Big Week in The Roc
Fractured Focus opened!
It’s been a whirlwind of a week.
Monday, I loaded up my car with nearly every painting I have, about 50 of them. I had just enough room left for a suitcase.
Tuesday, I made the 12 hour drive from my home in coastal NC to my prior hometown, Rochester, NY with only one stop. Yes, I am a road warrior.
Wednesday, with help from my son and a colleague of his, we made decisions about what-goes-where and hung those paintings. I could have done it by myself, but I’m sure it would have taken all day to make the decisions, take all the measurements, bang all the nails and label everything. I am very grateful for the eyes of those two other artists who made everything look just perfect. This alcove was the perfect place for my gallery of Martyrs & Legends.
Thursday, with unseasonably warm weather, I had an al fresco lunch with my son and daughter. I had packed with gleeful anticipation of Autumn with boots and sweaters, but there I was in tank tops and shorts in 85° sunshine. Despite that, the leaves have already begun to turn glorious colors and I got to crunch through them and smell that wonderful scent. I’ve missed it.
Friday was my birthday and my kids treated us all to mani-pedis, after which we attended a wonderful show opening at the Flower City Arts Center. My grandson made a surprise appearance, flowers in hand, after making a 3 hour drive from his home to celebrate with weekend with me (love that kid!), then they all treated me to a fabulous dinner. It was a jam-packed day and my heart was full of love and gratitude.
I also made a pilgrimage to Wegmans, the best grocery store in the whole wide world. I don’t have one where I live now, so I make it a point to wander leisurely around one when I can. Marvelous place. If you know, you know.
Saturday was The Big Day: my show, Fractured Focus opened at a funky gallery/bar/tattoo parlor, of all things. Odd, but that’s the neighborhood. It felt like the perfect place for my work, honestly: just a bit left of center. I scheduled an appointment to have some ink done there later this week.
So many old friends and family came out to see me and my work. It was absolutely joyful, and I am very grateful to them all for taking the time to give me hugs and see what I’ve been doing for these last few years. Even my parents were surprised at how much work I’ve done and the scale of it in real life: it’s so much more impactful than viewing one piece at a time on a computer screen.
And meanwhile, nearly a thousand miles away on his own adventure, the husband clinched the national championship in his class, road racing his favorite motorcycle. Yay for both of us, following our respective blisses.
This has all been more people-ing than I’ve done in a long time. I have forgotten how both energizing and exhausting it is for me, all at the same time. It has made me realize that when I do get back home, I need to make an effort to get out of the house and studio regularly and connect with friends and even strangers. Covid isolation significantly changed the way I interact with the world. Being insular became a new normal, but it feels like time for another version, one that includes more human contact.