Structural repair

The structural lift began today for the building that will someday be the gallery, residence and studio. The contractor and his team came in to help; Stan, his wife Melinda and their daughter. We'd been getting ready for this ever since the engineer visited back in May 2006.

While the contractors worked on dismantling sheetrock and disconnecting the joists that might affect our neighbor's property, we pried old baseboards using wonder bars that made a satisfying screech as the old nails gave way.

Last night the wind howled and rattled the seven foot windows. It kept up a vigil all night long, unrelenting. It felt like the building was a ship stranded on noisy seas. Because we have no insulation yet in this 100 plus old two story building, the gusts seemed even more insistent and frightening. A metaphor perhaps for myself, in this unstable structure, in need of support and care. I so long to be finished with this process, to live in a space instead of out of a suitcase. 

Artpoet

Hello. This is my first journey into blogging. Journaling online. I'm curious how one earns a living doing this. I am an artist, and I also like to write. 

Recently, I worked for a couple of weeks at a small town newspaper. Lifestyles editor responding to the community's need to publish Bridge results or the latest DAR meeting or obituaries. Club notices, entering Farm Wife meetings into the newspaper's vintage Quark 8.6 format. Sitting on a very small office chair under a low desk. I would hobble home, feeling like the hunchback of Notre Dame. So I did not last, thought I would much rather be writing about my own experience. This small town is a challenge, full of ranchers and farmers and a cost of living that is very low, yet correspondingly, low salaries. I have bought a downtown property that I am renovating to make into a art space, and at times feel I have become crazy. I am worried that there will be little interest from the town to even visit this space given my lack of church membership and being from out of area. I am an artist, and will post images for view, once I figure it out. How open shall I be in sharing stuff? How private? Being an artist is a very private process for me, yet here I am venturing out into the universe. What is an introvert to do? I will figure out how to publish some images. 

Double Jeopardy by artpoet

This is called Double Jeopardy, which I made this year. These images of masks are to be worn during chemical warfare. I wanted to create work that was beautiful, and would address the ugly reality of war. There are two forms throughout, to describe the duality, doppelganger effect; black and white, good and evil, etc.