Patti Gibbons Art

Been very busy preparing for my Open Studio on Saturday, which is part of the Arts Society of Kingston's Tour.  I have a "soft opening" at the ASK gallery Thursday evening in order for people to see the work of the participating artists, and also meet them.  I don't think that I will stay the entire three hours, but I will show up.  I also have art in "Art on the Line" at Seven21 Gallery on Broadway in Kingston, and my 5 pieces are at the Unison Gallery at Water Street Market through next weekend. I have not had time to write as I have been putting things away, and cleaning off surfaces in order to show my art, and serve libations.  I don't do it very often-- every 2-4 y years, as cleanliness in my studio is a conundrum.  Just how neat DO I have to have my studio for the public to visit? I have cleaned up a lot of surface junk, cleverly hidden things under my working table and thrown covers over the tables.  No matter how much I clean will not cover u

A friend of mine wrote to me basically saying "Am worried. No blog, no email back from you. Are you OK? Hope nothing bad happened".  I work two jobs. 8 hours a day as an art teacher to youth at risk, then on the days I don't have faculty or union meetings, I go home to private students, orders to fill, or shows to get ready for.  I do the job of 2-3 people in the course of a day.   But I love my life. Every single f'in second of it. I take it one day at a time. Every day above the ground is a good one I say. My night of total abandon is Saturday at the Moby/Mercury Rev concert at the Woodstock Animal Shelter.  I plan on staking my claim in a field, and taking in the experience. I'll be the one looking like Joni, dancing under the stars. Photo of the Mid Hudson Bridge. I love bridges. The metaphors....the structures. I am still very much alive. Patti

 Money is tight this year, probably right through January.  In a way, I am glad as perhaps it will push me into doing the real life homework for a book I want to publish - even if I have to publish it myself.  I am not going to talk about it as I don't want someone else to take my idea and run with it....as has happened a few other times in my life. And it smarts when that happens on two levels--you feel betrayed and robbed (esp. when it is by someone you know and have talked to), and you want to kick yourself in the ass for not taking the ball and running with it. I am back in the Hudson Valley for a while now, perhaps taking day trips here and there. No stays at the Red Lion, or at any other place for that matter, unless it has a free couch/bed/air mattress to sleep on.  But I am restless, and as long as I have gas money and a few dollars in my pocket, I am on the move. Yesterday was a fabulous day  - 74 degrees according to the EOS, and I rode around with the top down.  Tha

Another freebie (or could be very expensive, depending upon whether you take out your wallet) was the visit to Eataly, in the Toy Building at 200 Fifth Ave. between 23rd and 24th streets. Having just opened two days before, it was packed. and we had gone at noon, lunch hour for most people.  I caught founder Oscar in a photo (on right) while I was wandering around the massive building full of various foods and restaurants, thanks to Frannie who noticed that it was him.  (I am one of those people who could have a movie star or president right in front of me and I would never know it.  When I was at the bar at the Bear Cafe, Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke were across from me and I thought..who are they, they look familiar, lol)  I felt like I had walked straight into Europe, reminiscent of the markets I went to in Valencia.   English was a second language, and wished friend Gabrielle (author of " Dirty Italian ") was there to translate the conversations of the many Italians who

With the advent of some financial changes in my life, I have had to put a check on the spending. Usually by this time of year I am pretty broke, and a good thing too, otherwise it might be really hard to get me to go back teaching.  After 18 years, I am getting weary.  It gets harder and harder to go back to work after the summer off (though I do work-just for myself!)  We've taken a hit...with Larry not having a photography class this semester.  Whether it is bad luck, or students not interested in old fashioned darkroom photography, the result is the same. Loss of a chunk of change. Though I do not live "high on the hog", I have become accustomed to having what I need or want, and going out, and making the occasional trip.  Until I get a grip on my finances, and do a budget to see how much money there is for frills, I am keeping a tight grip on my wallet. My recent trip to NYC was not hampered by my lack of money.  In mapping out our adventures, my friend and I us