I did my two hour volunteer stint as reception greeter in the group gallery. Attendance was moderate. The heat wave may have kept people home. My co-receptionist was Melody who is an accomplished musician of a Chinese instrument I’d never heard of and can’t spell. Javier, a participating artist, was the one to sing Melody’s praises and showed me a video on his phone. It was very rhythmic. It’s a flat string instrument she compared to a harp. One French visitor when we introduced ourselves, asked if I spoke French. My answer now is “assez bien”, well enough, which seems to accommodate the fact that I will never speak like a native.
After which, I spent the rest of the opening visiting my neighbors and their art. To sum it up, I was proud. The work was varied and skillfully rendered. And there was so much!! Politics crept into several conversations, as could be expected after the art was discussed. Unsurprising, everyone hates Trump. What I was interested in with each artist was the technique, inspiration and with the more intricate work, how they knew when it was finished? Todd Hanson, was showing a massive and detailed new piece, said he didn’t. He just stopped, thinking perhaps there were rough edges. (I didn’t see any). But I also think we are the most critical of our own work. That, I would guess, is because the maker knows every inch of what they’ve made.
I outfit I chose to wear received a lot of compliments. The hat really made it. At six pm, when the public day was over, we all gathered on the roof for a group for a group photo. Marc Hors was the photographer. He’s from Barcelona, I met him at previous open studios and he had some of his work in the hallway as part of visiting artists. They were photos he had taken in the Middle East. One that caught my eye was of two girls holding hands, wearing ballerina skirts in front of a tent and rubble.
There were about 30 of us for the group shot. I sat next to Rebecca, who has Parkinson’s. She seemed pretty good, not shaking and speaking clearly. Bob Taxin (co-actor on Wine Train murder mystery) had a new girlfriend with him. John O’Keefe was there and said hi to me first. It was pleasant that the exchange was normal and without drama. Mari Eliza and David Lawrence were chatting up tech talk. And of course Brian and Florencia with their French bulldog, Beto. The event was fun and social. Maybe knowing they were going to be photographed had every one putting their best self and personality forward.
My techie helper, Nick, is coming tomorrow so I’ll see if I can get a few photos up.
Last note, My sister Connie sent a portrait drawing she completed of younger sister, Patti. Well done! I am bursting with visual happiness…. My belief in the power of art has been strongly reinforced today.
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