died. This was a project I was working on last year but stopped because while the subject fascinates me, I couldn't (and still can't) answer the basic plot question of "What does McKinley want?". I have to answer that in order to find the way to put stumbling blocks in his way to make a plot. otherwise it is more documentary than drama. (I could answer the plot questions from the asassin's point of view but that would make him the protaginist but I don't want to go there.) Currently it runs 23 pages
Siskiyou Pines- The traditional western that is more or less complete but could use a good polish. It's the story of a new widdow trying to hang on to the ranch and her family. 90 Pages.
A Happy Reunion- The more or less completed Rom-Com about a couple of high school friends who got drunk and married at the 15 year reunion in Vegas. It needs good polish and some more snappy dialouge. Currently 95 pages.
Untitled Rom-Com 2- This is set in Porltand about a pair of Yuppies who have been married for about 10 nearly break apart over a missunderstanding. Currently 34 pages.
Anyway those are just the original features I'm in the middle of. I also have a Leverage spec episode and one for Chuck that I'm working on.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Quest #2 progress
So pursuant to Quest #2 - The quest for an agent- I'm working on revising A Happy Reunion. This is the completed Romantic Comedy (or RomCom as the industry calls them), as opposed to the 2 uncompleted RomComs.
Anyway the consensus of my writer's group is that I fail in the Comedy part of RomCom. So how to punch it up? I really want it to be funny and not turn it into a drama as one person suggested. (They also suggested I focus more on a minor plot point of a minor character but I think that was because that plot point struck a little too close to home for them.)
So how to make it funnier without just adding a lot of jokes? I need to make the dialouge snappier and wittier. The other thing is I need to round out my characters more. They are too one diminsional. I also got the critisism that I have little conflict and what I have is resolved too neatly. (This is one of my problems with the Twilight books and I hide my head in shame that I have fallen into that trope.)
Anyway the consensus of my writer's group is that I fail in the Comedy part of RomCom. So how to punch it up? I really want it to be funny and not turn it into a drama as one person suggested. (They also suggested I focus more on a minor plot point of a minor character but I think that was because that plot point struck a little too close to home for them.)
So how to make it funnier without just adding a lot of jokes? I need to make the dialouge snappier and wittier. The other thing is I need to round out my characters more. They are too one diminsional. I also got the critisism that I have little conflict and what I have is resolved too neatly. (This is one of my problems with the Twilight books and I hide my head in shame that I have fallen into that trope.)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Pasties
Beef and Root Vegetable Mock Curry Pasties.
Pastry
2 cups flower
pinch of salt
1 stick cold butter cubbed
1/4 cup shortening
3-4 TBS cold water.
cut butter and shortening into the flower and salt until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle enough water on to hold dough together. kneed just enough to hold together then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a half hour.
Filling
a splash of olive oil
3 cloves of Garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 sweet onion
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 white radish (the kind that looks like a white carrot)
3 small potatoes or 1 giant baking potatoe
Spices to taste:
black pepper
thyme
ground allspice
ground ginger
ground cloves
ground cinnamon
Italian seasonings
1 beaten egg to brush the tops with
preheat oven to 400
chop the garlic and the onion. in large skillet splash the olive oil in and brown the beef with the onion and garlic. Flavor with spices to taste. grate the carrot, parsnip, radish, and potatoes into the beef stiring and adding more spices as needed
cut the pastry into 16 pieces and roll them individually. fill with beef mixture, pinch edges closed and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg.
Put into oven preheated to 400 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Pastry
2 cups flower
pinch of salt
1 stick cold butter cubbed
1/4 cup shortening
3-4 TBS cold water.
cut butter and shortening into the flower and salt until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle enough water on to hold dough together. kneed just enough to hold together then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a half hour.
Filling
a splash of olive oil
3 cloves of Garlic
1 pound ground beef
1 sweet onion
1 carrot
1 parsnip
1 white radish (the kind that looks like a white carrot)
3 small potatoes or 1 giant baking potatoe
Spices to taste:
black pepper
thyme
ground allspice
ground ginger
ground cloves
ground cinnamon
Italian seasonings
1 beaten egg to brush the tops with
preheat oven to 400
chop the garlic and the onion. in large skillet splash the olive oil in and brown the beef with the onion and garlic. Flavor with spices to taste. grate the carrot, parsnip, radish, and potatoes into the beef stiring and adding more spices as needed
cut the pastry into 16 pieces and roll them individually. fill with beef mixture, pinch edges closed and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg.
Put into oven preheated to 400 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.
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