Well Reader, I am sharing my take on a week in the art world, or rather the small world of this particular artist caught between ARTnews and life while still adapting to postgraduate studies...

News, Wednesday January 29, 2020:
Next president of the Venice Biennale is to be film producer Robert Cicutto; Dali diptych headed to auction for an estimated £7-£10 million.

Meanwhile:
After a sleepless night, the Yankee artist heads into the studio, spurred on by the free yoga class on campus. Feeling much better, she experiments with cutting her canvas to ribbons, hoping that the act will yield a fruitful outcome. Perhaps she should consider making diptychs.

Well Reader, I am sharing my take on a week in the art world, or rather the small world of this particular artist caught between ARTnews and life while still adapting to postgraduate studies...

News, Tuesday January 28, 2020: Gauguin wood carving purchased for a “record price” by the Getty is now attributed to “unknown”; Ghent Altarpiece restoration reveal is still causing an uproar.

Meanwhile: Whilst discussing writing diary entries with her esteemed classmate—who muses about using alternative years of his choice rather than the [current] year of 2020—the aforementioned Yankee artist is both amused and impressed with this non-linear thinking and wonders why she thinks so conventionally. All. The. Damn. Time.

Well Reader, I am sharing my take on a week in the art world, or rather the small world of this particular artist caught between news and life while still adapting to postgraduate studies...

News, Monday January 27, 2020: Fire in NYC destroys thousands of objects at the Museum of Chinese in America; Exhibitors at Art Basel Hong Kong ask for 50% reduction citing “political friction”; Yale University to no longer teach introductory art history survey course.

Meanwhile: A Yankee artist sitting in a glaring white seminar room in London’s East End, makes the
startling discovery that she has acquired near fluency in International Art English. Estimating that her language level could only be classified as C1, rather than C2—or possibly even downgraded to a B2 rating—she wonders if somehow this newly recognized language skill can be parlayed into obtaining free food and wine at future art events.

   I've been living in London for four months, acclimating to the climate, the culture, the rhythms of living in a metropolitan city that is so different from Santa Fe, New Mexico. You would think that speaking English as my native language would be an asset to assimilating into the United Kingdom, however I have learned that all it does is set you up to make some wrong-footed assumptions. Or draw a complete blank when encountering common British vocabulary. All because I speak American English, not British English!  Which brings me to introducing the word of the day: Palaver. It's got two short "a" vowel sounds, plus the rear guard "r" seems to disappear altogether when pronounced by an Englishman. And if you are truly annoyed you can really draw out the second syllable for dramatic effect, "Wot a pah-laaaah-vuh...". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it can be used as a noun: Unnecessarily elaborate or complex procedure; unnecessary work or trouble; or, historically, an improvised conference between two groups, typically those without a shared language or culture. Alternately it can be used as a verb: to talk unproductively or at length.
Anyway, it seems to be the perfect word to describe the state of this blog, which is a complete palaver, complete with my palavering on with no resolution.

My native language is English, American English that is, and so moving to London seems pretty straight forward in terms of language. Many of us Yankees are familiar with the British pronunciations of schedule (shed-yule), aluminium (al-you-mini-um), and of course, Hermione (Her-my-on-nee). But after learning that I will be living in the Marylebone neighborhood of London for a year I wondered, “How exactly is that pronounced? Looks kinda…French?" Luckily, friends who lived there for a number of years clued me in: Marylebone = “Marr-leh-bun”.
Hmm, would not have guessed that.

In any event, I’m thrilled that I’ll be hanging my hat in Marylebone as part of the International Students House community. Each year the ISH charity awards in the region of  £2.2 million to international students coming to London for their studies. I am deeply grateful to have been selected for one of the ISH scholarship awards in partnership with London Metropolitan University, and will be living and learning "Britishisms" with fellow international students from all over the world. So look me up in Marylebone—it’s not far from Grosvenor Square…so apparently you don’t pronounce the “s” or the last “r” in Grosvenor!

...I had a handful of ideas on what to post as a blog entry: Almost bursting into tears after stepping out of the elevator into the ceramics wing at the V&A museum? Wondering how a Santa Fean is going to adapt to not seeing sunshine for more than a day? My intuition led me to share the following instead, taken from journaling in response to a chapter from the book You are a Badass (which I highly recommend by the way).
 
I used to say “I just want a quiet life where I can make my work without pressure just make stuff and write and garden and grow.” Now I don’t want to use the word “just” and I’ll be going to live in London England for a year. That is not a “quiet” life, but I’ve realized I don’t know what life ahead will look like. The only thing I know is that I want life.
 
I choose a rich life that is full and colorful and noisy and energetic and creative full of laughter and loving and creating. I trust God to open my heart, put back all the pieces in the right—or even better places. That if doors shut, then windows will open. If windows close, then walls will come down. Truly my cup runneth over and I am grateful. I also know how to use a sledgehammer.
 
So here’s to us all choosing to pursue a rich and colorful, noisy and creative life! To counting our blessings in the dappled sunshine of living unexpected lives. And to picking up a sledge hammer, or gentler tools, to help build that life.

They say that the universe has a sense of humor, and that one should never say "Never". Well here I am, an artist who has, on this very site, stated that I wouldn't commit to a blog. And of course, it's funny to find myself committing to a blog, albeit simply for a year. In reality, this project arose from a pact with a dear friend, as a way to share my experiences with family & friends while I live in London for graduate school. And I have no idea what the primary focus will be.
Living in London?
Graduate school angst?
Culture shock?
Love letters to Old Masters paintings?
Odes to the Victoria & Albert Museum?
Probably all of the above and then some!
But I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to call London "home" while focusing on painting and growing my work. My MFA program starts in September, however my very first trip to the UK is this spring, to go house hunting. So I figured I might as well start now...