Welcome to MissouriBendStudio!

This is an online journal of my artistic investigations and a way to communicate about my work, ideas, quandries and queries! I welcome comments and conversation and do hope you enjoy these musings. My artwork is available in my shop MissouriBendStudio on Etsy.com or on my website.

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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Ice Filled April

I just looked at my last post, from nearly a month ago (!), with those lovely pictures of the migration and the river....the view out my living room windows. Today, the scene is quite different, as we're in the grips of the last gasp of winter....so I hope! Walda is bringing winter back for a last fling...one to remember! In the last few hours I have experienced rain, wind, sleet, wintery mix, snow, thunder and lightning...let's see what's missing? It is a very odd sensation to be driving at 35 mph home from work down an ice covered road, sleet pelting the windshield, while bolts of lightning flash on all sides. Everyone I know is quite disheartened at this return of winter, even if temporary, as spring has only been coming in fits and starts as it is. This is a slow moving storm, so we have at least another day of this....oh and an accumulation of snow to look forward to....it will begin in earnest while we sleep and build up several inches (forecasts vary), lasting through the day tomorrow. Oh well. Won't we appreciate spring when it really decides to hang around for awhile! I took a few pictures the other day of an approaching thunderstorm....it was warm that day, probably close to 70 degrees.



In my last post, I talked about stopping, slowing down, pursuing depth rather than just breadth in life. I've done that somewhat....I've taken more time for reading and pondering as I try to live a little more intentionally. As we all know, life is demanding....of our time, our energy and we are easily distracted. The last two weeks I spent helping to move our library into the brand new renovated and enlarged space. It was exhausting, I must say....whole ranges of books had to be moved (hydraulic stack movers and a crew from the city of Vermillion to the rescue for that part) and I think it's safe to say every book in the library was handled at least once as they had to be shifted and reshifted, organized and reorganized. I finally have my life back and I'm once again on my course of rethinking things in my life and studio practice. I'm engaged in learning about the land where I live....as landscape, as place and as a piece of the earth's history. It's beginning to inform some new work and that feels good. The best moments are when you feed yourself with new ideas and learning and watch as it filters through you and comes back out into the world through your hands. At least for me, that's very rewarding...making the work allows my own thinking to unfold. As I draw I have a renewed understanding my widened world view, even if I cannot articulate it in language. I'll share some images of these new works soon...when they are finished. For now, here a some shots of a couple of other new pieces, including Notes From The Ancestors no.15, which will find it's way to my website in the next few days.

Notes From The Ancestors no. 15



I'm glad to be back....gathering up a new routine, listening and awaiting each next step. I missed the conversation with you all and hope everyone is doing well. Perhaps you are enjoying the first days of spring...for some of you, summer is winding down and you are entering a time of autumn. Enjoy the seasons....even if, on occasion, like today for me, the seasons get a little unruly!

Cheers!

10 comments:

  1. Dear Patti, it's so nice to have you back. Your posts are always a pleasure to read and your tender artwork a much needed respite from the world of too much. I had to laugh inwardly when I realized the hydraulic equipment and community effort were not needed for your personal library but for the public library where you work. We, too, have had one day especially where the weather changed from serious snowfall to a balmy spring day. Now I know what they mean out west when they say "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute."
    So glad to read how much good the pacing has done you, placing process over "progress". And it shows in your work. I find this gratifying to read as I know how hard you've worked to get here. Continued Success!

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    1. Lorraine....great to hear from you as well! Oh yes, the library move was definitely the public library and not mine, which is scattered about all over the house! Thanks so much for your warm wishes and returning them to you....hope you are well and thriving!

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  2. Love your moody photos. Spring is slow to reach us here as well and I'm rattled by how much time I've been spending indoors on days that still feel too dark for April. I'm sure Spring is on the way......one day.

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    1. Hi Annie....hope spring has finally arrived for you. For each day of hope around here there is forecast of more snow showers and another approaching storm!!! I vote to strike April from the calendar! At least the days are longer...spring is surely on the way!

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  3. Lovely to see a post again Patti and glad you're benefiting from the slower pace. No. 15 is beautiful!

    It is Autumn here. Cold today (snow expected on the mountains) but we've had the most glorious balmy days.

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    1. Hi Robyn....so glad you like no. 15! Still cold here and feels like autumn! Glad you've had some lovely balmy days....enjoy the rest of autumn!

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  4. Lovely moody shots Patti - I hope the wild weather has left you alone for a bit now. So nice to slow down and focus on being, and on your process rather than on producing. Hope you have recovered from the BIG move! Go well.

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    1. Greetings Fiona....our weather is most frustrating these days and seems to be stalled between winter and spring. April wintery storms still rolling across the plains and there is a forecast for yet more snow showers in a couple of days....surely spring will arrive one of these days! Yes, have recovered from the big move....those were two long weeks! We do have a lovely, large new space, although still awaiting some of the shelving, alas. Hope you and Barry and doing well!

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I'm happy to hear from you...comments and questions are welcome!