Patti Gibbons Art

Part of my horoscope read for today: "all worry produces no good. Use your imagination and seek ways to solve problems". I try and not get too personal on my blog as I don't think people want to hear more problems. Shoot, you all have enough of your own. I have been told that my life is like one giant soap opera. I would have to agree. I am trying to learn that though I can't control the forces of the universe, I can control how I react. Tonite I am not doing such a great job. Again, I won't get into details. It entails too much intimacy about my life. Before the shit hit the fan here, I was in a great positive mood. Everything was going great in the universe. Now I feel like it has come crashing in. Balance I suppose. I will have to keep my horoscope in mind. All worry produces no good. We have our health. It just gets harder and harder to survive and keep one's head above water. I will try and focus in the good for now. I have three pieces of a...

I have been back 5 days now and have only seen glimpses of the sun. I keep saying a prayer that it will come back out so that my friend and I can spend one hour relaxing by the pool soaking up the sun before my massage. Yeah, I know, life is tough during the summer when you are a teacher, but hey, I work like A MAD WOMAN the rest of the year, making art, running a business, and teaching full time. Then I need all summer to get my house in some kind of human shape before it all starts up again. Oh, and clean the studio and STILL run a business. But I do get myself centered, tan, relaxed and re-energized so I can keep ticking.... It has rained here almost every day since I got back, and not the brief later afternoon or evening showers of the Caribbean. The painting I put up for today is another storm painting, with the buildings of Cozumel in the background. It was not raining that hard as you could still see the island, and WE could still swim and be in the sun! I wanted to tel...

My husband works for the Center for Photography in Woodstock NY and the portrait/fashion photographer Platon was teaching a weekend workshop and giving a lecture in the evening. Prior to the lecture he had invited his class, employees of the Center, and close friends, to come to his house for a small intimate gathering. I had come back from Mexico and gone to bed at some ungodly hour that morning, so it was a feat of strength to go. But I was still in the party mode and thought it interesting to meet other artists, especially ones who had made it in the art world. His house was lovely, stashed in the woods of the Catskills. His wife, due to have a baby in a few months, was lovely and a wonderful portrait/figure painter. Art hung on all walls from floor to ceiling in the large central room. It was relaxed and informal, a far cry from the fast paced NY scene. My husband and I talked to him for a bit about his assignment for Rolling Stone where he was embedded in one of the Army'...

I am freezing back here in the Hudson Valley. The temps here have not gone over 65 or so and it has rained steadily for the past two days. Far cry from a brief shower or two and steady temps from 80-90 with an ocean breeze in Playa. The weather in the Caribbean was interesting and predictable. Most mornings it was sunny and hot, with clouds building over Cozumel in the early afternoon. We would get some of the clouds from time to time, cutting down the strength of the sun which was welcomed as I am trying to do minimal damage to my skin. I love a tan and try and do it gently if there is such as thing. Lois and I stayed the first night in the Flamingo in Xcaret. It was GIANT and spread out over some 100 acres. We had to walk far to get to anything there, and ended up taking transportation to the beach. Lois wanted to go to the "adult" beach first which turned out to be a large rock pool. Not a beach at all. The water, though coming in from the ocean, was warm and so...

I came in last night from Playa del Carmen, sunburned and tired - but rested. I wish there was someway I could bottle the calm I feel after a week of R and R. Sunning, walks on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, shows, dancing, eating, drinking, shopping, writing, and painting. I have never experienced anything quite like the ocean there. I have been to many beaches from Florida, Cape Cod, New Jersey, and California, but this was the BEST. I am now spoiled and can't imaging swimming in anything else. The water was CLEAN, WARM, and TURQUOISE! The fish swam around my feet and I could see many feet below me in the water. I was never cold and swam every moment that I could. I woke up this morning to a damp cold rainy morning in the Catskills. I am dressed in layers, in careful layers, as I got burned in odd places the last day I was there. The beaches are very European in nature, filled with Italians, French, Germans, Spanish, who sunbathe topless, unlike here in America. I not...

The weather has been good, the people lovely, the color of everything amazing. I finally feel relaxed in this almost perfect world, and am sad that I return home tomorrow. I do miss Larry, and know I am coming home to some major family problems and have to deal with some more health issues, but I feel like I have the fortitude and peace of mind to think clearly and non-reactionary. I miss my husband and it will be good to be home again to give him a great big brown hug. I discovered the motherlode of bead stores here and bought the colors of the ocean-blues, purples, aquas and pearls of course and will be making a line of earrings that reflect the influence that this part of the world has had on me. Look for my paintings and postings about my jewelry in a few days. I fly home tomorrow and soon will be back into the full swing of teaching and hard work. I can look forward to returning however, and that will keep me going! till then, xxpatti

I am not spell checking and am only posting a quick one as I am paying for internet time, but Lois and I arrived yesterday in Xcaret, Mexico. The hotel was like Disney World, and had no beach to speak of, so we have moved to a Hotel in Playa del Carmen. The color of the water is turquoise, and the Mexican people helpful and kind. Far different that in NY! So far we have not gotten much sun as it was very cloudy today, but we were able to walk along the beach and I did a painting of a storm over Cozumel, an island not far from us. Look for my paintings when I get back. BE BACK IN A FEW DAYS! patti

The grass won't be greener than in my very own garden. Alright, so lots of it is weeds and varying shades of green, and brown with just a hint of green left after little rain and heat, but I love my house and my yard. I get very sentimental about it as I get ready to embark upon a trip. Tomorrow I head to the Riviera Mayan to a resort that looks the size of Rhode Island. Beaches, jungle, caves, snorkeling, swimming, lake pools, parasites, giardia, Montazuma's revernge, hurricanes, sea lice. STOP IT STOP IT I scream to my voices. Isn't it enough that I have not slept for two nights, am PMSed to the max and I just did a show that was a lot of energy!!!! Unfortunately I will probably get my period on the plane or when I land, and be sick as a dog for a few days; thank God that they make medication for that! The resort is all inclusive which means I will be eating and drinking my way through the compound. I have one week to recover, then it is back to the craziness of s...

It has been a busy few days here in the Catskills. A wedding in Newburgh, three nights of fabulous music and dancing at Bard College here in the Catskill Mountains. We heard the magical Bar Scott (http://www.barscott.com/)who is a must see if you enjoy lyrical, poetic music, then Jeremy Lyons & the Deltabilly Boys who are so much fun and funk (http://www.deltabilly.com/) and the fabulous Renee Bailey who belted gospel, blues and jazz. Now I saw Renee back in the early 70's as a young teen at Rosa's Cantina in Woodstock. My girl friend and I were about 16 or 17, and back then if your parent walked you into the bar in Woodstock, you were allowed in. Often her dad left us to our own evil ways which included dancing, drinking, and walking, or should I say STUMBLING the mile or so back to her house on a dark mountain road. We did not have licenses or cars, which was probably a good thing. Actually, come to think of it, it was one of those wild nights that got Susan and I in...

I have a busy day ahead of me, with an evening wedding to attend. I am not looking forward to it as I was informed that the room is to be filled with Republicans and my husband and I were told to "behave ourselves". It has been a struggle to find the right clothes for this affair as Larry does not own a suit, and all my shoes for my poor fractured ankle are very practical and earthy. Finally Larry and I agreed...we are never going to see 95% of these people again, so who cares? He will wear his funky loose vintage clothing store jacket, and I am wearing a second hand dress, though I do have to say it is very sexy if I can manage to hold my stomach in while wearing it! I found a sale pair of flat shoes that don't look like combat boots and we might just have to buy that Jerry Garcia tie from my friends music store. Now I love my girlfriend whose daughter is getting married. But I don't have to agree with her husband who is a lawyer and a Republican, whom I am sure...

INSIDE is a complex construction zine produced by Christine Baese. Though it measures a small 3.5 x 4.25" at first glance, each side has a fold out that opens to a full 8.5 x 11". The fold is complex..the initial folds open to words or images, then when you totally unfold the paper there is more text with images inside. This is not a "fluff zine". This zine makes me think and see something new each time I look at it. Side 1 intoduces us to the writer..."sometimes I meet people but they don't meet me. They are too caught up in the freak show. I am the fat lady". Inside the "door folds" is commentary about freak shows and the people who partake in them, and how society looks at people outside the norm as freaks, or how we ourselves feel like a freak because we have too much or not enough of something. OUCH. Sad, but true. As a person who was handicapped last summer in a wheel chair, I know all to well how it feels to be looked though, ...

This was another zine I received in the summer Gleaner zine swap. Made by Toni Cooper it is 4.25 x 5.5, and consists of pictures and text with a stapled binding. This zine gives little snippets of info about a mix of Asian culture and symbols; the history of the fortune cookie, Japanese Geishas, Confucius, Spirit Money, and Panda Bears. One side is an illustration of the subject, the other a paragraph. It gives you just a tiny bit of info...enough that you might want to research more if you are interested. I liked the little handmade fortune cookie made of felt. Enclosed was also an envelope of various collage materials for one to play with; I especially liked the beautiful piece of brocade as well as the painted slide holder and sponge painted tag, all ready to make your own mini work of art. Toni can be reached at dcooper8@austin.rr.com. I have a small collection of Geisha art images which I have collected over the years as well as a Geisha paint-by-number which is one of my fa...

Recently I bared my soul on an internet forum and received a strong response. It was a response to a discussion about artists most inner fears. Fear of failure, fear of putting our newly birthed art babies out into the world. I disclosed that I had been scared and insecure about my fine art work and that I had finally decided to show some of my illustrations in an art show. One of the members responded to me about my insecurities saying that I had a defeatist attitude , with it I was setting myself up for failure, and I have better make some changes NOW. Some thought it harsh. Initially I felt shocked, but I heard her loud and clear and she was right. I knew that, and I was ready to take that step into the unknown . I framed my works, dropped them off last week, and Saturday was the opening. I had been in Westchester visiting my dear sister and family, whom I had not seen since New Years. They live about 2 hours away, so it is an entire day trip for us to go. I took Alan...

I am off and running again today to Westchester to visit my sister and her two year old. Imagine, I am a grandmother to a baby who is the same age as my sister's child! We are going to a community picnic and doing lots of running in the sprinkler as it is going to be hot hot hot! Afterwards, it is Kingston's first Saturday where all the galleries have openings. I took a "risk" and entered two of my ink and watercolors in a show Boats and Rivers. Most people know me for my mixed media work and have no clue that I can draw and paint. Always keep them guessing I say. Afterwards is another trip over to Bard College in Annadale on Hudson, where Daniel Fagen met Walter Becker and formed the band Steely Dan . He sings about it in his famous song My Old School (is that the title?) Anyway, there is a wonderful event going on there..the Spiegelpalais is set up and it is now FREE to the public with movies and performances by the like of Steve Gorn and others. Last night w...

I have not written in a few days due to the ungodly heat. Here in the northeast many of us don't have pools or central A/C making this 100 degree weather horrible. I keep telling my husband with global warming and menopause looming ahead, I have got to have a pool. But again, another expense occurred, no pool, and Patti is hot and whiney. (see my earlier post about my being a "pool ho".) I wonder how I am going to do in Mexico in a few weeks. Hopefully the Riviera will have a breeze and keep it manageable! Back to zines; this tiny little zine has a cover that is reminiscent of Munch's "The Scream". When folded it is 1.5 x 3", unfurled it is a foot long. The zine series is called "Still A Little Crazy" and is Issue 2. I cannot read the author's name very well...last name being Russell, but her email is wingedwoman.2004@yahoo.com for more information on her zine and ATC's for trade. I had to do some research on this saint as I neve...