It's hot. That's no news to anyone around here. Temperatures near 100 degrees, however, means that I force myself to a sunrise walk, humid enough at that. Then, I settle down to Art.
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What We Leave
Behind
Note the capital letter...these days I’m creating with a
fast pulse, for it was only one month ago that I discovered the new Muse Art
Gallery in Carrboro, and casually asked about showing there. Holly and I
had talked about doing one in November again, but talking to Abhi, the gentle, creative
owner of My Muses Card Shop (a good artist himself), we discovered he was
booked through Spring, 2026.
"Well" he told us, calendar in hand, "there's
an opening in July." This July.
About Time
Holly and I looked at each other a long minute. Why not? Laurie was on her way to Southeast Asia for a month, but she figured that she could work on her beautiful embroidery collages on plane rides. (Imagine her inspirations!)
For me, the month’s deadline was a good thing. I
hadn't done serious work in a long time...cards for birthdays, thank-you's,
celebrations, a few extending sympathy, too... amounted to my morning art
practice. (And yes, there are a lot of such events…up to 20 a month. I get a lot of practice in.)
Dog People
Ideas always came to me, of course, walking, visiting
galleries, traveling, imagining what x would look like as y or z.
Somehow, though gathered materials hung about in groups, I never got far with
them. A lot of Spring travel is my best excuse for that, but June had no
such.
Here was a deadline. Suddenly, I was full of energy. The heat outside helped keep
me in, and even Duke Energy's pleading texts to save electricity for the
over-powered ACs didn't affect my workspace...plenty of natural light most of
the long June days and the breeze of fans.
Temple in the
Hills
At first, putting paint and brush to paper, I was surprised to discover only one new painting worth the showing. Sometimes my hand wants to work on its own
ideas.
Notions
Book after book emerged.
Then, still happy with paper, glue, and odd embellishments that seemed to insist on inclusion, I started a full
collage, working for days, layer by layer, until every color we saw on our
sisters’ trip to Sedona rose to the surface.
Sedona
One morning, making a birthday card for my niece, I realized
that what I call “small art”…an image rendered no bigger than a greeting card…might
be a good idea to include in the show. In an uneasy climate, small art can be an
affordable and bright (sometimes witty) comfort. Each day forward, I made a new one and framed
them…a few painted, a few collaged.
Body in the Golden
Age
Waiting for things to dry, or settle in mind and spirit, I
went about doing small chores around the house, re-ordering, re-claiming,
recycling. While the mosquitoes slept, I
snuck into the yard to clear and water as I could. But mostly, I cleared my head for art,
excited to see what would come about that day.
Memory of Morocco
I’m back to birthday cards now, though interestingly they
are coming out quite differently than previous ones; clearly, the
inspiration of Art continues.
I’d love for you to see the showing, too. If you can, visit the Gallery in July,
one
way or another:
In person
Visions: Art by Rachel Victoria Mills, Holly Burnham
and Laurie Zuckerman
The Muse Art
Gallery
201A East Main
Street, Carrboro
July 1 – 28, 2025
Come to the Reception!
The Muse Art
Gallery
July 13, 4-7pm
