#Isthatachairunderthere?

The most comfy chair in my studio, buried.

I’ve been doing the #marchmeetthemakers on Instagram. The prompts usually give me pause, when it says “YOU” does it mean me or the reader? I’m a big talker on Instagram so I assumed it meant the reader and our relationship in that weird social media world. We ended up talking about books in the comments. Friday’s prompt is “USP” which I had to look up as my thoughts kept veering towards shipping. It actually means “unique selling proposition.” Oh boy.

Yesterday was an unusual day in upstate NY - sunny and in the 70’s. My friends who I paddle board with in the summer suggested that we meet at our usual place like we would if it was a hot July day - by the lakeside. We listened to the waves and had our usual conversation about work, family, teenagers, and whatever is currently on our radar. The art conservator told me about an artist she thought I’d like, Vija Celmins.

Oh. my.

A woodblock print from the Tate retrospective.

She worked with oils, drypoint, graphite, and woodblocks. She favored studies of objects that were as much about the technique as the object. She assigned no other meaning to the work. She studied the ocean, spider webs, and space. Here’s the rabbit hole for you.

As we talked I looked up into the branches of the sycamore and studied the shapes and colors in the waves.

Not all sycamores bear fruit.

The clouds and breezes affect the water’s surface.

Today is gray and cooler and I feel gratitude for that momentary escape to summer.