That Holiday Season

I was in the Studio yesterday for a while. Got up there in the early afternoon. Stopped by to see Nichole, as I had received a mass e-mail stating that the building's Christmas Tree Lighting was being  postponed a week, because of the Monday snow storm, which would put it up against the planning meeting that was scheduled.  Seemed like it could be a problem.  What I learned was that the meeting would also be postponed, now until January probably.  Can't compete with those Christmas trees.

On to the basement.  Molly was already there, hard at work cranking out product.  I left my bag there, then went across the street to get a slice, picking up my portfolio case from my car on the way back.  I wasn't there to make art, but to get some grading in.  But Molly was still working, with the radio tuned to an NPR station, so we had no music. (main story was about a problem for international students).  But I did get the grading done, and we left about the same time for our various destinations.

I had gotten there later today, and found the place quiet, but Bobby mentioned some big event coming up, so I didn't want to hang around too long. Down in the basement it was dark- no Molly today, but she was still a presence from all the work from yesterday. Piled up around the Studio, and also hanging in the hallway.

With the place to myself, I could listen to music as I worked, and went with a disc I burned of Morphine.   The band grew out of the ashes of an 80's band called Treat Her Right, an odd hard to characterize group from Boston.  Lead singers and songwriters varied song to song, but the vocalist and songwriter of their biggest hit was a guy named Mark Sandman.  When that band broke up, Sandman went on to form Morphine, and their first album (and last album) ended up employing the drummer from his previous band as well.  Considered a rock band, but overlapping into blues and jazz, a music with a low feel, as in low voices, low instruments- a lot of bass and sax, low notes on guitars.  My disc had the whole first album, and most of what turned out to be the last album. Sandman died on stage while performing in the late 90's. (a model I knew said it had to be drugs, but the official cause of death was heart attack)  That last album was a posthumous release, basic recording completed while the singer was alive, surviving band members contributing to the final production.   Some of the tracks do have the sound of being constructed from outtakes and demos, but the results were good.

For the art today I was working up ideas for my annual Christmas card.  Usually I don't get these out until after Christmas, but with the calendar causing classes to end by mid December, maybe I'll get some out sooner this year.  My tradition for the past few decades is to start with a famous artwork, and adapt it as a card image, changing it to a Christmas or winter scene.  Choice is ofter related to something else going on- a recent show I have scene, or a work featured in a fall class, or even something that was an influence on a recent work of my own.  So far this one is looking like the last option.  No wood today, just a sketchbook, a pencil, and a large catalog from a retrospective of this artist.  Who is the artist and what is the artwork? Again following my tradition, you'll learn that on December 25th.