Issue 30 • August 2020 • Facebook.com/TalkArts
IT’S ALL ABOUT
ARTS
Betsy Hinkle
August 2020 In This Issue • Feature: Betsy Hinkle and musiConnects by Janice Williams • Film Review - Part 1 of 3: When You’re Strange (documentary, dir. Tom DiCillo, narr. Johnny Depp, 2010) by Robert G. Spilsbury • Electric Flowers in the time of Covid19, 2020 By Gail Fischer • Animals Taking Over During Quarantine by Lisa Goren • My Love Affair with Sunflowers by Janice Williams • Pictorial Splendor by Curt Naihersey featuring Joan Proudman • Poetry compiled by Curt Naihersey THE MIDNIGHT GARDEN by Ed Morneau and Curt Naihersey • Local Music by Perry Persoff • Tess’s August To Do by Tess McColgan • Afterland Part 8 by Edward Morneau • Ruth LaGue Palette Knife Classes • Centre Cuts Salon and Spa
Support local artists and buy from them whenever you can!
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
IT’S ALL ABOUT ARTS www.itsallaboutarts.com facebook.com/TalkArts ROSLINDALE ARTS ALLIANCE www.roslindalearts.org facebook.com/Roslindale-Arts-Alliance-129685993761701 ART STUDIO 99 www.artstudio99.com facebook.com/Art-Studio-99-145566388819141 Twitter @artstudio99 Instagram - janice_art_studio_99 Published by It’s All About Arts by Janice Williams, Editor Copyright 2020 - All Rights Reserved Glenn Williams - 617-543-7443 glennsmusic.williams@gmail.com Janice Williams - 617-710-3811 janice@artfulgift.com TO ADVERTISE - REQUEST OUR MEDIA KIT ALL ADVERTISING REVENUE GOES TO THE IT’S ALL ABOUT ARTS YOUTH ART SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. MORE
ADULT ART COURSE
Learn the fundamentals of painting with the palette knife Focus on acrylics and the landscape with artist Ruth LaGue This two-day, 8-hour online course will focus on constructing dynamic landscapes using the palette knife. The course will include lectures, demonstrations, practice and encouraging critiques. The painting medium is acrylics. September 12 & 13, 9am-1pm Cost: $125/person For additional details contact Ruth LaGue at ruthalague@gmail.com
A variety of palette knife sizes and acrylic paints are required as well as canvas board or stretched canvas. A materials list will be provided. Workshop enrollment 3 - 7 students. This class will be conducted via Zoom. Private sessions are available.
RUTH LAGUE | www.laguewax.com
Betsy Hinkle
modeling self-expression and confidence through chamber music By Janice Williams
Betsy Hinkle is a very busy person. She is an educator, a performer, a designer, a wife and mother of two active young children. Born in Winter Park, FL, Hinkle now thankfully calls Roslindale, MA her home. Here she literally orchestrates a full life of teaching, performing and helping others. Her instrument of trade is the violin that she has been playing since kindergarten. According to Hinkle, “I also have been teaching since I was in high school and I had my first professional performing experiences both in orchestral and chamber music settings in high school as well. I have been designing innovative curricula for the past 20 years”. A driven and dedicated entrepreneur, Hinkle founded musiConnects in 2007, a non-profit organization based which designs and implements chamber music based educational residencies at five sites in Mattapan and Roslindale. When she started, she was the only staff member and Artistic-Executive Director. Now a bustling organization, she leads as the Curriculum Designer. As amazing educators, the organization brings music lessons and discipline to “eager to learn and perform” inner city children. The musiConnects’ mission statement is: “To model and teach self-expression, peer leadership and community development through the transformative power of chamber music.” Hinkle’s personal belief is that high quality music education and performances are a right for all not a privilege for a few. Across Hinkle’s career she has played in orchestras accompanying Ray Charles, the Moody Blues and Dionne Warwick. She has performed the Brahms Piano Quintet with musiConnects on a street corner in Mattapan Square. She has played dozens of Boston Ballet performances of the Nutcracker and a Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as Dido and Aeneus with Mark Morris. Boston Public Quartet has performed at the Mattapan Library, Mattapan Health Center and at the Kennedy Center honoring victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing. She has also played with the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music, the Boston Ballet Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Back Bay Chorale. She is a member of the American String Teachers association and the Boston Musicians Union. She also founded the Boston Public Quartet, a string quartet in residence at musiConnects. (continued)
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Betsy Hinkle – modeling self-expression and confidence through chamber music by Janice Williams (continued) A new adventure is a piano quartet that will be involved in programming and performing. She attended the New England Conservatory of Music and graduated in 2001 with a Master of Music. Hinkle felt that it was an honor to serve as the 2017 Alumni commencement speaker at New England Conservatory. She received the 2014 Barbara C. Harris Award for Social Justice. And always engaged in giving back to her community, Hinkle was a META Fellow of the Massachusetts Cultural Council from 2018-2020. Hinkle appreciates fine art and is afan of visual artists John Singer Sargent and George Seurat. Her favorite violinist right now is Mo Yang and her favorite living composer is Eleanor Alberga. With lots of future plans in the works temporarily stalled, Hinkle has not let the current pandemic situation move her from her mission as she is using the time to write curricula and spend time with her family. A new project in the works is an instrument readiness class for tots aged 3-6 (post COVID) and unique and innovative performances from the Boston Public Quartet. musiConnects’ six resident musicians provide over 30 free performances and teach over 100 youth in free and low-cost music education programs. Please consider a donation to this wonderful organization. musiConnects also offers private classes at their studio in Roslindale. Check www.musiconnects.org for upcoming events (outdoor, virtual and more!) in Fall 2020. Stay tuned for more from the Boston Public Quartet as well. Contact Hinkle at betsy@musiconnects.org or 617-513-5325. Video Links: musiConnects Stand by Me virtual June 2020 performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmdHtUG9I2g Boston Public Quartet collaboration with Sol y Canto 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HEHg3T2KZQ musiConnects promotional video from 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF3h4shYrU4&t=2s Betsy Hinkle Interview with Celeste the Therapist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdb5Q2T_JSc Video performance of Schubert Cello Quintet movement 2, Boston Public Quartet and Megan Koch cello, 2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eoy2N9eqK8
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Film Review
When You’re Strange - Part 1 of 3 (documentary, dir. Tom DiCillo, narr. Johnny Depp, 2010) by Robert G. Spilsbury Tom DiCillo’s 2010 documentary on Jim Morrison and The Doors, titled When You’re Strange, covers the life of Jim Morrison and summarizes his history in The Doors. The film quickly picks up steam with Depp describing the 1960s as the decade that began with a shot—John F. Kennedy was assassinated, the civil rights movement intensified, the war in Vietnam escalated, and the youth movement caught fire. The establishment still existed in the early 1960s, but a rapid counterculture movement was growing. Depp describes it in the film as “a massive cultural earthquake [that] was splitting the country open, and out of it came The Doors,” one of rock’s greatest bands of all time. Since his death in July 1971, Jim Morrison’s fame has endured as one of popular culture’s most rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap and youth counterculture.
Depp describes Morrison as the son of a decorated naval officer,
George Stephen Morrison, and Clara Virginia, a stay-at-home mom. Jim did not get along that well with his parents, especially his father, who went by his middle name Steve, and wanted his son to pursue something similar to his own career in the Navy. Jim was more into the arts and wound up going to UCLA film school, something Steve saw as a road to nowhere.
When Jim graduated film school with a D average, his future did
not look so bright, and he told his best friend and classmate Ray Manzarek (who also happened to play keyboards in the local LA rock scene in a band called Rick and the Ravens, along with his two brothers, Rick and Jim Manzarek) that he would be moving to New York City, as he was tired of California.
A couple of months later Jim ran into Ray on Venice Beach and
told him he had found a friend who would let him live rent-free on his rooftop so he could write poetry and read in peace all day, and so he had scrapped his plans to move to New York. While walking with Ray on the beach that day, Jim recited a poem he had been working on, titled “Moonlight Drive”: (continued)
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
When You’re Strange (documentary, dir. Tom DiCillo, narr. Johnny Depp, 2010) by Robert G. Spilsbury Let’s swim to the moon Let’s climb to the tide Penetrate the evening that the City seeks to hide. Let’s swim out tonight, love It’s our turn to try Parked along the ocean On our moonlight drive.
Ray loved the poem so much, he convinced Jim to make it lyrics for a song. “I want you to be the lead
singer of our band, Jim,” Ray said, and Jim decided to give it a shot even though he was very shy and had stage fright. In fact, when Jim had his first band practice with Ray and his two older brothers—Rick on guitar and Jim handling backing vocals and harmonica—he had to have his back turned from where the audience would be. He performed to the drum kit—his way of dealing with stage fright and raw nerves when performing.
Neither of Ray’s brothers found Morrison professional or thought he had what it took to be a singer that
would get them booked to play clubs on the Sunset Strip. Bass player Roland Biscailuz found Morrison lacking in musicianship and didn’t want to be in a band with him. The only member of Rick and the Ravens who sided with Ray was drummer John Densmore, who wanted Jim in the band. He also didn’t find Morrison much of a professional musician, but he found his lyrics dark and intriguing, and he was drawn to Morrison’s character. Both Jim and Rick Manzarek quit the band, as did bassist Biscailuz, and Ray’s brothers strongly advised Ray not to play with Morrison too long or he would delay his own rise in the music world.
Ray was convinced Jim was a poet who had what it took, so he invited Jim to live with him and his
girlfriend Dorothy in their beach house for free. John Densmore agreed to stay in the band and convinced his good friend, guitarist Robby Krieger, to join the group (as Krieger’s band had just broken up), and soon after The Doors were born.
Morrison loved Krieger’s bottleneck-style of playing guitar and told the rest of the band he wanted that
style to be featured in every song on the first Doors album. The band’s name came from a William Blake poem: “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” The Doors began playing their first club gigs at the London Fog but were soon promoted to the Whisky a Go Go, which was a far more esteemed venue on the Sunset Strip. One night the band debuted the song “The End,” and Morrison was on LSD at the time. He did an improv as the song was winding down, using several curse words and rude implications in his lyrics that the club owner at the Whisky did not appreciate. Not long after, on August 21, 1966, The Doors were banned from playing future engagements at the club, because Morrison added an explicit and profanity-laden retelling of the Greek myth of Oedipus during the finale of “The End.” But at that point, it didn’t matter, as days earlier, on August 10, a scout from Elektra Records named Jac Holtzman had been at the Whiskey, liked what he saw, and helped get the band an Elektra Records deal. (continued)
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
When You’re Strange (documentary, dir. Tom DiCillo, narr. Johnny Depp, 2010) by Robert G. Spilsbury
Depp chronicles how The Doors started out with a thunderous bang. Their first album, The Doors, was
recorded in five days. Paul Rothchild was the producer, and Jac Holtzman was the sound engineer. The album was tightly packed with incredible songs that were psychedelic jazz blues rock at its finest. The first single was an amazing song titled “Break On Through,” but it didn’t catch public notice right away and stalled at number 106 on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart. Rothchild met with Holtzman, and they decided to pivot and release Robby Krieger’s “Light My Fire,” which slowly climbed its way up the charts to number one in the country, spending an entire three weeks there, from June to July in 1967. The band had spent the previous two years in complete obscurity nationally, keeping mainly to the LA scene. “Light My Fire,” the sixth song on their debut The Doors record, shot the band to international prominence. However, controversy would begin to surround the band when they were invited to perform the song on the Ed Sullivan Show. Ed Sullivan had told the band he wanted them to change the lyrics from “Girl we couldn’t get much higher,” to “Girl we couldn’t get much better.” The Doors accepted the request, even though they didn’t want to sell out. They remembered that the Rolling Stones—the ultimate badass British band—had also changed their lyrics for Sullivan on their song “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” They sang instead, “Let’s spend some time together.”
When it came time to hit the stage on the Sullivan Show, Morrison did not alter the lyrics and even
said the word “higher” more loudly and blatantly than the other lyrics, as if he really wanted to get a rise out of Sullivan. Sullivan was furious and said he would never invite The Doors back on his show, no matter how popular they became. And The Doors did become more popular, although Sullivan and promoters alike grew ever more wary of them as the 1960s moved on.
Part of The Doors mystique was not having a bass player, which created a whole different sound.
Manzarek discovered a piano bass that helped make up for the lack, but the sound difference was still noticeable. Densmore’s jazz-fusion drumming, leading into crashing beats in songs that built up, and Krieger’s flamenco added to the mysterious sound of the band. “If the band did have a true surreal air to them, it was Morrison who was the master trapeze artist,” says Depp in the film.
Depp also comments that “Morrison represented both the innocent and the profane within himself.
Nobody before in rock history had this exact combination.” And no matter how high Morrison flew, his bandmates were always there to catch him and bring him back to earth. Jim relished all the attention that came with their initial and sudden fame. They seemed born for it. Without a publicist or a manager, the band made all its own decisions. Morrison enjoyed the freedom to do what he wanted. He made his own wardrobe choices, including black leather pants and a big black leather belt with a silver buckle in the middle.
The Doors’ second album, Strange Days, was also a huge success, with “People Are Strange” and
“Love Me Two Times” receiving plenty of radio attention and becoming hits. The title track on the album, “Strange Days,” was haunting and mysterious. Morrison’s vocals sounded different. He was gifted with many incredible voices that he could use in his songs, and this one sounded like Armageddon was present. “Strange days have found us. Strange days have dragged us down. They’re going to destroy, our casual joys…Hear me talk of sin, and you know this is it.” (continued) It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
When You’re Strange (documentary, dir. Tom DiCillo, narr. Johnny Depp, 2010) by Robert G. Spilsbury
The original Morrison poem that sparked the formation of The Doors, “Moonlight Drive,” was also
included as a song on the record and sounded amazing. Morrison also recited a poem on the record, called “Horse Latitudes,” which he had written as a teenager. When the still sea conspires an armor And her sullen and aborted Currents breed tiny monsters True sailing is dead! Awkward instant And the first animal is jettisoned Legs furiously pumping Their stiff green gallop And heads bob up Poise Delicate Pause Consent In mute nostril agony Carefully refined And sealed over
What a poem for a fifteen-year-old to write! You wonder how much genius Morrison already
possessed before he got to college and read everything by Blake, Nietzsche, Rimbaud, Kerouac, Mailer, and McClure, his favorite poets, philosophers, and authors.
It wasn’t until the band’s third album, Waiting for the Sun, that troubles began to start happening with
Jim. The record was supposed to be more of an artistic statement than any of the group’s previous work. The entire second side was going to be one song—“The Celebration of the Lizard,” adapted from a poem by Jim. Unfortunately, it never got recorded in the studio, except for the “Not to Touch the Earth” segment of the song, which made it on the album. The rest of the long piece got canceled by Rothchild due to Morrison’s failed attempts at getting the whole thing down in the vocal booth. Rothchild described working with Morrison during this period as “constantly pulling teeth to get anything done.” The rest of the band had already played their parts for the recording, but Morrison was constantly showing up late to the studio and could only get so much recording done per session. Sometimes he was showing up six to eight hours after his bandmates, who had arrived in the early afternoon. Sometimes Morrison wouldn’t show up until ten or eleven p.m., and by this time he had been drinking a lot or was high on LSD and in no shape to record. To be continued next month.
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Gail Fischer - Electric Flowers
“Images of Hope in the time of Covid-19”. Is a series of “Electric Flowers” created in my home for 90 plus days, while practicing social distancing measures here in Massachusetts. Each day using pen lights, plastic tubes, plexi glass shapes, color gels, glass vases and flashlights, I created flowers and spirals in complete darkness. The collections main goal was to reach those working on the front lines combating the virus. I printed several images and made greeting cards as an end product. The cards were taken to the Brigham’s ER staff.
1
A simple line drawing with little embellishment was the mood starting into the pandemic. At this point -I took it all for granted and never dreamt what was to come.The physical act of drawing the leaves and stems in free form without definition secured the leaf and stem technique and the flower petals of purple and pink were chosen to symbolize the hope for spring and wellness to all with the virus.
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Once the realization the pandemic was not going away so quickly, I focused on perfecting the use of the light painting tools to actually resemble flowers. In my mind I saw a abstract dahlia shape and worked to convey it in the black space of the studio room. I thought that red and yellow would be effective colors for the leaves and stems since already many were dying. The whole idea of a pandemic was still shocking and bizarre. My goal was to convey that strange place I was now living in physically and mentally in each flower image.
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Gail Fischer Electric Flowers (Continued)
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Keeping the yellow and red theme in this image related to the shock as the numbers were increasing around the world. News was on 24/7 and all eyes were on Italy and New York. However, I knew being in Boston our numbers were also increasing, so I went back to the green leaves for Hope.
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In or around the sixth week of isolation, craziness settled into my mind. I found myself getting angry about all the losses we had to live with now. My intention with my flowers at this point was to “lighten up” get control of the feelings. Keeping the Hope color green and using it also to harness those wacky flower petals that were starting to go rogue. I added penlight squiggles to the center of the flower for some cuteness.
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Brilliance happened when Dr Fauci and the CDC team would come onto the TV screen everyday with facts and truths. The flowers for Hope became part of the solution. I came up with the idea of adding little stars into the flower heads because I saw his team as big bright spots in the midst of controlled chaos.
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Gail Fischer Electric Flowers (Continued)
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Optimism prevailed with all the talk of cures, possible drugs, and flattening of the curves. It was also an early cold spring here in Boston and we had one lonely daffodil in the yard. I used the lone flower in a vase to illustrate the loneliness that we all were feeling. Creating spirals- the intuitive symbol of spiritual development – just happened naturally. I chose to keep adding the star bursts because they are so pretty and sparkle.
Gail Fischer is a fine art photographer whose work unites her imagery with process. She prints on handmade papers, which are textural and give a dimensionality that resembles illustration. She has exhibited in featured shows at the Newport Art Museum 2020 Juried Annual Exhibit, Main Gallery of the Newton Free Public Library and the Illumination Program of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Additional juried group shows include: The New England Biennial; Danforth Art Museum; The Art Complex Museum; Plymouth Center for the Arts, Plymouth, MA and Zullo Gallery, Medfield, MA. Her work is in the collections of Massachusetts General Hospital, Valley Hospital/NY Presbyterian and private collections. A native of Kentucky with many years in New York City as a public relations photographer, Fischer now resides in Needham, Massachusetts. She holds a BFA in Photography and Art History from Northern Kentucky University.
All images are for sale. Please contact Gail for further information at: alwaysgail@gmail.com. Her work can also be seen on Instagram at @alwaysgail. www.alwaysgail.com
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Animals Taking Over During the Quarantine, by Lisa Goren During the spring semester at BU, I was actively auditing and participating in two classes the School of Visual Art. In February, there was a rumble from kids in the class who knew other students in Italy. BU has a school in Venice and students were being sent home. It didn’t seem like the virus was connected to the US in any other way. And then, as we all know, the week of shutdowns occurred.
“Penguins and the Monet”
Our assignment, as our class changed to a zoom meeting, was to paint an “interior landscape.” What have I been thinking about?
“Dolphin in Istanbul”
I’m in my third floor attic/studio while my family is working in their own spaces on the floors below...
“Penguin and Beluga”
and I started to compile photographs of animals that have moved “back in” to the spaces humans have left. They’re all over social media. Coyotes near the Golden Gate Bridge, Kangaroos on the streets of Adelaide, and dolphins and jellyfish visible in Istanbul and Venice’s newly cleared up waters (no cruise ships!)
“Kangaroo in Adelaide” It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020
The other set of photos is of people bringing animals out from zoos and aquariums to give them some mental stimulation since all the visitors are gone. Penguins mostly, roaming around the aquarium, taken to museums, and even the woods.
“Penguin and the Cesari”
“Penguins on the Stairs”
I paint them for class and they love them (I do too). Then I post them on Facebook and they seem to have really hit a nerve. I guess that it’s nice to see something positive during this time.
“Monkeys in the Street”
I can’t seem to stop painting them (just this week, someone brought penguins from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago to the Field Museum – those paintings should be done soon). So far, I’ve done about 40 of them. And I still have more photos – I hope they give people a smile…. By Lisa Goren “Fox Cubs Underneath the Boardwalk in Toronto”
It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Www.lisagorenpaintings
My Love Affair with Sunflowers By Janice Williams
Which came first – Vincent van Gogh or sunflowers (see answer at the end of this article)? The two are as one for me. Back in 1970 as a young wife and mother, I bought my first decorative piece of art at the local outlet store. It was an 8x10 framed print of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, 1888. I fell in love immediately. I remember that I paid $9 for it and it was an extravagant buy for me at the time. That print has given me a lifetime of joy as it turned me onto the amazing art of Vincent van Gogh. It brought the beauty of sunflowers into many areas of my life: sunflower decorated household items like dish towels and vases; adding sunflowers to my painting repertoire; lots of sunflower bouquets and at times growing sunflowers. The actual print somehow disappeared but my passion and love has never decreased in intensity for either Vincent van Gogh or sunflowers.
Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”
While living with his brother Theo (circa 1886-1888), van Gogh began painting flowers. He did a series of clipped sunflowers. His most famous sunflower painting (and my favorite) was part of another series of flowers grouped in vases. These were done when he invited artist Paul Gauguin to stay with him in Arles, France. An interesting note here is that in Arles he rented a “yellow” house and his work that summer reflected the color yellow. According to the van Gogh website: “‘The Yellow House’ is an example of Van Gogh’s yellow vision or possible xanthopsia, a medical condition affecting his eyesight. Many historians have speculated that the artist’s xanthopsia was due either to an overdose of digitalis or an overindulgence in absinthe, Vincent’s alcoholic beverage of choice”. A couple of his sunflower pieces were displayed at Les XX exposition in Brussels, an annual art event that was founded and organized by leading members of the European avant garde. I was lucky enough to see a van Gogh exhibit (Van Gogh in Nature in 2015) at The Clark Art Institute in Western, MA a few years ago which left mewith a new appreciaiton for his art. (continued)
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
My Love Affair with Sunflowers by Janice Williams (continued) Five Facts about Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (from https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en) 1. Vincent wanted to be known as the painter of sunflowers 2. There are 5 different versions of “Sunflowers” in a vase 3. Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings were colour experiments 4. Vincent decorated Gauguin’s room with his sunflower paintings 5. The ‘Sunflowers’ were meant to symbolise gratitude While yellow is not my favorite color, sunflowers make me feel happy. They brighten the space wherever they are. I guess that sunflowers make me happy because they remind me of the sun. I much prefer sunny days to overcast or rainy says. And in spite of being a lifelong New Englander, snow and winter are at best a tolerable annoyance. A fun sunflower sighting I have enjoyed was at our local ball field/playground. One day as I drove by, I saw a multitude of sunflowers that had been planted all around its perimeter. It made me smile. Now in its second year, an amazing artist acquaintance, Ekua Holmes has created a project in Roxbury called The Roxbury Sunflower Project. (follow at https://www.instagram.com/roxburysunflowerproject). Her vision is to plant 10,000 sunflowers to spread beauty and hope. Sunflowers come in all shapes, sizes and shades of yellow and brown. There are over 60 varieties and they belong to the daisy family. Sunflowers originated in the Americas. They are used for food (both human and animal, especially birds) and medicine. 20 Facts about Sunflowers from https://www.spinfold.com/20-facts-about-sunflowers/ 1. Sunflower is the only flower with flower in its name! 2. “Helianthus” is the scientific name of Sunflower, Helia for Sun and Anthus for Flower. 3. Sunflowers are the symbol of faith, loyalty and adoration. 4. They follow the movement of the sun across the sky from east to west, and this process is known as heliotropism. 5. Sunflower oil was able to soften leather, condition hair, wounds, and also used as cooking oil, medicine paint, animal feed and bio-diesel. 6. Oil of sunflower is rich in minerals like calcium and iron and contains vitamin A and Vitamin D. 7. Sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine and is the state flower of Kansas. 8. Sunflowers are one of the fastest growing plants and they grow tall. On an average they grow up to 8-12 feet within six months. 9. The Guinness world record for the tallest sunflower is 25 feet 5 ½ inches, grown by M Heijims in Oirschot, Netherlands in1986. 10. Sunflower with largest flower head is 32 ¼ inches in diameter (measured from the outer tip of the petal on one side to the outer tip of the petal on the opposite side), was grown by Emily Martin in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada in 1983. 11. 837 flowers were grown on a single plant by Melvin Hemker in saint Charles, Mi. in 2001. (continued) It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
My Love Affair with Sunflowers by Janice Williams (continued) 12. Bonsai technique was used to make the shortest mature sunflower record with 2 inches in height. 13. The spiral formation of seeds in a sunflower almost always follows the Fibonacci sequence. 14. A single sunflower can have up to 2000 seeds. 15. Sunflower head is made up of 1000 to 2000 individual flowers which are joined at the base.The large petals which are found around the edge are individual ray flowers, which do not develop into seeds. 16. Cultivated sunflowers have a single stem and a large seed head, while in wild they are highly branched with small heads and seeds. 17. More than 60 varieties of sunflowers are found around the world in different shades. Some varieties also have striped petals. 18. Not only we can find different colored petals, but also their centers vary in different shades. 19. Sunflower seeds are found in two ways black and striped. 20. Black seeds are used to make oil and snacks are made out of striped seeds. The answer is sunflowers came first! Domestic sunflower seeds have been found in Mexico, dating to 2100 BC while Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853. Follow Janice Williams Art at https://www.instagram.com/janice_art_studio_99/
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
…once again, the amazing Joan
Proudman
“Is It Tulip Time Yet?” ______________________________________________________________________!
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It’s All About Arts Magazine
August 2020
“The Cloud of Unknowing”
Joan Proudman is a photo-montage artist and graphic designer living in rural Maine. Recurring themes such as mystery and longing are woven into whimsical, metaphorical, and even paradoxical narratives. Proudman's work represents a hidden, inner world that infuses ordinary images and their relationships with symbolic meaning. >> Please contact the artist at joanproudman@gmail.com for more information or visit her on Instagram and Facebook.
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THE MIDNIGHT GARDEN [aka The Hoax] One in the bed, one at the mill Some still waiting...still waiting still A twist of the mind spins the world around Tied up tight to keep the Truth unwound.
wow! a collaboration!
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If this is America of the beloved dream To what advantage will we cut from the seam To splice in the hoax and pretend to believe
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One for the bread, one for the roses Some still waiting what another supposes Twist in the words, play the false tune Gag the truth, it will suffocate soon
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The quicksand moves under treacherous feet Delirious caution meets the thief of belief Wade in the deep end, then throw me a line.
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One in the bed, one at the mill Some still waiting...always waiting still A mind twists, spins the world around Locked up tight to make the Truth unsound.
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Facts and fiction on a wrestling mat Head-locked opinions, some personal spat History as hoax, justice will choke Consecrated marches - the viral joke Death tells no lie, no is just no.
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One for the bread, one for the roses Waiting and waiting what another supposes Twist the words, play the wrong tune Gag the truth, it will suffocate soon.
! - Ed Morneau & Curt Naihersey July, 2020 ! ! ! ! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ! It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
THE LOCAL MUSIC CORNER
- by Perry Persoff
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! Born in Cork, Ireland, and now living and making music in Boston for many years, BOB BRADSHAW has stepped out with another album, QUEEN OF THE WEST. This is his eighth and, if albums that feel like a traveling companion, that become more dynamic on the headphones, or make you feel like you’ve been on an extensive road trip when you’ve finished listening…this album is right up your alley. Maybe the creation of this album was partly influenced by Bob’s travels. He moved from Ireland to San Francisco for fifteen years, part of the music scene there for a while, then to New York City where he lived before eventually migrating to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music. That cross-country thing can tune a person into our cultural heritage of restless traveling. There is much of a John Ford-esque scope of epic travel to this album, complete with sense of cultural mythology. The sense
that The West is still a kind of frontier (I don’t know if that works as well west of Nevada…). The literary vehicle of extensive driving as a metaphor for getting through a long-term process - such as the story of a relationship. Setting it all up is Ruby, the Queen of the West. The first few songs establish her first as a very intimidating icon before humanizing her. Part of what humanizes her is her child becoming very sick, to the point where Ruby pleads to the saints for help (Ruby had been the last person you’d find in Church). There is an almost humorous song called “1-800-SOSAINT“ that seems like a voicemail runaround to reach specific saints. In that song, Bob Bradshaw sings as many of the saints. In some songs, Bob sings as the narrator of the album - sort of a Greek chorus. In others, he sings as Tom, Ruby’s driver and
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It’s All About Arts Magazine
August 2020
“the one who knows her best.” The one who has been the only man who could match up with her. So we follow the up and down relationship of Ruby and Tom. Nearly the last half of the album appears to be Tom trying to get away from Ruby while realizing that he can’t. Which fundamentally echoes back to the very first song as a preview to the album, and to the legend of Ruby. Ironically, given the title of the album and the prominence of The West in the album’s lore, Tom comes to think that the only place he and Ruby can become their best selves is the East. As in the Orient. Like with many of Bob Bradshaw’s albums, the graphics are visually fascinating. Just by looking at it you can feel like you’ve started on the album’s journey. I am glad he also included the lyrics so you can follow along if you choose. Bob produced the album. Dave Westner recorded and mixed it (have the last three years been The Dave Westner Era for great local albums?). But without getting into too much Production Talk, let’s just say the smooth production is like buttah.
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The musicianship is superlative. Bob has quite the supporting cast behind him. Anchoring the lead and electric guitars for most of the album are the dynamic Andrews - Andy Santospago and Andrew Stern (Duke Levine also contributes on a pair of songs). Ed Lucie’s dramatic and subtle bass helps pull you into the album from the very first notes, as does the percussion from drummer Mike Connors. Very sweet fiddle from Chad Manning (of the David Grisman Quintet) helps tug the heartstrings. Beautiful harmonies from Annie Lynch (Annie & The Beekeepers), Kris Delmhorst, and Britt Connors add to the album’s flavor, as does some nice piano work dropped in by Blue Ribbons front man James Rohr.
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So, if your cable or streaming stick goes out one night this hot & humid summer, grab your headphones and put on this CD while you sit on the porch. You’ll go as far as a movie in one third the time, and you won’t need to remember your password to get started.
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It’s All About Arts Magazine
August 2020
T
ess’s August To-Do List
Complete the 2020 Census If you haven’t yet completed the 2020 Census for your household, staff will visit your home to help you complete it starting August 11. Respond now to avoid a doorknock. The 2020 Census is 10 questions in 10 minutes to shape our communities for the next 10 years. Learn more and participate today at https://my2020census.gov/ or call 844-330-2020.
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Tess’s August To-Do List (continued) Weekly Office Hours: Anti-Oppression Practice Space at Alex Bauermeister Intra Yoga Therapy in Roslindale Alex Bauermeister Intra Yoga Therapy in Roslindale Square is holding weekly office hours on Wednesdays August 5th, 12, & 19th from 12:00-12:45pm via Zoom to provide an Anti-Oppression Practice Space for White Folx Deconstructing White Supremacy Culture. Anti-racism affinity groups supplement the social change process by creating a container for white privilege holders to build essential skills, and excavate personal and structural racism in a way that does not further burden, retraumatize, and cause harm to BIPOC. Alex draws on 10+ years of study, inner work, and outer work to mindfully facilitate these sessions. Learn more and register here: https://www.intrayogatherapy.com/workshops/ officehours
The Ally Nudge If you’re looking for ways of being more consistent about your work to be an ally to the Black community, this may be a useful service. The Ally Nudge will text you 2-3 days per week for a month, helping you learn and take action. Topics of focus include the language of anti-racism, diversity in our jobs, racism in education, voter suppression, and more. Learn more and sign up for a month for $5 here: https://www.nudgetext.com/ally
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Tess’s August To-Do List (continued) The RVMS Grab-and-Go Farmers Market This year, the RVMS Farmers Market continues to operate weekly on Saturdays from 9:00am-1:30pm with a new format and safety guidelines in place. The market will continue to open each week through the end of our season in November, provided we can operate safely and in the best interest of public health, following the City of Boston’s Farmers Market Guide and regulations set by the Boston Public Health Commission. The market will continue offering SNAP/HIP for qualified shoppers. In addition to required guidelines for shoppers, we encourage you to order ahead of time from vendors each week using our Vendor Info & Pre-order Document found here: https://roslindale.net/pre-order-for-the-farmers-market/ You can learn more about this year’s reformatted farmers market & read FAQs by visiting our website: https://roslindale.net/rvms-farmers-market/ Running this version of our market means we need around triple the weekly volunteers that we would on a normal market Saturday. If you’re a Rozzident (or lover of Roslindale) and you’re interested in supporting the market, volunteer with us! Volunteer shifts are each about two hours and our Farmers Market Committee at RVMS will continue to need volunteer support each market this season, through mid-November. Join other dedicated members of the Roslindale community on an upcoming Saturday and enjoy the warm weather in Rozzie’s beautiful Adams Park while helping the market run smoothly and safely. Email marketvolunteers@roslindale.net to learn more.
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Tess’s August To-Do List (continued) Keep up the good work! It’s so important that we still be mindful and cautious to follow City & State advisories and recommendations by practicing social distancing and wearing our face coverings outside & in any public spaces. Let’s keep flattening that curve and continue to support our local small business communities as they move towards a “new normal.”
If you’re looking to jazz up your look, you can always pick up a new face mask from a local shop, like Birch St. House & Garden or Joanne Rossman - purveyor of the unnecessary and the irresistible in Roslindale! Seymore Green on Poplar Street in Rozzie can print custom-designed masks, if you’re looking to place a group order for your company or family.
It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
“Tess’s August To-Do List (continued) Tess McColgan comes from a big family full of artists and has always enjoyed embracing local talent.She’s lived in many places throughout New England including York, ME and Dover, NH, and moved to Boston at age 14. In 2015 she moved to Roslindale where she found a sense of community that resonated with her. She started as the Program Manager for Roslindale Village Main Street in April 2018 and loves being a part of the volunteer-driven organization that works so hard to support local businesses and to make Roslindale Village a destination where everyone wants to eat, shop, play and collaborate. Tess’s background includes customer service, clinical research, volunteer management & recruitment and Human Resources. In her free time, she doodles and plays with acrylic paints on canvases, writes in her journal, attends yoga classes, and gets out in nature as often as possible. Tess is the co-host for It’s All About Arts TV Show. Photo: Bruce Spero Photography at brucespero.smugmug.com
Follow my art journey on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/janice_art_studio_99 It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
NOW AVAILABLE Thank you Edward Morneau
Volume 1 Soft Cover Book March 2018--February 2019 158 pages: $25.00 +S/H/Tax
https://www.amazon.com/Its-All-About-Arts-Annual/dp/B0848WD1H2 It’s All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Volume 2 Soft Cover Book March 2019--February 2020 236 pages, $35.00 + S/H/Tax
https://www.amazon.com/Its-All-About-Arts-Annual/dp/B084Z3PC28
Afterland by Edward Morneau
Afterland by Edward Morneau Part Eight: Empuzzling
From Part 7:
Zorwell: “No, it’s not. The devil does not steal. He asks and bargains for souls. It’s a terrible arrangement for such a prince to have to strike a bargain. What if he obtains a soul from someone who cares not for his own soul and thinks the devil has better use for it? Therein lies the problem—the problem of the defeated soul. How much is a defeated soul worth to anybody—especially the devil?”
N
o one knows how it got back to the man who visited Afterland in the early days of the app only to discover that he had a defeated soul, and, as a result, allegedly assassinated JFK. Elgin Fast did none of these things—no visit to Purgatory, no killing of the 35th President of the United States, and least of all did he ever fret for or renounce his soul. For his name to be plucked like a weed from the fields of dark anonymity upset him less than the notoriety of soullessness and murderousness that now besmirched his name and ruined him. Fast was that rare man whose sociopathy could not be easily triggered, but when it was, it could not be uncocked. Zorwell had never mentioned Fast’s name to the Vatican Attorney, so when he heard from Bob that Mr. Fast was coming for him, Zorwell demanded to know how Elgin found out, especially since his assassin story was made up on the spot to convince Bob that he, Zorwell, could find the truth about anything and anybody through his Afterland app. Apparently, the App Master simply wanted to hype his intellectual property, even it meant the fruitless task of proving a lie true. How did this happen? Through a process called empuzzling, former Benedictine book slaves went all-digital and investigated the people on the list of names written on the back of Zorwell’s invoice for services rendered. The Vatican spared no expense in its deep research and applied what could only be described as supranatural algorithms to these names, exhausting variants of It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Afterland by Edward Morneau
the spellings, genealogies, the sequences of ancestries, the proximities of birthplaces, the shapes of hands, feet, and chins, and the random, incomprehensible infinite combinations of dust that comprise a human being. In doing so, they discovered the true assassins, the name of someone who did not exist (Fenton Bailey), and Elgin Fast—the Innocent. “That’s quite the church you represent, Bobby,” said Zorwell with a smirk. Bob hated the name ‘Bobby.' “But you still haven’t told me how Mr. Fast found out that he was the fake assassin I alluded to. I didn’t even bother making up a name when I told you. I don’t even know why I put the name Fast on that invoice.” “You didn’t,” said Bob, smugly. We extrapolated his name as digital shadows to a few other dead ends and to the names you scribbled down to put us on a wild goose chase. All the names were fake, or aliases, except for Bailey’s, who doesn’t exist, and Fast’s, who life you ruined. Ipso facto—your intentional lies must have unintentional consequences. It’s Xenology—flawed assumptions ultimately will be revealed as truths.” “You are giving me a headache, Bobby.” Well, that’s your fault for lying to me. Once we put the Benedictine-driven empuzzlement digital juggernaut into play, fakery reveals itself for what it really is—a call for some kind of truth to be revealed. You shouldn’t lie.” Bob wagged his finger. “But I wouldn’t worry, my young friend. Now that we know of Mr. Fast, he will never be able to get to you.” “Are you serious? You jokers will let anybody in here if they can pay the tithings you charge to see the status of their souls and loved ones. “It doesn’t matter. Those monk book slaves who empuzzle work among those they investigate—they’re like robed specters visiting the unsuspecting. Don’t worry. You worry too much. This is the goddamned Vatican. If we do anything, we protect our investments.” But the App Master would take no chances. He would find out how to get in touch with Fast and explain that in their rush to finally bring to justice the assassins of their former favorite Catholic, the Vatican’s ecumenical search engineers wrongly attributed the crime of the last century to an innocent man: “We yield to penance, so to speak, Mr. Fast; we will provide for you an all expenses paid trip to Rome to see the sights, including your own private tour of the Vatican, and a free visit to Afterland. What say you?” Zorwell was very confident.
It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Afterland by Edward Morneau
Fast was in no mood for charity. Until he was fired by his board, he was doing very well without it, having founded an American shoe company that made boots with straps. He actually came up with the sales slogan, Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps! We make the boots AND the straps. You pull ‘em up. Mollifying Americans was one thing; giving into the son of a pickle farmer and the Holy See was another. No way. Elgin Fast was fast traveling in the fast lane of his sociopathy to seek revenge on those who pulled a fast one on him. Losing his business was one thing; being on the business end of false witness was another. “I have better things to do, you wanker,” Fast asserted. Indeed. Fast would soon be on his way to Detroit with the intention of destroying “every dream you Catholics and Protestants ever had,” he intoned. “Put your boots on! I’ll show you who has no soul.” Zorwell thought, This is not good. Mr. Fast knows not what he is doing. “Elgin, Elgin! Please. I understand. But your pilgrimage to Detroit will be a futile one. No one can get near what’s happening there. You are no match for the orb and cube sentinels protecting The Entity. You need to have a plan. The least I can do is to show you what you are up against. Please. Come to Rome on the the Vatican’s dime—skip the the tour, if you must, but come to see me. I will take you to Afterland so that you can see what is really happening.” “I don’t believe anything you fanatics say. But amuse me. Tell me what you think is really happening.” Fast was a tough sell. “I can’t tell you anything; I have to show you. You have to see for yourself. Nobody who wants to visit Afterland believes it’s possible until they actually fully engage the visual dimensions of the app.” “Send me the app. I’ll download it and see for myself.” Zorwell tried to muzzle a snort-and-snicker. “Ahhh…sorry, Elgin. It doesn’t work like that. It only works through my phone and the VRA—the Virtual Reality Adaptor.” There was a silence on Fast’s end. “It’s like an old Kinetoscope… “So, it’s a film? Do you know how easy it is to fake a film?” “Not if you are in it from the get go.” Zorwell loved this expression—get go. Fast had to think fast. Zorwell had a point. “What makes you think that if I accept your invitation, I won’t slash your throat as soon as I get there?” It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Afterland by Edward Morneau
Zorwell did not want to scare him by telling him that his protectors, the Vatican Switzers—the most absurdly costumed, but lethal security force in history—will put him on the rack and disembowel him before he can say Bootstraps! He would try a different tact: “My dear Mr. Fast —do you know the meaning of the word Eschatology. “No, I don’t, and I don’t care to know.” “Don’t be so grouchy. It means having ‘concern for the death and the destiny of the soul.’ “Bah! As you yourself said, my soul was defeated, so why should I care?” “Yes, but I made all that up…it’s a long story.” “Too bad, Zorro. Sad story for you. I’m coming for you.” With that he slammed down his phone—obviously a landline. How primitive, Zorwell thought. The App Master was ambivalent about being called ‘Zorro,’ but had other things on his mind. There was too much he did not know; there was too much he unleashed upon the world without understanding the consequences. Upon the advice of Fenton Bailey, he decided it was time to visit Afterland and seek out Bailey’s wife, Mollie.
M
ollie Bailey was late to show in Afterland. This annoyed Zorwell until he settled down in the ever-growing complex virtual reality he unleashed between what the Vatican called Heaven and Hell, but what he calls, “making a living.” He pulled up a cube, which shaped itself into a 'family room’ beanbag, tossed a few orbs into nothingness, and made himself comfortable. Besides the personifications of souls-in-waiting, Afterland is populated by sound and images. The aural geography can only be described as infinite surround sound, where every conceivable euphonious and cacophonous noise searches in all directions for available space outside the vacuum of silence. The images are another matter, minus the matter. Virtual, hypnotic, imagistic extensions of flesh, bones, blood, and carbon geometries turned to dust swirl about as a hodgepodge whirlwind of the billions of souls lurking about for some form of eternity. Zorwell felt satisfied with his invention and fell into a deep sleep. The sounds accumulating between his ears while his other senses shut down took on a vague familiarity. Sounds of birds singing, rain falling, thunder exploding, waves crashing, animals in their mating calls, and whales serenading each other, were punctuated by a melange of voices speaking in every language; and noises, like footsteps and laugher and bells and machines tapping out rhythms— were all an earthly collage of the endless things we hear. And then he heard music weaving its way through all the other sounds: classical, rainforest, Mbuti, electronic, Mahi, rock and roll, jazz, Georgian folk, Blind Willie Johnson, gavottes, opera, The Rite of Spring, ring shouts, waltzes, and instruments that drew upon every conceivable rhythm and expression, with It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Afterland by Edward Morneau
melodies soaring and droning and seeding the ear with unlimited invention. Zorwell thought his own disbelief in heaven was foolish, for this was heaven itself. “Hello, Zorwell. Sorry I’m late.” The App Master opened his eyes as if still in a dream, and standing before him with orb and cube sentinels dancing behind her was Mollie Bailey. “You wanted to talk?” Zorwell had to rub his eyes in order to focus on the spectacle of Mollie’s coat-of-many-colors, the hues exploding and fading in intensity and encircling her with a moving thread count of halos—something of a vortex of electric rings. Holy Andrew Lloyd Webber! he thought. And then, just as quickly, she appeared to be wearing a plain white blouse and school girl’s plaid skirt from Off the Rack. “Yes, I do, Ms Bailey.” “Call me Mollie. You’ve created quite the mess with all your lying.” “It appears so.” It was hard for the App Master to show any trace of contrition, even more so in his own digitized Purgatory. “No matter. One must tell the worst sorts of lies in order to enter Afterland…” Mollie’s attire shifted to an elegant pin-striped pant suit with sequins and cuffs. “…after which these lies will never haunt you.” “I don’t understand. I thought I created ‘quite the mess.’ “Oh, my child. What is a lie other than the other side of the truth? You can’t have one without the other.” That’s not very profound, thought Zorwell. He was looking for profound. “That’s true.” “No, it’s not. And you know this or you don’t—which is the whole truth of the lie. What matters is what is between the lie and the truth. Or better: what lies between lies.” “Hmm. Your husband said you were of two minds. Look…Mollie, I know some Freud: We convince ourselves of the truth of lies to fill in for the very lies we avoid. Our own lives are a disappointment, so to ameliorate them we create small victories over pointlessness until we will them into being the point of our lives.” “Interesting. I just had breakfast with Freud and he recanted nearly everything he postulated on Earth.” Mollie was now wearing a hootenanny hoop skirt and a pleather snakeskin vest. “Let’s talk about Elgin Fast. After all, thats why you are here—true?”
It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020
Afterland by Edward Morneau
“Yes, precisely.” “False. This is the man you created without a soul, am I correct?” “Uh…yes. His soul is defeated, that is.” “Again, false!” Zorwell was consumed with frustration. If Mollie was not suddenly morphing into a swashbuckling swordswoman, he would have torn off his VRA Glasses. “You tell me why I’m here then!” “Forget Elgin Fast. He is not a threat. He is a soul harvester, in a manner of speaking. He is coming to you to as another piece of the puzzle.” Zorwell was tiring of all the riddles and puzzles moving through the transom of what he had wrought with Afterland and was beginning to regret not taking over the family business of harvesting pickles. “Whatever. Tell me—before you change into another costume—what is happening in Detroit?” Mollie stood and the beanbag shrunk and resumed its shape as a small cube, then disappeared. “We are building your deliverance.” Mollie moved away and stood off to the side. “Where are you going?” Zorwell felt a shift in Afterland. He shook and felt something of his virtual essence fall into a terrifying depth of perception, as if a new field of vision was accumulating all around him. And then he dropped with a sudden force and velocity from a great height, falling through grey clouds into the flattened plane of cartographical squares, rectangles, and triangles until the topographical outlines revealed parks and rivers and buildings and streets. Then his acceleration slowed, like a feather falling, swaying gently into the heart of a great city, finally landing softly on a patch of green—the slight force of his landing sending hundred of origami paper cranes flying towards a statue of a much larger crane. And underneath that statue was the open casket of Sadako Sasaki—the Folder of Cranes. Zorwell walked to the casket and the soul of Sasaki sat up and spoke to him: “Welcome to Hiroshima.”
To be continued… Afterland and Collages Copyright 2019 Edward Morneau
It's All About Arts Magazine August 2020