Vesuvio part 10

When I arrived at the Studio early this afternoon, the first thing I did was take a photo of the block as it looked at that moment, which would be the same as it looked at the end of yesterday's session.  So now you know. 

While still home this morning I got a couple of calls I chose not to answer- didn't recognize the number on the caller ID.  Voicemails were left, so I eventually learned where they came from.  It was Jackie, a while ago the third member of this studio. When I first met her years ago, she owned and operated a studio/gallery in Asbury Park.  At one point she had to give that up and was working in a business in Ocean Grove, and using her unheated garage as a studio space.  Molly, who has sold a lot of her products at her business, decided to bring her in as a third studio member.   A few years or so later, she got a new space to work from her employer and moved out of our space.  Molly suggested we just keep it the two of us, and I suspected her reason.  Sure enough, Molly took over all the space that Jackie had been using and then more.  But the call today had nothing to do with that.  It seems there is exhibition space in the place where Jackie works now, and she was inviting me to put stuff in it.  Worth looking into.  So when I first arrived at the Studio this afternoon, I parked my car and walked up the street, hoping to find this space.  I found the gallery I was looking for, but the door was locked and the place closed.  Time to get to work.

For music I went with something related to how I started this piece.  The thing in my Studio library that seemed most suited to a piece about a very old shore area landmark was my first volume of Bruce Springsteen favorites, so the first day working on this, that's what I listened to.  As I mentioned last year, I used my cd recorder to burn a two disc set of my favorite Springsteen songs,  and I later duplicated those two discs to have copies in the Studio.  The first disc is heavy on the early albums, what I consider his New Jersey period- songs that could be appreciated anywhere, but were best understood (and I felt could only have been created) by someone who came from this state, especially the shore area.  That first disc also includes several songs from Darkness on the Edge of Town (which I see as beginning his transition to a more American outlook) and The River, more of the same.  My second disc has more from the two record The River set, and then a bunch of songs from the next two albums, which I see in the same vein- Nebraska (an acoustic self produced demo that he decided to put out without the rest of his band) and Born in the US A, back with the E Street Band and probably his most successful album. The music is arena rock anthems, very catchy, but the lyrics could have fit in the previous records- mostly about economic struggles, romance problems, relationship issues, and racial strife.  After that he got married, moved to California, then got divorced and moved back to Monmouth County, and the albums have lacked any major pattern.  (some songs are still good, and my disc finishes with some from that era- mid 90's) To me, this woodcut piece is part of the same culture that gave us Springsteen to begin with, so he seems suitable to listen to while making art about an Italian restaurant that existed in a shore town for more than 60 years.

And then I got to work continuing the cutting of this block. I decided to continue with the furniture, since I had started on some of the already.  It's also one of the things I'm most sure of.  So more table tops, all but the ones against the back wall.  And the chairs at those tables, as well as some of the items on the tables.  This is all part of a plan to gradually figure out the balance of light and dark, based on my photo, so I'm just sticking with furniture so far.  When I'm done with all that, I'll figure out the walls, the ceiling and floor, and then the people after that.  Below is where I ended it today.

While I was there, Jackie stopped by, dropping off some artwork from Molly that she had been showing in the space.  As long as she was there, we talked more about this possible show.  As of today she was thinking more of the black and white pieces (showed her example of both black and white and color that I had in the Studio), but wasn't sure if she wanted things framed or not.  Asked if I had plenty of framed work, which I do, but also expressed an interest in unframed prints which might be easier to sell.  For now we agreed that I'd stop by tomorrow (turns out that she was there today but not in the place I thought she meant) and I think I'll bring her a bunch of examples of black and white work, as well as check out the wall she has in mind.  From what she has said, I'm thinking supermarket prints would be best.