Patti Gibbons Art

 Inside Vanderbilt Mansion  The back end of Mills Mansion at Sunset  View of the Catskills and the Hudson from the Vanderbilt   Formal Italian Gardens at Vanderbilt More of the Gardens With the busyness of the holiday season, my adventures have been cut short. I managed to get a few nice walks in however, and some historical sightseeing to boot. The Hudson Valley is rich with the treasures of historical mansions. Olana, The Thomas Cole House, Clermont, Montgomery Place, Vanderbilt, Wilderstein, The Roosevelt Estate, Mills Mansion. And that are only the ones in a one hour radius from my Kingston home. Because my adventure friend is over 62, she has a National Parks Pass which can be obtained at any National site for 10.00. That gets you into the Federal parks for free, such as some of the Cape Cod beaches, and other parks around the country - and up to three other guests I believe FOR FREE. So, in the spirit of saving and not spending, w...

I cancelled today's afternoon painting class as there was only one student. I went home after my drawing class at the School of Art to do some chores, and ponder my walk route when Meredith knocked on the door, nearly threw me into her car, and we head to the mountains.  First a stop at  Kenco,  a FAB outdoor/sporting goods store that is family owned, on Route 28 to check out some winter walking shoes,  then to the Ashokan Reservoir .  (jury still out on what I am going to get shoe wise- feedback welcomed). The reservoir is one of several that collects and transports water to New York City. The history of its construction is fascinating, though very sad for the 1000s who farmed in the valley, surrounded by the majestic Catskill Mountains.  I would have not left easily either. I have gone there many times in my life -  practiced driving in Driver Ed there, walked, photographed and painted the views. I have stood in the spray of the a...

In the past 10 years post tri-malleolar fracture of my ankle, I have descended into a gradual but steady decline of my body.  I used to be a runner, skier, skater before the literal trip down the stairs bought me a dislocated fracture which changed my life, and left me with a body that was getting weaker with back spasms, hip bursitis, ankle pain and foot issues! I had a hard time doing some everyday things, and, I was gaining weight. It was the gift of a Garmin Vivofit from my daughter that changed my life. After doing some research, I discovered that a fit person walks about 10,000 steps a day. I was appalled at the fact that I walked far less.   So off I went to Montanos Shoe Store , and bought myself a pair of very comfortable and very purple Vionic sneakers. I have a dear artist friend who has become my adventure walking partner. We try to walk, whether together or on our own, 5 times a week. We walk the rail trail for convenience at times, but we find a ...

I wish I had been able to snatch tonight's image on my phone camera, but there was not enough light to catch the subtleties. Today I need the magic of words to keep this image safe for me. Twice a week I home, from Rhinebeck to Kingston, around 6:30 PM, give or take a dalliance with a friend. As I drive home I watch the seasons change in the late afternoon light, along a stretch of road that snakes around lands that run to mansions, farms, and the river. Gently it spills out onto the bridge which joins the banks of the Hudson with a mountain range.  The Catskills are the prize at the end of my journey. I watch with the wonderment of a child how nature and light paint the sky in every conceivable weather and light combination.  Today the sun is a low golden orb in a cloudless sky;  it has turned the mountains a color I cannot mix. They contrast with a huge endless sky that encases a field of  yellow, orange, with a hint of green which spills into a ...

AH....been a long time since I have posted. Since the last time, I have further simplified my life. The elimination of fragrance and chemicals was a symbolic start to what turned out to be a further purging. I closed my Rhinebeck studio save for 2 days a week for teaching. I realized after a year and a half of working 6 days a week, that there was no place like home, and it was financially suicidal to keep up two art studios. So my home studio is where the art and materials live, where I work and teach privately, and Rhinebeck is where I teach group classes 2 days a week.   I am starting to enjoy my retirement - two whole years later. It took a long time to get off the manic work train. I did not even know why I felt the need to go to a job every day..it was simply habit. Get out of your pj's and report to a job.  It was my own business - but I am a tough boss.  Eighteen months later, I fired myself and reorganized. I still work hard, but it is at my hous...

So I left you hanging for a month. Sorry..but it has been that long that I am still trying to figure out what chemicals I am still in touch with that are making my body crazy. A month ago I landed in the dermatologist's office for blisters and redness of my lips. This had happened before with a lipstick, and I threw out all of that brand, and five years later, bought another one by the same company, but a different chemistry. Shortly thereafter, same story, different year. Only this time it was not going away even when I stopped using all lip products. I had myself dying of lip cancer, and horrid images were running through my mind. My doctor said "hmmmm contact dermatitis, we need to find out what you are reacting to", so I had one of the tests where 80 substances were put on my back in big bandages, removed in several days, and I was then marker-ed with a purple body marker with boxes around each substance.   The reactions were monitored, and it was revealed that ...

The word simplicity was jingling around in my head all day while at work at the Tibetan Shop. While CD's of chanting monks played, I made phone calls, haggled with the cable company and tried to track down the automatic payment trail of my gym membership. I was making deeper cuts into my lifestyle. I kept telling myself that this is all good - I am leading a simpler, more authentic life. Well into the second year of my reinvention,  the bank account was yelling for me to put my brakes on. So back went Sadie, my lovely sexy convertible.  My gym membership. That wasn't too hard as I never had time to work out there. But it was a defeat that I wasn't pumping iron or spending an hour on the elliptical machine.  My drink and dinner budget shrank to a once-a-week "starving artist"  late afternoon meeting with my business partner where we get a slider and a local mud beer for 9.50. I have no clothing budget, and I am grateful that I have a husband who sa...

January was a period of recovery from my Business class, 4 shows, and the holidays. February is a tough month; I have a new saying "every time the snow flies, a dollar dies" as students cancel, or I am unable to get to my very part time job. So when the going gets rough, I sell on eBay. I have been selling on eBay for 16 years and have made around 3000 transactions. I have excellent ratings, and it has kept my studio heated and business bills paid when I needed money. I have joked that I would sell everything in the house if I had to.  For the most part I enjoy it - from the treasure hunt/junking to find things to sell, the research, and then the excitement of the auctions.  I have an entire education from it, and have become quite knowledgeable about many things, from illustrated books, ephemera, to photography and more. The most recent exciting research came from photographs I started listing from an album that  I've had for a long time.  So long that I don...