Deer Print part 8

School will be starting later this week, so now is the time to get other things done.  In the early afternoon I set out for the Studio, making a stop in Belmar first. Had 2 questions.  First was regarding an invitation I received by mail a few days ago- from the BAC, inviting me to a special Volunteer Appreciation Party in a few weeks.   I asked Diane, our secretary/receptionist, if she knew anything about it. She said it was some kind of luncheon thing, which is what I expected.  As long as they don't expect me to volunteer for anything more than I'm already doing.  I'll check my schedule and send a reply.  The other thing was to check on a woodcut class.   I was looking around on their site the other day, searching for other information, and I saw a listing for a woodcut class. Information showed that I was teaching it, not yet scheduled.  I suppose that last part was good, as I didn't know anything about it, but figured I should.  So I asked today.  As I expected, they put it down for now, figured we'd work out the details later.  For now I put my name down for four dates in April and May, not consecutive, but close enough.  (many students don't mind a week off along the way, so they can catch up with the work)

With that stuff handled, I proceeded up to Ocean Grove.  Noticed a tag up on our hook, but that could be a mistake.  Eventually got the basement door open (locks that are for the sake of the building, not for the people who have to go down there) and heard loud music coming from my space.  Wasn't sure what to make of that- haven't seen Molly since before Christmas, and while she likes to listen to things very loudly, she generally favors NPR talk shows, not music. As I got closer, I realized it was her.  The music was my Breeders CD, which is one of her favorites (NPR was all impeachment stuff today, which would bore just about anyone.) She was cranking out more product, so I set up my table and got to work.

The Breeders disc is mine, so I didn't mind listening to it. The Breeders were a side project by Pixies bass player Kim Deal and Throwing Muses member Tonya Donnelly, having met when the bands were touring together.  Molly always considered it a Throwing Muses side project, but she couldn't be more wrong about that- it was always Deal's band, who still had a few more Pixies albums to go, but was very dissatisfied with her role in that band. My disc contains the first 3 releases- the first album, Pod, which I have on vinyl, a four song EP (Safari) that I recorded on tape from a CD at the radio station at Montclair State, and the second full album, Last Splash, which I recorded on tape from a fellow student in Carbondale.  When I had my CD recorder working I put all three on one disc for my convenience, plus a copy for the Studio.  The music is very much college independent rock in the style of the Pixies (based on these and the solo recordings done by Pixies lead singer and founder Black Francis/Frank Black, it's easy to see how each contributed to the earlier band). In time for the 3rd release, Donnelly left the band to form another, and Kim brought in her sister Kelley to be the a new guitarist, despite not actually knowing how to play.  (like I said, this was always Kim's band)  When that disc ran out, I figured we should keep the mood going with a later release, Title TK (industry short hand for "title to come"), which was on a disc that my friend Dave had sent me years ago, which he had filled with the unrelated, but compatible first album from the Shins, Oh, Inverted World.  There was a delay of several years between the Breeders releases I had and the later one. which has been attributed to both Deal sisters needing extensive drug rehab.  The Pixies ceased as a band in the early 90's, but continued to be hugely influential.  When out in St Louis, one of Tom's students showed me a large woodcut of what looked like a scene in a disco, that had the words "stay all day if you want to" carved into it.  I know those words as a quote from the Pixies' song " Gouge Away", which is largely based on the story of Samson and Delilah (biblical references are common in Pixies songs), so I pointed at it and asked her, "Pixies?".  She agreed and was shocked I knew it, but it dates from my college years.  I was shocked that she was referencing a song released in 1989, when she would have been a little kid, and probably not listening to those albums.  The Pixies re-formed several years ago, and Kim Deal even joined up until more fights occurred and then she was out again.  Both the Breeders and the Pixies had albums come out last year, but I don't think either one was a big hit- it's tough to be a college rock star when you are well into middle age.

For the art part of today I continued work on the deer print.  My goal for today was to get through all that large negative space in the sky. And with the music playing and the heater blowing hot air (outside temperatures were only in the 20's today, thanks to a mass of cold air from Canada; it would be nice if they kept some of that cold air for themselves instead of sending it our way all winter) I did.

I even went ahead and cut the space between the steel towers and the cables that hold them up. I still have to cut out all the little spaces in the crane steel framework, but that can wait until tomorrow.  Maybe take on those mid ground white trees as well.  I'd love to get the cutting done by next weekend, as between that Volunteer Party and the art reception, I may see a few people who might be interested in the piece.