Barbara Russell

Today is my dearest friend Barbara's birthday! She was my first friend when I moved to Cambridge, Mass. in the early eighties. We took this class at Harvard together with Prof Hugh Flick in Folklore and Mythology. Later we did lots of things together. I sat in on Prof Carol Gilligans class on Moral Development with Barbara when she was doing her Masters at the Education school. We had so many adventures together. She is a lovely person and full of joie de vivre.
I do not have a photo of her just now but I will post one when I do.
She is off on a trip to California with her family so I wish them a lovely time.
When I think of Barbara I think lilacs, magnolias, Swanboats and Singing beach!

Barbara played harp for the CD above and she is a beautiful harper!

Brian Eno

A Brian Eno sandwich for his birthday today. Mmmm yummy!

He is a renaissance man in the 21st century, forever re-inventing himself and his media.

One of the most intelligent artists working at the moment-now, of course that is a hyperbole-but he and his work is very inspiring.

George and his friends

George Lucas born today in 1944 in Modesto, California. Who has not see Star Wars?

Kiss me Cate!

Happy Birthday!

VARC Project Update

"Collaboration is at its best a balancing act. Balance and flexibility, firm and lively. Yin and Yang. Like a cobweb or a grass in the wind. Certainly NOT a candle."

A week has passed up at Highgreen, the base of VARC (Visual Arts in Rural Communities). A very busy and intense week with typical Northumberland weather! Every day a symphony of different moods. Squalls, winds, bursts of warm sunshine, grey skies promising rain which never comes...In April we had May weather so now we have our April weather!
Loads of workshops run by Gavin Thorogood, Luke Daniels, James Wyness and Len Massey from the RCA in London. Drawing to music/sound, drawing based on nature, group drawing...
Playing new arrangements of traditional tunes from around here-Tarset. And listening to sound.
Going for sound walks. Listening. I filmed most of the events and got some interesting footage.
Fine Art students from Newcastle Uni came out with David Butler and stayed overnight camping on the soggy grounds. I hope they had a good time.
The highlight of the week was folk music night at our local pub the Hollybush in Greenaugh.
Morris men were dancing outside in the road through the hamlet and then all stormed into the pub which became alive with Northumbrian pipes, fiddles, accordions, concertina, penny flutes, flute, song, and a general bustle of people drinking talking laughing and enjoying themselves as well as two year old Iris who ran wild all night until she suddenly konked out in her mothers lap.
The fire was burning and I got some amazing footage from that night. Really caught the atmosphere! I am delighted. That is a really good part of the work for this week.
I saw friends and caught up a little even though I was in work mode. I am not much of a multi-tasker.
As for the collaboration I am not entirely certain how it is going. The three have not had much time to get to know eachothers work what with being tied up with commitments. But they have been getting on with their own work as it has been possible.

Collaboration is always a process that does not know its form for a while even up until "the end"!

Towering Tauruses

Joseph Beuys on Giants Causeway.

Ian Dury on bench.

John Agard and Neil Astley at the T S Eliot Prize-giving.

Joseph Beuys
Ian Dury and
Neil Astley
Happy Birthday threefold!

Happy Birthday Salvador!

Salvador Dali photographed by Carl von Vechten in 1939.

Salvador and Gala in NYC.

Salvador Dali born in Catalonia, Spain in 1904. Famous, infamous, notorious and well-known he and his living was art. His paintings and prints and drawings are stupendous. To some Surrealism embodied. His imagination unbridled, to him life was art and vice versa.