Still Point

New Year's Day 2016

The other day I attended a memorial service for my neighbor of many years ago. She was a remarkable person even reaching 100 years. Another achievement in her favor! She was a brilliant English teacher, studied at Bryn Mawr, danced in the Isadora Duncan school of Dance. A better word is that it was a celebration of her life rather than a memorial.

I have been thinking over the title for my series of images from the trip to Ireland. Though they were inspired by the theology and mythology of 'Thin Places' I was not satisfied with the wording. At my friend's celebration of her life, a section of TS Elliot's poem was read. It was a title I had used years ago I think when I was still a sculptor.

                             From Burnt Norton, Four Quartets:


             At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
            Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
            But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
            Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
            Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
            There could be no dance, and there is only the dance.
            I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.
            And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.

So, even in her passing, she had one more influence to instill in me. The title of my new series from Ireland will be called "The Still Point".

How strangely life works sometimes. Here it is a month since I got home from Ireland. I went on the trip somewhat reluctantly because I had had a difficult workshop in August trying to learn abstract painting with cold wax as there were elements of hot wax that were not satisfying. In time I calmed my fears and decided to just enjoy the fact that I was able to go to that beautiful island, read, walk and just enjoy myself. I did just that. I met wonderful people, saw Dublin with it's plethora of museums and followed RC's instructions. I also set aside my years of dissatisfaction with the contemporary art world and how I felt I was just making stuff like everyone else. I was in Ireland just to be in the moment and enjoy a new experience.

One day we took a small van with Seamus driving. Delightful amusing Seamus. It was about an hour's drive on winding roads through small villages....hardly villages...more like cross roads. The van parked at the end of the road where the cliffs meet the sea. The spot is called An Ben Buie. I stood for a matter of moments looking out over the sea and experienced a sensation that was thrilling, odd and a bit scary. I really could not put my finger on the sensations I was feeling. The next day in the studio, I started my drawings of people emerging from what I am not sure. But they were very amorphous, tall and thin like a Giacometti sculpture. That theme I pursued the entire time I was at Ballinglen Foundation. Now that I am home I am reproducing them in large scale on panels. I kept trying to think of a name for the series. Something about mankind, impermanence......

Last night driving home from a dinner I caught the tail end of of a woman's talk on The Moth. She was  talking about Thin Places in the world two of them being on the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland!! I have since read that 'thin places' are where the Celts thought Heaven and earth are the closest.....very little division between them. So that was the sensation that I felt standing on the cliffs of An Ben Buie.

December 2, 2016

It's been a month since I got home from Ireland. It was a memorable trip and I am still savoring thoughts of it. But I was hesitant to start new work based on the trip but finally took the plunge. With great trepidation, I started some relatively large pieces based on the sketches I did while at Ballinglen Art Foundation. I was so afraid that the hope I had acquired while there, would evaporate if I started to enlarge the drawings. Finally I tore into some older panels. The more layers the better, I always say. I have not yet come up with a title. It has to do with man kind, impermanence, cave drawings. This image is 60 x 25 inches. the first one almost completed. Some more layers needed so he is emerging from the flat plane.

Months have passed since I last posted a blog. All winter I worked away to CWM seeming to get no where. Discouraging but I kept hoping it was having some positive effect on my overall work. I came home late March as I had a large commission to do for WB Gallery. I started two 40 x 52 inch pieces both based on poppies. The client already owned one of my poppy small works. 3 weeks into I sent an image of one of the panels. it was too light for their liking. Fortunately I had the other panel done only so far so I was able to apply the layer of amber shellac on the wax and fire it up. That gave the overall tone of sienna they were looking for.Another 10 days and I delivered the piece to Hanover where my gallery director picked it up and delivered it to the client. Finally the deal was sealed. The entire event was stressful. All that time, work and effort not knowing if it will please the buyer. Not at all like the process of going into ones studio and just painting your heart out uninhibitedly.

That's all behind me and now I am preparing for my solo show at AVA gallery in W. Lebanon. This is a show I won last year  after being chosen as an artist deserving recognition in the states of NH and VT. I have a large room and can work as large as I like. I will show my older dress pieces, the two falling stone works that got me the show and newer works. I am doing some 60 x 30 inch ink drawings on yupo paper of stone walls and hope to have a couple stone walls in encaustic as well.

Vanishing Landscapes has been moved

Hello everyone, I've redone my website and moved my blog to the same system, so you can now get to the blog by visiting www.jessiepollock.com or you can get to the blog directly by going to www.jessiepollock.com/?cat=3.

I look forward to reading your comments on my future posts. You may have to create a new account to post your comments. That won't take more than 15 seconds!

-Jessie

Sensitive Silence

Is this title a reflection of how I feel about nature? I call this new body of work my white on white stage. Unfortunately it did  not get me into a gallery in Naples. The owners were very enthusiastic about what I presented to them but when they called me their verdict was that their clients really like bright colors. And that is what you mostly see in FL in all the galleries. They were gracious enough to say that they had tried to educate their clients but to no avail. Maybe I will find another outlet. But I did have a wonderful two months in my little bungalow working on the porch almost daily. The weather was wonderful this year even warming up the gulf enough to swim in. It was hard coming home when I knew there was much snow still on the ground. But I had to take down the show at Lawrence Academy and deliver some of it to Stowe. Three days later I drove back up 89 for the opening which was one of the best I have ever attended there. It was the largest crowd they had ever had. I think people wanted  go anywhere just to get to the end of this endless winter. There was definitely a festive air. I spent the night with the gallery owners who know how to throw a good party. Two of the other  guests were people who had taken a year to pay for one of my paintings they had purchased from my solo show last year. He does monumental marble sculptures that sell all over the world and she is a dressage rider. I think the greatest compliment is when another artist buys an artist's work. Since they live in Burlington, I hope I will see them again.

Spring is so slow to arrive. I have been home for two weeks. I just had to get outside today even though there is still at least a foot of snow in areas around the house. So I went out with my clippers and tried to do some gardening.....dead heading of last year's plants. My cat Rumi was so happy to have company outside. There is still no aroma of earth  but that may come in another week. At least we were outside.

Friday night I go to the Currier for their first auction in 10 years. One of my paintings will be sold....or so I hope. Rather nerve wracking to be in the audience while it is happening. How on earth did I ever get myself into this?! Well, I hope it sells and they make some money for their education program.

And soon I must get back to work. It's hard with my kitchen totally gone and the house in disarray. When the dust settles, literally, I will settle into the studio and get back to Sensitive Silence. When I am outside gardening, I do feel the presence of nature in its own silent way.

January Online

My studio equipment was sent off last week in my little blue car on a great big truck. I follow it day after tomorrow and pick it up in St. Petersburg. After a day or so, I will drive on down to Naples and open up my shabby chic bungalow. I will be thrilled to get back to work. It is ever so pleasant to work there as I am on the porch in my jungle. I can hear the birds and feel the warm breezes. Today it is 4 below zero on my hill. Time to migrate!
The show went up smoothly at Lawrence Academy just after New Years. But it was a disappointing opening. They scheduled the opening the night of the school dance so there were no students at all. About 10 friends showed up as the weather was dreadful. Oh well, at least the new work is hanging in a lovely large space for two months rather than hanging in the studio. As soon as I remove the work, I will drive it to Stowe VT for the Spring show which opens on the 22nd of March.

While I have no chance to work these days, I am doing the publicity part. I was juried into an online art publication that is sent to galleries and museums internationally. A bit of a vanity press but it can't hurt. Also posted work on Saatchi Online which has been quite successful for my painter friend Helen Shulman. So, let's hope, the Muse is waiting for me on Sperling Avenue.