Saws 'R Us

The now improved, freshly outfitted bandsaw,
my favorite artist tool (with art associate, Remus)
Below: Queen of Hearts, before and after

There I was on Cindi's blog www.oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com with friend and fellow artist, Sandy Mastroni www.smastroni.blogspot.com 

I never would have thought our connection, other than art, was the use of saws, shared by all three of us.

Of course, everyone knows power tools are the tie that bind women together. Just not a Kitchen Aid mixer in this case.

And only yesterday I was getting even more intimate with my bandsaw after a bearing froze. Only knew from a distance what either of those terms meant, but I know better now.

    After disassembling much of my saw, I gave up and called the tech department for assistance. Didn't want to strip the screw I was trying to loosen with all my might. The man on the other end of the line confirmed, in a husky southern drawl, that what I was doing was correct. He had to repeat this a couple of times before my ear attuned to his accent. So now I can interpret toolspeak with a southern drawl. You never know what you're going to learn next.

Walking with Robert Frost

'Down the Road' Acrylic on Antique Vermont Barnboard

©robin r kent

Went for a short walk collecting sticks for future sculptures near Robert Frost's cabin in the woods. I had been at his cabin a while ago (years), and wanted to see how it was faring. Mr. Frost would be proud. It's beautiful and looks the same.

Then on to its neighbor, Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of english, where graduate courses in literature and teaching of writing, creative writing, and theater arts are offered. Another gracious old beauty.

I am rediscovering a new respect for words. Not mine. And not that I'm a big reader. On the contrary, short art articles (with pictures) are my favorite. Followed by poetry. That's where Robert Frost fits in. As we sat where he and others worked to capture that perfect word, I couldn't help but think of my dangling participles, incomplete sentence fragments, and dependent clauses ricocheting above us in cyberspace, raining down on this beautiful, word-loving campus. I felt the need for a broom.

'Raining Cats and Dogs'...

My artwork waiting pickup by its new owner

...is the title of the second annual animal art show now going on at The Framers Market, Manchester, New Hampshire.

My Dog-Tired Catch-All box (left)

And they're giving a portion of the proceeds to the Animal Rescue League of N.H.

I was glad to be part of it since I love their taste in art. 

And I love companion animals. 

Especially homeless ones. 

'Well behaved pets' are invited to attend, too. 

Live work of art looking for an owner

The Rescue League brought some of its viewing audience to survey possible future human owners. Hope they found a few. 

It's a good thing the gallery is too far away for me to attend or I'd be coming home with something 3D in addition to a piece of sculpture.

The show runs through September 9th.

1301 Elm Street, Manchester NH

It's Not What You Think

'Multitasking Bachelor Sailor' wall assemblage

©robin r kent, photography Tad Merric

This time of year, my mind has a hard time staying on task. So many opportunities, so many things to do. So many things needing to be done. Many layers. I can become easily distracted but my inner compass nags me about how far I'm veering off course.
When I finally land in the studio, and start wrestling with a new art assemblage or sculpture, I find what I thought most important is not. And the unintentional peripheral experience is. It's not the work I learn from, but the play.
I'll paint something deliberately, only to find it was a chance brushstroke or wood shape that captured the elusive essence.
Unwittingly, I've found this observation useful in other aspects of life, too. Do one thing, learn something totally unexpected. Everyday a surprise.