What's New Outside the Studio

        I’ve been too busy with preparations for upcoming events to write anything insightful.  Indeed, last Friday it turns out I was too busy even to post - too busy even to notice I'd never posted, until I sat down to the blog this morning.  So I’ll just share the schedule and if anyone is in this neck of the woods, come see me at one or more of these events.  I promise I’ll be wonderfully insightful in person!

        Last weekend was Natick Artists Open Studios.  This is one of the big shows where I bring just about everything: racks for framed work, tables for matted work, cards, books, and all.  I’ve been busy printing, matting, framing, and sketching new designs for the past few weeks.  I carved one small block, finished another I'd started previously, and got about two thirds of the carving done on a pretty complicated one.  Alas, traffic was not what I would have liked.  Is everyone too stressed about the upcoming elections to enjoy some art?  But it's not too late; I've got plenty more events coming up...

        This Thursday, October 20 I’ll kick off the Hills Hearthside Talks series at the Wellesley Hills Branch Library.  This year the theme is “Artists’ Perspectives,” and I’ve prepared a slide show and demonstration about relief block printmaking.  The little Wellesley Hills branch is a cool old building and the titular hearth has been restored to its rustic historical glory.  Its stone surround and mantel could frame a mighty blaze, although I’m told that fire regulations prohibit actually lighting a fire in it!  My talk and demonstration will be the basics of relief printmaking, and then a little about my particular focus and inspirations.  Rumor has it that there will be light refreshments.

        This weekend will be Roslindale Open Studios.  Most years this is my show with the biggest crowds, and there’s always a great buzz in the air.  They’ve changed the dates this year, so I don’t know what difference that will make, other than my having to work two weekends in a row!  But I’ll be in my usual location, the big auditorium at Roslindale House, which has stately architecture and a large group of artists showing a wide variety of media.  I don’t yet have a block prepared to carve, so I need to rack my brains and come up with something to demonstrate and keep me busy.  Any ideas?

        October will end with a program at North Hill in Needham on Tuesday, October 25.  This one will be concluding the Curtin Lecture Series, and I’ll be there not in my artist hat but in my linguist hat.  The topic is the effect of immigration on the English language, and how the language we speak reflects past generations of immigrants, and past generations of English-speakers’ attitudes towards immigrants.  It’s a fascinating topic and I’ve really been enjoying preparing my talk.

        And then I’ll get a few weeks’ break before my next open studio, in November.  It’s really exciting to have all these great opportunities and it makes me very happy to get the chance to talk with people about art and language… but this was never supposed to be a full-time job, so if I’m still anything resembling sane by the time we get to Thanksgiving, it’ll be a big relief.

        Follow the links for more information about any of these events, and I hope to see some of you there!