Standing in front of a painting creates a variety of feelings within you; feelings of joy, sadness, rage, calmness, curiosity, empathy, sympathy, and so on.

When you stand on a threshold of a room, you look for a feeling telling you that you want to walk in. You want a room that invites you with its balance of space, light, and color. You want to stay a while.

When selling a house, there are rules about staging, rules to make your house appeal to the widest audience. You need to declutter, depersonalize, decolor, clean, and remove any signs of pets or children, the last being a rather cruel notion. It can be understood only when you admit that the minute you list your house to be sold, it no longer is your home, but commodity on the market.

Decluttering is a useful endeavor, ideally accomplished on a daily basis, never to become an overwhelming task.

Depersonalizing includes removing from the room the photographs of the children and grandchildren, the bowling trophies from the 70’s and the picture of the 100 lb. tuna you caught deep sea fishing.

It is also useful to tone down the 1980’s’ red dining room with the rose border or the bright purple bedroom your daughter lived in when she was still at home 20 years ago.

At times, staging takes on a much larger purpose, that of dismantling a household, selling the home and liquidating everything in it. It is an emotional, heart wrenching experience for the owner to go through years’ worth of memories with every closet you empty, every drawer you pull open. Oftentimes, the items will end up with strangers, as antiques, for instance, the ultimate recycled items, are not always preferred by family members. One can hope that, in the future, the items won’t be missed. I remember a two-seater antique rocking chair my mother found oh-so-tasteless and promptly had it chopped for firewood. What I would give for it now, 50 years later…

Today’s homebuyers seem to have a list of requirements: a master bedroom with an adjoining bathroom with two sinks, kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and an open floor plan. This open plan allows the cook to be part of the party and converse with the guests while working in the kitchen. Apparently, today’s young cooks are very neat when they work. I would not want my guests to watch me create anything with flour, for instance…

You may declutter, clean and depersonalize to the point where you have a perfect neutral space, the final touches come from the right colors, right placement of furniture, and the right accessories to create the feeling of “Come on in and stay”.

Yet, two people looking at the same painting will never see the painting the same way. Two people walking into a room are apt to have experiences very different from each other no matter how neutral and tasteful the room.  However, for both viewers, the art/the room needs to be memorable to be effective.

Finnish lace

I make lace. I weave unbleached, natural linen thread wound around smooth wooden bobbins lathed by an elderly craftsman. I weave the bobbins over and under each other on a stuffed flat pillow. I secure the threads in place dictated by the pattern, by strategically placing straight pins in their proper places creating knots on each side of the pins anchoring the thread. The result is natural, understated, yet intricate lace at the speed of two inches per hour.

I make “fans”, “spiders”, “fishnets”, and “almonds”. My father taught me bobbin lace making, when I was six years old. He was fanatic about saving the dying art for my hometown of Rauma, Finland.

Recently, the definition of bobbin lace as art has come to question. When I demonstrate or tell people I make bobbin lace, some announce:” I love to crochet”. I may be a snob, but there is no comparison between the two methods. At times like this, I feel like dropping some arsenic into the tea cup of the master crocheter.

Sometimes, an onlooker will make a comment to the effect of: “You can find lace like that at Walmart. Why bother spending all this time?” Arsenic!…

I am willing to admit, however, that bobbin lace making, as I know it, may be more of a skill than an art or even a talent. It is relatively easy to learn with a pattern to guide you, be it on a form or in your brain stored as information. It is entirely different to create something new, to weave the bobbins in a pattern unique to you. This task  seems to me completely undoable and tempts me to put those drops of arsenic into my own tea!

Then again, I have only used my skill and have never attempted art. It may be a great test of my creativity, when I tire of the old set patterns and/or simply get old(er). In the meantime, I will continue the slow process of making lace in the known Rauma patterns.  Contributed by Maija DeRoche.

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This is a wonderful animated video of a StoryCorps recording.  It’s worth watching!

The curator, Marc Dennis, reviewed and selected the best artwork for display in the exhibition. Marc is a nationally recognized contemporary painter and locally famous professor of art at Elmira College. To learn more about the art work of Mr. Dennis, please peruse his web site – www.MarcDennis.com and read his blog – Creative Footprint. “Water,” a juried visual art exhibition will be on display in The Spotlight Gallery at The ARTS from April 5 – 28, 2010.

Avenues of Expression artist, Linda McCarroll submitted her oil painting, “Watery Sunset” and was one of the artists selected to participate in the exhibition. Linda learned to paint by watching Bob Ross on public television. Every Saturday, Linda would open her drawing pad and follow along with whatever Bob was painting. When she finished, if she thought the work was good enough, she would give it to a friend. Just recently, Linda began to use oil paints and canvas.

When Linda is not working on painting for Avenues of Expression, she is crocheting a blanket for someone or out working in the garden since she enjoys keeping busy. We look forward to seeing more of Linda’s masterpieces as she continues to explore creative expression through painting.

Although our Rec program has explored a variety of art disciplines throughout the years, including musical performance and crafts, it was during last year’s Street Painting Festival that the seeds began to sprout. While driving to work on an early July morning, Josh Bennett of the Recreation department saw a sign advertising “Street Painting” in downtown Elmira. He stopped, wrote down the number and made a call. Rec was too late to be involved in the festival that was held in July, but contacts were made with Elmira Downtown Development, the of the 2009 Elmira Street Painting festival, recreation staff invited some members of the art class to meet and see what this “street painting” was all about.

It didn’t take long before the group met artists from all over the county including an artist from the Community Arts of Elmira. In no time Chemung ARC had made partnerships with Jennifer Herrick of Elmira Downtown Development and Lynne Rusinko of Community Arts Elmira. By the following week, Josh and Jennifer had met again. Jennifer had seen some of the artwork that had been produced in art class and quickly decided that the former Werdenberg building on the corner of North Main and West Water streets would be an ideal spot to display the art. Since that time many of our artists have had their work on display in the store windows. We were very pleased to be part of this year’s Elmira Downtown Development Christmas Window Display project.

Additionally, the agency featured artwork from June Schlappi on the agency’s holiday cards that were distributed to hundreds of community businesses, organizations and supporters of Chemung ARC. June’s artwork was chosen by the arts committee out of 26 art entries out of the program.

Upcoming projects from Avenues of Expression include a fantastic project funded by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes called “All Walks of Life” that will take place this summer. A large canvas will be touring local community walks whereupon people will be invited to “make their mark” with paints. Avenues of Expression has also received some funding from The ARTS to purchase software and equipment to assist artist members in filmmaking. We will continue to keep you informed of all the exciting activities evolving within Avenues of Expression.

I tend to believe that there isn’t “one” specific formula for making a film…as we know, filmmaking is an art form and is forever evolving. The way I make my films may be completely opposite of what is taught in film schools but I find that what I do works for me and my resources. I think of filmmaking in three phases:

PHASE 1
This is where your idea is created. What I like to do is once I have a story to tell, I will outline a plot. I usually do this on a notepad and it isn’t very detailed…just plot points that I want to hit within the story. Once I have a solid plotline, I begin constructing an outline. At the beginning of the outline, I develop my characters. Give them names. Traits. Back-stories. This outline is very detailed. It’s usually about 10-20 pages. Once the outline is complete, I like to walk away from it for about a week or so and then go back to read it over. I’ll find that I’ll add scenes, correct other scenes, and maybe change a character or two when I re-read it. Now I have this huge outline…what do I do with it now? Insert the fun part! This is when I actually begin writing the script. My very first feature script was 60 pages long. The “rule of thumb” is one page of script equals one minute of screen time. So 60 pages would be a 60-minute film. For me, this part can go very quickly or take forever! I use my 10-20 page outline to write the script. Now I have a script…what’s next?

PHASE 2
Now you have a completed script in hand, you love the story, and you’re ready roll! Where do you begin? Phase 2 is what I would call the creation process. This is the phase that you actually shoot and cut your film. I tend to begin this phase with a casting call. A casting call is when you bring in talent to read scenes from your script in order to choose the right actor/actress for specific roles in your movie. This is one of my favorite processes because it’s the first time you get a chance to see your characters come to life. Sometime you may already have a specific person in mind for a certain role, but then you screen test them and find that they fit another character better. This is a very important step. A poorly casted film will never get off the ground. Now you have your cast, now what? This next step, for me, is the most grueling of the entire process of making a movie. This would be the pre-production stage. This is the time to actually produce the film. Sets. Props. Extras. Make-up. Costumes. Locations. Equipment. Rehearsals. Effects tests. Prop tests. Make-up tests. Making schedules. Tired yet? You will be! Cameras. Lights. Actors. Storyboards. Money. Ugh! This step will determine exactly how smoothly your principle photography will go. If you really pay attention to detail in this step, you’ll enjoy smooth and well planned out shoot days. So now you have a screenplay, a cast, a crew, and you have produced like there is no manana…can we finally begin to film live scenes yet!? YES! The next element of Phase 2 is actually filming your movie. Grab your gear, grab your cast, and let the cameras roll! Now the final step in Phase 2 is editing (or cutting) your footage into a watchable (and hopefully entertaining) film. Edit your hearts out! Throw in some awesome music and special effects and watch the magic happen!

PHASE 3
It’s now been months. No, years since the conception of my original idea. I wrote a script based on that idea and produced everything I needed to tell that story. I filmed it and cut it into the most awesomest (if that’s even a real word) movie ever made! Now I have to get people to notice it. In Phase 3, you promote and distribute your film. Promoting is the easy part. Get trailers and behind the scenes featurettes uploaded to youtube and facebook immediately! Try to get onto local TV news stations so you have some material for a press kit. Send screeners to anyone willing to write you a review. Use those reviews (the good ones) to add to your press kit. Take your press kit along with a director bio and start sending your film to every film festival that you can afford to send it to. The film festivals are the roads to distribution. Once your film hits the festival circuit, you just have to sit back and hope that a studio or distribution company thinks that you have created a “marketable” film. If you have, sit back and get ready for a ride!

Ok who’s ready to go make a film?! When you do, remember this: always have fun no matter what! That is truly the secret of moviemaking! So ‘til next time my friends, keep watching the movies!

I have been making short films and indie feature films for several years now and the one constant that I face from film to film is our lack of money and resources. When writing a screenplay, I find it helpful to write around the resources that I know I have access to or it is something that is easily obtainable. I learned to think this way from reading Robert Rodriquez’s book, “A Rebel Without a Crew.” In 2008, I released my award-winning film called “The Moretti House” which was filmed in Elmira at the old Langdon-Pratt mansion. The Community Arts of Elmira allowed me to film there while they were renovating the building. That was a case of me seeing the building and creating a story around it. I knew I had access to the building and I wrote the story using what was already inside the mansion. In Hollywood, a set like that mansion could cost thousands of dollars. “The Moretti House” was premiered on the big screen at The Palace Theatre in Corning. Rob Hesch, a local teacher from Campbell-Savona wrote our new script that we have been working on. He doesn’t share my philosophy in screenwriting! We have been in pre-production since May 2009.

The film is titled “Echo”. Producing this film has been challenging to say the least. It has elaborate locations, multiple costume and makeup effects needed, and a large cast of characters. I like my stories to have few characters to minimize the actors that would be needed. We have 25 actors in “Echo”…and that’s not including extras! There are 50 total scenes and approximately 10-11 different locations. To put this is prospective for you, “The Moretti House” had 8 actors and 5 locations. Needless to say, we are being very ambitious with “Echo”. It will be my biggest movie yet! My film company, Tizodd Productions, L.L.C., is not a major studio so building sets is not an option. What that means is that I depend deeply on the community to help us create this film. We approach local businesses that fit the scenes that we need. Most business-owners that we have approached are very helpful and grant us permission to use their locations in our films. Without this type of support we would be dead in the water. What’s great about this is that these businesses donate their locations to us…that is great because our budgets are usually very limited. What I do for these businesses is bring in patrons as extras and require them to buy something from the business if they want to be an extra. Good thing we have lots of friends and family that want to be in our films! Our main cast is compiled with local actors. Matthew Faulisi is one of my veteran actors from “The Moretti House” that will be portraying one of the lead roles. This will be his second feature film. Richard Mathy, Jr. from ABC’s “The Bachelorette” will be appearing in “Echo”. Tina Field Howe, author of the Alyssa of the Fields books will be making a cameo as well. Tina is another alum from “The Moretti House”.

I think I’ll leave you there for the moment but make sure you keep checking back. I’ll fill you in on more of our producing struggles and triumphs throughout the month. Things will surely begin to unfold as we approach our start date for principle photography, which is set for March 20th! So ‘til next time my friends, keep watching the movies!

I know many artists who struggle with inspiration and procrastination and others who
cannot pass an hour without making a visual mark on something. One painter I know of only releases her paintbrush when she goes on vacation from painting and even then, once she reaches her destination, she searches out brushes and paints, like addicts search out whatever soothes their addictions.

More often, the artist schedules time in the studio as though it is a job, which it is. If the
studio is out of the house, all the easier to go to work. Many artists also have a concentrated focus. They work with one or two media and focus on three or four subjects: landscapes, portraits and still lives in watercolor, oil or acrylics. They become experts in their media and subject matter and go into the studio with a predetermined focus.

I’m not any of these people, though at times I am all of them. I work in watercolor for botanicals, oil for landscapes, oil or acrylic or pastels for figures, pen and ink, graphite….I like processes: intaglio and other printmaking techniques I have not yet learned. Encaustics. I make paste papers. I love fabrics and yarns. I make costumes and masks with sewing machines and paper maché. I like to walk into my studio and be inspired by whatever is on the shelves. If I did the same type of artwork consistently, my vision would become too narrow to be inspiring. So I am not turning out masterpieces. I experiment, all the time and want to try everything.

Conversely, I can also be a purist. My botanicals are watercolor, Not watercolor with colored pencil or ink or graphite. Watercolor, with every stamen, and lenticels in their proper places. However, my collages are with the mind that everything and anything goes. Landscapes in oil? Why yes, let’s make the sky green, because we can.

Place and Process
A good studio allows for inspiration, creativity and ease of working. I am just moving my studio into the former formal living room that sat vacant most days of the year. Instead of having to move boxes aside and go up the cold staircase to the studio room over the garage, I can be in the main house and reach for whatever I need. I’m in heaven. The poor studio spaces I have had all my life were stifling attic rooms, though my last did have a skylight and running water which was wonderful. “If you really want to paint you can do that anywhere. The studio shouldn’t make a difference”, I’ve been told. Ah, but it does. The light, the view, the pleasantness of the room, the temperature, the convenience– all do make a difference.

All this studio talk is moot when I am sketching en plein air or traveling. Give me a sketchbook (one that I have made with my paste papers and favorite grounds) and a sandwich bag holding a few tools, and I will draw anywhere. In the woods, in restaurants, waiting rooms; Indeed, traveling and being outdoors are two examples of where I am never at a loss for what to draw or the time to do it. Standing, sitting on a rock, anywhere and I’m happy and inspired.

Back to the studio and serious painting. I sigh just thinking of it. The following holds true whether I have commissioned work or am working on a piece for exhibition. For this example, I am referring to the steps I go through for my established career work, not my art playtime. I refer to my process of producing a scientific or natural history illustration.

First there is figuring out what to do. This step is partly accomplished with a commissioned piece. “I want to show a laboratory rodent with the portal vein cannulated.” Okay that’s easy. Or the life cycle of a fern. If I haven’t a commission, then the first step is,thinking, “ What the heck do I want to do and why? What will I prove? What will I show? Of what use is this to anyone? What will I learn? Is it important? Has this drawing been done before? What’s the purpose? I wonder what’s on TV. “

Then I look at books and start the research. I compile much more research than I will eventually use, like working a term paper. Collect, collect, collect. Ideas, techniques. Once I get into the research, after deciding I have a decent idea, I am happy. I love learning about my subject and could write a thesis on what I’m studying.

Once the research is under control, I begin the sketches, working on understanding the subject, making sure all aspects are scientifically accurate, and thinking about composition. This phase is fraught with conflicts and frustrations and I visit the refrigerator frequently. Eventually it’s under control and I can transfer the drawing to its final resting place (watercolor paper or board) and begin the painting. If I’ve done all the prep work sufficiently well, the painting is only a matter of technique. The music is on and I am painting, oblivious to time. Every few hours, or minutes depending on how the work is progressing, I stand up and move away from the drawing table so I can see the progress and catch any problems early on.

This is how I work. Undisciplined with productivity and regular scheduling, focused when I need to be. Everything I do contributes to my artful self—walking in the woods, visiting museums, socializing, attending lectures, going to concerts, dancing. All is integrated, even if you will never see it on a canvas.

To prove that I really do get some work done, my website is: www.gretchenhalpert.com

The other morning I went for a grocery run. Parked my car in the lot,, made a mental note of the aisle number, remembered to take in my shopping bags,  and although there was a “slight hitch in my git-a-long” as the old folks used to say, I was feeling pretty, pretty good.  Started my tour of the store, doing the usual meet and greet along the way:  commiserating, congratulating, admiring babies, sampling bits of cheese or crackers or pizza, resisting the temptations of candies and cookies, and , finally having accomplished my grocery fix for the day, still feeling pretty pretty good, got to the check out counter where a fresh faced youmg clerk competently stowed my purchases in shopping bags, totaled my order, handed me a receipt and then asked:  ”Sweetie, do you need any help with your groceries?”  My mood darkened, and in my mind I’m  transformed from a mature woman in possession of most of  her faculties into a harmless old biddy. “SWEETIE!!!”  I wanted to say:   “Listen, girlie, I’m not your sweetie. Furthermore if you knew me better you would realize I am basically not at all sweet.”

These virtual pats-on-the- head have  become more and more common in the past few years. Someone told me the other day that the worst offenders in the “sweetie department” are  nurses and waitresses.  I would add to that list, cashiers and nice  people who open doors for old ladies. I don’t know when I first started noticing the ubquitous  ’dears’ and ‘honeys’ and ’sweeties’.  Maybe it was when my husband and I were out for dinner in one of the down scale restaurants we frequent, and nice waitresses (never waiters) would ask one of us: “Is that all, honey?” or “Can I get you anything else, sweetie?” Srangely enough, my husband does not take offense but seems oblivious to the put downs that so annoy me.

I’ve heard men and women my age described as ‘cute” as in “what a cute old couple!”. Babies and puppies and kittens are cute, but most adults over 21 don’t qualify in the cute department. What’s going on here?? Why have the elderly (if you’ll pardon the expression) become regarded as ’sweet’ and ‘cute’ and why do well-meaning  strangers treat us as wrinkled children?  Many of my peers are  downright mean, crabby, quarrelsome, and decidely uncute.  Yet, our white, grey or missing hair seems to bring out the words usually reserved for tots and teeny tiny designer dogs.

Although I’ve been tempted, I’ve never expressed my feelings to the perpetrators of these put downs, generally taking a ‘what the heck’ attitude, but yesterday things got a little too much.  First the “sweetie” at the check out counter, then a “dear” at the door to the post office, and, finally from a phlebotomist who was drawing blood from my wrinkled arm:”Make a fist, honey.” I ignored the temptation to use that fist,but with a few qualifying remarks intended to soften my inquiry, I asked her why she called me ‘honey’.  She looked puzzled for a second and then said: “I call everybody honey, or sweetie, or dear.”  I pressed her further: “Not just because I’m old?” (there! I said it!).  She laughed and said “I call children and people in their thirties…..I call everyone “honey”,  I just do!”

An epiphany! One more source of annoyance erased from my list of pet peeves! These terms of endearment are vocal ‘tics’ that the speakers ‘just do”, as involuntary as eye blinks or sneezes and just as meaningless.  No longer will I misinterpret  harmless words as subtle insults to my state of mind or competency. Nevertheless, if by chance our paths cross and you have read this sour  blog:  PLEASE DON’T CALL ME SWEETIE! (or honey, dear, love,or sweetheart…..etc.etc.) unless you really mean it. In case you still don’t understand what all the fuss is about, follow the link below to hear a sentimental song, written long ago before the corruption of the old endearments.

http://www.archive.org/details/Audience-LetMeCallYouSweetheart1951