Patti Gibbons Art

I am too tired to write my third blog. I have cramps, am burnt as I have given 200% at my job, done 6 miles, and 60 pull ups/dips at the gym, worked for a few hours in the studio, called Megan for a long while, and wrote 2 blogs. To view my work and catch up on things, visit my catskillpaper and meganaid blog. All is good. Namaste, Patti

As I posted in my art blog, I have not been in my studio for over 3 weeks. The classroom comes first, family second, and I throw everything else up in a 52 pick up card game, pick a card and play it. One card is cooking, the other cleaning, there is a smokey eyed Jack just waiting for me to invite him upstairs, and once in a while the wild shopping card wins out. 10,000 things to do. And then there is art I miss my most sacred of spaces. I enter another zone when I go there. I am working on two pieces for an art show about cancer. I have one completed piece which is very intense about my father, the other one is "under construction" about my daughter. Out of all the shows I have been invited to and/or been send applications for, this one wins out. It is so close to my heart. I will post a photo soon as my second piece nears completion. Patti O Healer PS the fabulous dinner Larry made me tonight so that I could work as long as possible in the studio.

In May my Honda is paid off. Larry needs a new car. Honda goes to Larry, Patti buys new car. But what kind of car you may ask. I have always fantasized about driving a red sports car, and it most certainly is a convertible. I won't hand over a chunk of my paycheck for a car, and I am no longer willing to play mechanic with an older car I may buy. They just aren't that important to me, I am not a motor head, and I would rather spend the time making art than sweating over a 70's engine. But there is a compromise, and it seem to be the Mini Cooper convertible in red. In my price range. It seems frivolous to allow myself to drive such a car, though for four years when my children were younger, I bought a new red Jetta. Nice. The Mini Cooper, is made by Audi/VW now, (was by BMW) it is a sporty ride. You know there is attention to details..... I know it is small, but I still have a CRV for the hauling jobs. This is for the cruisin' jobs, like the trip to work where I can e

I was heading back from my therapy appointment, and it was a wild session. You know that kind of session, one where you bare the deepest, darkest secrets that you can't say publically till after you have retired so no one can fire your ass. Now you KNOW you ALL have some of those secrets, so no shaking your head at me. So I am driving home, deep in thought, and musing about my higher power and what to do for dinner as my stomach was screaming. I put my cell on speaker, and proceeded to dial about four friends, and not one was home. It is illegal in NY to talk on your cell when driving, so I figure that having it on speaker in your lap makes it legal, cause you aren't holding the phone. (it does look funny to those who pass you on the road and see you talking to your crotch) Somewhere along the line while talking to my crotch calling around for a dinner date, I derailed, all navigation systems went dead, and I went straight instead of going left, and several miles later fou

One thing I am learning in life is to make time to listen to silence. In order to do that one must sit still. I spend much of my life running from one thing to another, whether it be job, chore, or any of the 10,000 things that need to be done. I run like a woman possessed and at times cringe at the little voice in the back of my head that hints I am a workaholic. Yet I don't see it all as work either, which complicates matters. Nevertheless, I forget about taking time to do things that give me such pleasure...lying around reading, or sitting by the fireplace, listening to music, staring into the flames, and when I allow myself to sit quietly, I discover things about myself and the universe, and often the muse of creativity visits. (who is it that said "music is what happens in between the notes?) So I've been listening-to-the-music-between-the-notes and in it I find peace and inspiration. And it is good. Patti O Quietude PS and it is wonderful when while you are sitt

I came home today full of all kinds of good intentions, but I felt very lethargic all of a sudden. I decided to be kind to myself and lie down for a while; after all, I just came off of a very busy 10 days, and I needed some rest after a day at school. As I lay in bed, I had the WORST stomach/intestinal cramps for hours. Good thing I listened to my body and was not out gadding about in a store or at the gym. I got a bite to eat as I am feeling a bit better, had a schluck of sherry, and am heading back upstairs. Flying takes a lot out of me, and besides, my arms are tired, lol. patti o landing

I will post the blog I wrote for today--tomorrow. Tonight I want to give a sampling of a 20 slide presentation I finished for school, and for myself. Titled Projekt 1, born from the need to make art on the plane when I am traveling. Taken with a small Canon Powershot A75 (3.2MP) which I LOVE , and altered in various degrees in Photoshop. Please note these are copyrighted images, so please email me if you want to use them. patti

Easter is a symbol...of renewal, of life springing from death. This renewal has been celebrated since the beginning of time, in fact, the premise of Christianity, Jesus rising from the dead, has been a theme existing well before the new testament was written. The earliest record of resurrection stems from Egyptian and Greek cultures, and carries into Judaism , Islam and I am sure in many other religions. Here, in many parts of the northern hemisphere, Easter coincides with spring, when all that has died from the season past, is born again. I have spent much time thinking about this while rubbing my daughter's belly, swollen with the life of her little boy. I think of it each time someone I know dies. I think of all of our parts in this cycle, for as soon as we are conceived we begin the slow, or for some, a more rapid descent to death. I don't know what lies in the great beyond past death. I don't know if I am reborn into another body, or if my body is raised from the

OK. We are not really in the "deep south" but from where I come from, this is SOUTH in many ways. Megan took me to the gym on the Army Base at Fort Campbell as I had not done any exercise since my strenuous yoga class on Monday. My muscles did not recover from that until Thursday, and the only exercise I got that day was running around airports. Half of the base is in Tennessee, the other half in Kentucky. It was 70 degrees, the rolling hills were green, and early blooming trees were a full 6 weeks ahead of New York. Megan had to show her military ID to get me into the gym, and they told her she was supposed to hang around while I was working out. Putting on my best coy New York face, I promised to behave myself, keep my mouth shut, and do my workout for an hour. The young man whose arm was bigger than my upper thigh looked at me, then at Megan, and said "hmm...alright, we will take care of her." As they handed me a towel (hey, my gym does not do that) showed

Landing in Washington D.C. at Regan National and Alanna wearing my sun glasses Delicioso is a word that my three year old granddaughter taught me upon arrival. It is how I would describe my adventures in life and my love for my friends and family. My trip from New York to Nashville yesterday was non-eventful, but at the same time there are always meaningful events that take place and my adventures. Non- eventful is good when you are flying; no problems getting to or parking at the airport, no problems at security, no delays, no mechanical problems, minimal turbulence, and nice people to sit next to. Meaningful things happen when you experience something new or meet someone who provides insight, inspires, or entertains . The best part of my trip was meeting Pam on the leg from Albany to Washington D.C., a woman my age who had fairly recently finished her doctorate degree and works for NC State in the Engineering Department. Liberal, intelligent, very hip with much panache,

(l-r Megan, me, and Karen) Though I have been stressed and complaining about how much I have had to do, I have to admit, I did take several hours each day to meet with a different friend to have lunch. I saw Rob on Monday at the Raccoon Saloon, Frannie Tuesday in Rhinebeck at The Beekman Arms Hotel,(that will be a separate review at some point---good one) and today was Mohonk with friends Karen and Megan. It is Karen's birthday tomorrow and because I was leaving for Tennessee, we celebrated it a day early. I had to get up at 6:30 so I could get to Karen's by 8:30, Mohonk by 9. We were half awake when we entered the spa, did our paperwork, and then sat in the Women's Solarium waiting for our masseuse, eating the light breakfast we had bought with us. The Swedish Massage was 50 minutes. I had a good massage, though I am used to deep tissue work and Swedish Massage is a bit too light. After emerging from the dim lit room with piped in yogic music and wonderful aromas of

Sometimes the stress of preparing to go away is not worth going away. I have to work so hard to get time off, and this time especially with taxes, business, and school.... But of course I am excited to see my family, so I am scrambling, making decisions, prioritizing and realizing there is always the tax extension. I am so close, but it is not worth pulling two all nighters and being totally burnt out when I get there. Nope, not worth it. Then there is the packing stress. Megan told me to dress for spring as it is warm there already, and I am frantic looking for lighter clothes among the turtlenecks, velvets, and layers. Somehow I don't trust that the weather is all that warm, so I am bringing sweaters and a jacket just in case. After all, areas to the north and west of me have WINTER STORM WARNINGS out. I am having trouble envisioning short sleeves and sandals. What really stressed me out was when I tried on last summer's pants. I have been working out like a champ for

Today is my namesake day. If I were a boy, I would have been Patrick, but instead with the missing part I fell short. I became Patricia instead. I still celebrate the day as I was indeed named after the patron Saint of Ireland, and I have a good chunk of Irish in me, but in the words of many a songwriter, I am no Saint. I celebrated the day by starting off with a yoga class. I had not done yoga in three years, and in spite of my being in fairly good shape, it kicked my butt. But I was calm and centered, or was it that I was just plain exhausted? Afterwards I headed to the interesting town of Marlboro, NY to visit my painter friend Rob. Rob and I have known one another for over 30 years...when we were both in painting class together, learning about life, and getting over the shock of having one of our parents die not long before we met. Those were the late 70's, a very different lifestyle, one that we were lucky to have survived. Rob, of all people, knows I am no saint. Rob

Those of you who know me personally know I am not a domestic woman. Yes, my house is interesting and artsy, but I do not have floors you can eat off of, and my furniture and rugs periodically are covered with a layer of cat hair, and an occasional tumbleweed can be seen skittering about my house like monsters in the movie Critters. I am not a dirty girl, (to the tune of Ani DeFranco's I am Not a Pretty Girl) but I don't see any sense spending time keeping a house spotless when it is like getting a Botox shot. The second it is done things start to fall apart again. HOWEVER, the past few days I have cooked. I have to say, my new stove is an absolute delight, and I made scratch cream of mushroom soup last night, and my famous Mexican dish for dinner tonight. My son was supposed to come over and hang out. He never called, and I made the dish half expecting him to be here for dinner. It was one of my children's FAVE meals. I am OK with it as I am sure something better came up. W

Last night was a vigil to protest the senseless shooting of a young gay man in his school because he asked out another young man who was not gay, and in retaliation and fear, the approached straight teen shot the young gay teen and killed him. Then Senator Sally Kern makes an ignorant, hatefull statement that gays are a bigger threat to our country than terrorists. I was forwarded this email by a gay friend of mine, and I am posting it here. I have checked it out through snoops, which I do with EVERY forward, and it is indeed true, and I am posting it here. (the paragraphs have been messed up, sorry about that) I am outraged by the behavior of this senator. It seems that the leaders of our country feel above the law, whether Democrat OR Republican, Bush or Spitzer, and the very basis of freedom from persecution that our country was founded upon, whether it be religious or gender preference, is threatened by Kern and so many others. The email which I will be reading to all of my high sc

Two days of preparation. You think that we were having a baby, or getting a new puppy or some earth shattering event. Well, for us it was. We had to prepare for the arrival of our new stove and fridge. First we had to clean out the old fridge of anything we did not recognize, remember when we bought, or last ate from. That was A LOT. Then there was a TON of film in the freezer, which got transferred to my studio fridge, which I suspect is now FULL of film with little room for my drinks. Then we had to pull out the fridge and the stove and clean up all the dust bunnies and dirt. We had done that at the end of the summer when we painted, and it is amazing how much stuff ends up under appliances. Go ahead, pull YOURS out and see tumbleweeds, space dirt, food, and dead bugs that have taken residence in the dark in your KITCHEN. We pulled up the oriental runner, as they had to deliver through the front door which we never use. The path was full of snow still, and I knew I would have t

e Lois and I headed to the movies. We were fifteen minutes early, and there were only two cars in the lot. Not a promising sign for a theater that has 6 movies running at the same time. Instant ticket, instant popcorn, premium choice of seating. Two teenage girls come in and sit almost in front of us and hang their feet over the backs of the chairs in front of them. A woman walks over and chides them for that. We are not sure if it is their mother, or a random person. They don't argue with her, but they don't listen to her either. I suspect it is their mother. The movie was all that I had hoped for. In such historical dramas, I am satisfied if the actors are decent, the clothing sumptuous, the visuals and or special effects eye candy. It doesn't hurt if there are a few sensual scenes, and a half way decent story line. Take me away. This qualified for all the above. It was easy to watch Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Kristine Scott Thomas mesmerize, se

Things in the studio are back to normal. I spent yesterday washing the floor, emptying the bucket of muddy water several times, and dried the entire white tile floor with towels. The upside of all of this is that my studio floor is spic and span, I have reorganized things, and have decided to unload or give away anything that I have not used in a few years. There is a lot of stuff to get rid of too...large pieces of leather and suede...stamp pads and stamps, hot pots, fabric.... I decided that I am NOT going to need a lot of the things I have, that I need to focus on painting and my mixed media/collage/ encaustic work. That is enough to master in what is left of my lifetime. So out to eBay /E tsy will go my surplus, or to Megan who will gobble up what I send her. She needs things to keep her busy while Dole is in Afghanistan, and while she waits for this little baby to be born. I am delighted over the lingering light with the time change. My most productive time in the studio i

This has been a hell of a week. I have done major battle with my hormones. I had a headache that lasted three days. 36 hours of bad cramps and everything that goes along with that. (sorry guys....but if you read this blog, this is part of the territory). Menopause is sounding like a vacation for me, only it isn't coming soon enough. I (and several other women) stood up for my and other's rights, only to be blamed by others for being the cause of those injustices (come on folks, are Americans really still back in the Stone Age?) It has caused me great pain and sorrow, but now I know who my true friends are and again, I am appalled at how backwards a good number of people in our culture are. I finally had to break down and buy a new fridge and stove. The drawers in my fridge all broke, the racks that are in the door etc. One of the gas burners on my stove does not work (can't be fixed), the handle is always coming off on the oven, and I guess I should be happy that th

"Ten Thousand Things" is a Buddhist expression representing the dynamic interconnection and simultaneous unity and diversity of everything in the universe. (from The Kyoto Journal ) Though I may not have written in a few days, I do assure you, I have done or thought 10,000 things. AOL (which I am slowly weaning myself off of...) dumped my blog last night, and I gave up. I am now typing from Mozilla. Just a few of my 10,000 thoughts from the past 48 hours: (censored of course) my frustration with our country's culture the constant rain that drums upon my tin roof reminding me that my studio may flood don't expect life to always be fair I have been betrayed mean people suck sensual is not sinful injustice makes me sick ignorance appalls me as does bigotry, racism, and sexism I am brave I am strong I hate doing taxes Hot flashes are very interesting I have become best friends with my heating pad NO means NO I need more flowers in my life I need more time in my studio T

I have had a long long day. In the midst of giving to needy teenagers, teaching art, doing reports and paperwork, and having SEVERE PMS, I had a brief moment where I laughed heartily, at someone else's expense. I feel a bit guilty about that as I am not one to laugh at others mistakes or misery, but as you read on, I hope you will understand. I was driving to work, trying to feel the effects of my early morning mug of coffee. I had not slept well in two nights, as I was having night sweats and bouts with insomnia. Still feeling sluggish, I drove along the creek on a grey March day, composing a poem in my head....to the tune "What If". Going there is too personal, but I did manage to make myself cry on the way to work. I mentally smacked myself upside the head, and quickly rid myself of the glassy eyed mist that formed in my eyes. As I was waiting for the light to change down the highway from where I work, a man rode along side of me on his bicycle. He was about my age, an

Last week I posted about the Operculum Cat Eye Shells that I bought on Etsy, and how they were used in jewelry in the Victorian era, and into early modern jewelry. I don't know if they were always used to ward off the evil eye, or if later on it became just a fabulous shell to use in a piece. It is not a precious shell--just a very lovely one. In my Internet research, I came across the eBay listing for tonight's photo. WOW...I got excited. It was a piece made by an early contemporary designer named Sam Kramer. I knew what the Eames era/style was, so I knew that this was a nice piece. Oh would Larry look smart with that. I got my reminder to bid. Starting bid was at 30.00 or something like that, and I like it enough to pay that and a bit more..but when I went to bid, and saw that the piece was up to 405.00, my elation crashed. In our brief time together this afternoon before he took off again, I showed him the piece, and he LOVED it. I told him I wanted to buy it for him,

"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry" (after Robert Burns) Today was tax day. I was prepared to spend hours getting both my income and my NYS sales tax together, or at least doing a huge chunk of it. Instead I spent hours on Paypal, on their help line, trying to get my accounts printed up. It did not work, and finally, after much exasperation, the tech on the other end said "we can send you a CD with all of the data on it as we are experiencing system problems, and it will take one to two weeks". I exploded. WHAT I SAID? ONE OR TWO WEEKS? YOU SHOULD OVERNIGHT IT TO ME IF YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS AND CAN'T PROVIDE YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR BUSINESS LOGS!!!. Of course, the answer was always the same, all we can do it burn it to a disc and it will take 1-2 weeks to reach you. I threatened reporting them to the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Fraud. It did not matter. I lost it. I wanted to throw the phone, but since I bought the fancy headset online,

I joined Liz from the Photography Center, and Stephanie who was an intern there, and we spent half the day at one of our FAVORITE art places in the world to go to; R and F Encaustics in Kingston, NY We rented studio space as it includes a totally set up workstation and all their tools and supplies. It is a DEAL. I worked on a group of similar pieces, trying to narrow my focus while still learning the medium. My long term goal is to build a few bodies of work so that I can have options for hopefully not-to-far-in-the-future solo shows. In the meantime I have a list of shows I want to submit to, as it has been a near a year since I have remitted anything to show. I have my surreal and auto-biographical collage works, my moody landscapes of the Hudson River Valley, and my encaustic works, most done with photographs from the latter 1800’s. This was the only piece that I felt was finished. She is a large Cabinet Photo from the late 1800’s, and I used one of the shells that “ward off