Mum and Pup, Process…and a Thunderstorm
April 27, 2009 by Janice
We have one of those nice rumbling thunderstorms this morning. It’s still dark and very wet outside as I type. Delicious really. And just made for some of the work I need to do today. Drawing mostly. I need to make another pencil drawing on Somerset paper of that tangle of trees you see in the picture. One that I will cut up. Yes. It’s a bit of a thing now that goes with this experiment series.
It came to me over the weekend, this next step, as I was looking over the assemblages I showed you on Friday. Those need to sit. Just be for awhile because they are telling me something. But the pencil drawing and a photo mosaic, those need to be done next.
How do I know?
Because they came to me Saturday morning fully formed as I was sitting still and listening. I did some research on the Duke Ellington arrangement that is driving this work, although it was Wynton Marsalis Live at the Lincoln Center who brought it to my attention. And I learned an eye opening slap your forehead what a muse I have kind of tidbit as I read about it. And the images were just there.
Discovery is a very fine thing.
It’s all about being in the moment. Not necessarily of changing art or music for all time, but of listening carefully, using your skills and trying something intriguing just because it belongs in your time in your place in context at the moment.
That is called relevance I think.
But first I have to finish that story Chris Buckley wrote about his Mum and Pup. I have a feeling something in it is something I need to hear. Maybe, maybe not, but there is something about it that is saying pay attention.
So I will pay attention to its call.
Which is what Duke Ellington was doing. He was being so himself in very trying times, taking it all in and then he just gave it a tweak and one of his best all time songs came from it. From his play. From his tweaking things a bit. So while the thunder rumbles and the rain hits the metal vent on the roof I will take some time this morning to play the music again…and draw.
Yes, it is Organizing Monday and it seems most of the important things are being done by my ears. Listening while ecstatically still. It ’s an exciting kind of zen. Very active listening is. And how wonderful that it’s thundering, that I ‘m sheltered from the rain and I have pencils and paper calling out to me. This is what it’s like you know. Process in Private Studio. Delicious really.
How about you? How much does listening come into what you do?
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5 Responses to “Mum and Pup, Process…and a Thunderstorm”
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“it was Wynton Marsalis Live at the Lincoln Center who brought it to my attention”
Ah Ha! New York to the rescue.
So where is this puppie story?
Did I miss the link-always interested in reading about puppies…
parisbreakfasts’s last blog post..Last Week in NYC
You can hear it here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103456642
parisbreakfasts’s last blog post..Last Week in NYC
Chris Buckley’s memoir story is in the magazine section of Sunday’s NYT, but I loved hearing a bit of it on the link you found.
Your New York in spring is gorgeous this morning.
Better than any “pup” story!
THANKS!
Did you hear/see this?
Not to be missed.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/04/26/magazine/20090426-buckley-audioss/index.html
parisbreakfasts’s last blog post..Last Week in NYC
I love that! Yes, I saw it.