Artist's residencies are important times for reflection, inspiration and unbroken work time. They usually last for at least a month and include the company of several other artists. The Sunny Point residency was only 10 days long and I was there by myself. Short, intense studio time with several opportunities to connect with new people and places, perfect for the LEAP 366 Project! Sunny Point is on Keuka Lake, one of New York State's eleven, beautiful Finger Lakes. The residency was born out of love and hardship. Annie Smith willed it to the Yates County Arts Center in 2007 after a struggle with cancer that spanned 20 years. Annie was an Art History professor at Sheridan College in Canada. She also published several books including,'Getting into Art History' and 'Bearing Up with Cancer', featuring her signature doodle, a cartoon bear. The cottage and studio had drawings of the bear here, there and everywhere. In the bathrooms, the Bear reminded me to use, 'one ply toilet paper only. Delicate country plumbing'. The book, 'Bearing Up with Cancer', was there too. I ignored it for the first few days figuring it would be a depressing read but when people kept saying, 'read it', I finally did. Like most of you reading this post, I have lost too many dear people in my life to cancer so the prospect of being entertained by this book was nil. Well, I was wrong! Yes it was sad but Annie's outlook on life and the effect she had on the people around her was infectious. My favorite part was when she somehow managed to tape two candy bars and a note to her stomach while waiting for one of her numerous surgeries. Imagine the surgeon's surprise! You have to love her sense of humor. Annie wrote, " At the barn, I could stare at the water and sky and reflections, listen to the birds and wind and waves, smell lilacs, and fresh cut grass, and relish the joys of nature. I was at my healing place". I left a small painting at the cottage of a view I enjoyed while sitting on the dock. I like to image she enjoyed this very same view. Thank you Annie Smith for allowing me to create in your, "healing place".
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"Stop crying! We haven't even left yet!" I said with disdain. We were building a raft in my parent's basement and planning our escape. My cousin Linrae, got homesick just thinking about it! We were kids making a raft that wouldn't even get up the basement stairs let alone set sail. But, when you're a kid, every dream, every scheme seems possible. This picture was taken at our family's church were we spent a lot of time together. Linrae is in the middle holding hands with me on the right and our other cousin Donna on the left. I have so many shared memories with these cousins . Donna passed away a few years ago and when something like that happens you realize the importance of making an effort to see the people you love whenever you can. So on my way down to my 10 day artist's residency in Keuka Lake, I stopped in to see Linrae and her husband George. What I found was my cousin living her dream as a partner in the Rushford Livestock and Cattle Company. Linrae was always the animal lover in our little trio. Dogs, horses, whatever! She has the kind and compassionate soul that animals responded to. I wasn't so gifted in that area. Linrae was always trying to help me find my inner animal lover. We have a few unfortunate horse riding stories that prove her efforts to help me fell flat. The Rushford Livestock and Cattle Company have a herd of 400, GAP certified cattle. That distinction means they raise their cattle in a humane and natural way. Its something I know Linrae would do even if there was no such thing as GAP. I experienced her cattle raising style when I jumped into her 4 wheeler with her granddaughter Brooke. The morning's task was to move 75 head of cattle, "The Boys", to new pasture. When they saw Linrae coming, they started running after her with enthusiasm! I think they'd follow her anywhere. She told me she sings to them and I have no trouble believing it! She's the "cow whisperer" of Rushford NY. The ride was bumpy, there were cow droppings every where, I still don't want to own any animals but I loved seeing Linrae in her element. Keep singing Linrae, keep living the dream. PS Where were we planning to sail to on our raft anyways? Something tropical I hope, with lots of animals for you to love and for me to just look at.
The last place my family lived before we started our great migration south was Medina NY. Originally developed as a stop over for the Erie Canal, the area still supports a number of farm families. We moved their in the early 90's and bought an old farmhouse with a barn. The two story barn was large and included a three seater outhouse (Mama bear, Papa bear and Baby bear), a chicken coup and a rope swing. Of course we never used it for its original purpose. We were more likely to be working on an art project than raising animals or storing crops! Our idea of farming was growing a few veggies. One year, Ian grew a giant pumpkin that made it into the local newspaper! Our introduction into actual farming came when we met Todd and Deb Roberts. Todd's grandfather started farming in Medina in 1931 and today the family is still farming and farming is still a vital part of the town's economy. The Roberts have roots to the land that people like us can't fully understand. So why did a friendship between artists and farmers develop and last over decades? Well, a farmer that uses GPS and listens to classical music on NPR in his tractor, a wife that sold Discovery Toys (a company we developed a stamp making kit for) and now owns a Yoga studio and a family that sent their daughter and sons to ballet lessons, can be our friend! Todd, Deb and their kids, Adam, Lizbeth, Derek and Mason, have a wide range of interests that have kept our families enjoying each others' company long after we moved. In fact two of their children, Lizbeth and Derrick now live in Colorado. During our farm tour Todd said, “ By having deep roots, the kids can go along way with confidence” and “ I'll pass away in my house hopefully.” For sure we'll see more of the Roberts in our neck of the woods in the future but I know the whole family's heart will always be on the farm. Would you like whipped cream on your milkshake?” the Ted's employee asked. “Why yes,” replied my Aunt Joyce! Sister to my mother, Aunt Joyce, my brother Eric and I were all at Ted's Hot Dog stand to celebrate Aunt Joyce's 80th birthday. Ted's is a Western New York food tradition and we try and go there every time we're in the area. Why? The charbroiled, Sahlen's hot dogs of course! Always cooked to perfection and ready to load up with things like mustard, dill pickles, sauerkraut and the family's secret hot sauce. Yum! That secret family sauce got me wondering what the story behind Ted's was. It was started by a Greek immigrant named Theodore, “Ted”, Spiro Liaros, who came to America with empty pockets and no English in 1913. Ted's first hot dog stand was located at the foot of Massachusetts Ave under the newly constructed Peace Bridge to Canada. 89 years and many locations later, Ted and his family's secret sauce have come along way! Food traditions unite and define many families. Aunt Joyce is part of the Palmer clan, known for their baking skills and love of sweets! Andrew Wyatt once painted a pair of boots as a symbolic portrait of his neighbor. I could do the same for some of my family members but I would choose pies to represent them instead of boots. My Aunt Esther makes a mean lemon meringue, Aunt Marge is know for her cream cheese cherry pie, Grandma Palmer was apple pie and my mother was, well more experimental so she has several pies I connect her to. Rhubarb and pecan pie are my strongest recollections for her. Even the Palmer men, Don and Larry are accomplished pie makers. There's an annual Palmer Pie Party where everyone has a chance to show off their skills. Its a celebration of family tradition and appreciation for homemade goodness! Eric did break the rule of, “if it isn't homemade don't bother,” that day by bringing three bags of Paula's donuts to share with some of the Palmer clan and the Grand Island bunch. Let's just say they all got eaten up that day and no one was complaining! PS, I am finishing this post while waiting for my flight back to Denver. I just checked my bag with 3lbs of frozen Sahlen's hot dogs in it. Take care of them baggage crew! To catch a noon flight in Denver, I have to leave Cheyenne three hours earlier. That's the formula for being on time for your flight when you live in Wyoming. Everything was going fine until my flight got delayed in Denver. I didn't get into Buffalo NY till midnight on the 28th. Luckily, my generous and kind in-laws were willing to collect me and my purple, Geoffrey Beanne suitcases, and head over the Grand Island bridge to their house on the Niagara river. I was in the area for a residency at the Sunny Point studio and cottage on Keuka Lake (more on that in upcoming posts). I grew up in the Buffalo area, so a few days before the residency for visiting family and friends was a must. Some people grow up in great families and some people are doubly blessed to marry into great families. I am that someone! Dave's parent's Al and Dorothy Rowswell and Dave's siblings, Timm, Li-Anne and Alaina , are all a fantastic bonus to marring a wonderful man. Dave's parents raised children with integrity and talents. They in turn married and raised their own wonderful families. The pictures below span the years and events. I hope they give you a sense of the love and fun that ripples through the never ending pond of kindness and care that is the Rowswell family. PS my only problem with marrying into this family is the unusual spelling of our last name. I have had to spell and respell it over the phone, correct it on important documents and one time, after being married for awhile, someone asked me if I was sure it was spelled that way! Well, YES!
Water is a magnet for my husband. Maybe its because he grew up on the Niagara River and spent his boyhood fishing, boating and jumping off the Grand Island bridge. Not at the highest point mind you or his life and mine would have been very different. Dave loves all kinds of bodies of water. Oceans, lakes, trout streams and his favorite, hang out water....hot springs. Thermopolis WY has large and small hot springs and an art show called the Big Horn Basin Folk Festival. The show is still finding its way but we like to support the efforts of promoters who go out of their way to make artists feel welcome so we participate. Dave shows and sells his line of jewelry made from Rawhide. We pay for our trip and supports the arts in the community. A win, win situation. The close of the art show signals the beginning of the Gift of the Waters Pageant. Held in Hot Springs State Park, the reenactment is in its 66th year. In 1896, the Wind River Shoshone and Arapaho tribes sold the hot springs to the federal government with the caveat that a portion of the land and springs would be reserved for the benefit and use of all. The Pageant is an odd mix of genuine Native American customs, former missionary influences and an odd choir of white woman dressed up like squaws. Hum... Anyways, the drummers, dancers and outfits of the Wind River tribes are worth experiencing. But wait! The fun isn't done yet. On Monday morning we took our family to the world famous Dinosaur Museum in Thermopolis. Its chock full of awesome skeletons, fossils and a child's delight, the gift shop. My favorite displays are the crinoid fossils. Beautiful, intricate, flower like fossils in high relief. Dave, Meghan and I could have stationed ourselves in any number of areas and sketched the day away! That would have left poor Ian with a four year old who loves dinosaurs but isn't ready for an all day sketching extravaganza, yet! But wait again, I forgot to mention the Buffalo Jam we got into while driving out of the park! Oh, Wyoming, full of adventure of all sorts! 1974 was a big year. The Mammoth Site was founded, I graduated from high school and Woodstock the Teardrop was born. Teardrops are mini campers with a distinctive shape. We brought ours from a guy named Dale in Casper WY. He was a card carrying hippie who hand built Woody by looking at pictures and dreaming up his own details. HE had peace signs for the windows and a canvas cover for the galley with the Woodstock album logo on it. Inside there was more counter-culture paraphernalia. Rose colored John Lennon glasses, fleece fabric with peace signs, a wooden bead curtain and a marijuana pipe! The pipe went away immediately and most of the hippie decor was eventually replaced with more practical choices. We only owned Woody for a couple of years but we took him on several memorable trips. One year we took it to the Relay for Life and slept overnight in it with our size 4, adult daughter Abby, tucked in the small space between our mattress and the galley wall. Our granddaughter Beatrice enjoyed an outing with Woody at Curt Gowdy State Park. “Pappy, we're c-c-camping!” Woody always attracted attention at every gas station and campground we stayed at. He was rocking it! Unfortunately on July 20th on our way back from our Spearfish trip, the trailer literally rocked itself over just 20 minutes North of Cheyenne. We hit a construction “bump” and at 6:20 Woody was DOA on Rt 85. Between the change in road grade and the Wyoming wind, Woody turned over, detached from the car and hit a road sign. His insides burst and a trail of food, pans, towels, toothbrushes and more littered the roadside. So many kind people stopped to help us. A trucker called the State Police who came and filled out an accident report and then called a tow truck for us. The most interesting and enlightening person who stopped was a man who worked for the construction company that was paving the road. “Did you hit THE bump?” he asked. Hum.... yes we did and you can see the result. “Well, a fifth wheel and the truck went over last week in the same spot “ he said. WOW! You would think the construction company would do something. I planned to have a talk with them. When the tow arrived, Woody was flipped over, secured on the flatbed and taken to a holding area where the Insurance company would look at it and declare it a total loss. It took them a long time to figure out what the settlement would be. After all who could find a comparable for the incomparable Woodstock! RIP
The land was slated for a sub-division and digging began in 1974. Things ground to a halt when some unusual bones were unearthed. The landowner started to investigate and found the bones were mammoths! Thankfully the sub-division was scraped. He sold the land to a university for the price he paid for it and the rest is history. The Mammoth Site was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980 and it was the last stop on our Hot Springs tour. The day was heating up when we arrived and I wasn't looking forward to being at a dig site. To my surprise and relief, the whole site was enclosed in a building. Keeping everything in a climate controlled environment made the bones of the mammoth and the tourists happy!
54 degrees and pitch darkness on a hot July afternoon? Nowhere else but 209 feet underground in Wind Cave National Park. Located in Hot Springs South Dakota, the cave is a sacred site for the Lakota Indians and is the central part of the Lakota Emergence story. Our guide was a young African American woman from the South. She was an excellent, knowledgeable guide that went out of her way to engage the children on the tour. There was a sweet young family with two girls. Every time the youngest one saw a small side tunnel as we walked along the path she would say, “look its a baby cave.” Which only served to conjured up visions of a baby's bloody knees as it crawled over the sharp edges of the Boxwork. I had to shake that image out of my head so I could enjoy the rest of the tour. Wind Cave is a fairly dry cave. It doesn't have a lot of the stalactites and stalagmites I have seen on other cave tours. Instead the cave has 95% of the world's known Boxwork. Rare and beautiful, no one, let alone a baby, would be allowed to crawl around in it! Now lets consider cave popcorn. Its really cave sweat (more interesting, equally disturbing images come to mind). It forms when calcite rich water beads up and over time crystallizes on the surface of the cave wall. Frostwork is another beautiful formation made from aragonite. When crystallized, the mineral forms delicate branches of needles or frost-like structures. When we got to the deepest part of the tour, there was a big open area where we gathered for a moment of complete darkness. The guide turned off the lights and asked everyone to remain in place. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. Then she lit a lantern to show us what it was like for the early cave explorers and tourists. We were walking on concrete paths laid by the Civil Conservation Core with electric lights all along the way. Turn-of-the century, women explorers, had to find their footing on undeveloped paths, led by lantern light, in ankle length skirts! I was grateful for pants, sneakers and an elevator ride back up to the surface. When the epic rain storm let up at Mount Rushmore we headed back to our car only to find out I had left my car window open and my seat was soaking. I opened Woodstock to get a small tarp out and some towels and saw that we got some moisture in the trailer too! Sleeping in a damp trailer isn't fun so I was hoping the sun would come out at the next campsite and we could dry things out. So with tarp and towels, I got seated in the car and we were off to the Crazy Horse Memorial. The head is done after 30 years of blasting and chiseling on Thunderhead Mountain. Started in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Kiolkowski on private land in Cuter county South Dakota, It depicts Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance. Henry Standing Bear, a Lakota elder, commissioned the memorial because he wanted the world to know that American Indians have great heroes too. One of Kiolkowski's smartest moves was to marry Ruth Ross. She arrived at the Crazy Horse Memorial as a volunteer in 1948. What she ended up with was much more! Ziolkowski and Ross married on November 23, 1950. He was 42 years old and she was 24. They had ten children who were born in the small cabin where the family lived. Together Ruth and her husband compiled three books of material containing measurements and plans for the statue. From the family cabin she handled the finances, bookkeeping, press inquiries, staffed their visitors center and acquired the equipment and materials needed to carve the sculpture. Oh yes, she did all this while Korczak was blasting away at the mountain and she was watching their ten children. What a woman! I meet some folks yesterday that went to the memorial thirty years ago when it all started. I couldn't tell them Crazy Horse was finished but I could report that the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation has funded and built the Indian Museum of North America, and the Native American Cultural Center. Kiolkowski, whose personal motto was, "Never forget your dreams." Ruth's was, "Dreams do come true." They would both be proud to know that the dream is still alive and well. |
LEAP 366
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