Soloing

Solo:
ORIGIN: Late 17^th century: from Latin solus ‘alone.’
noun – a thing done by one person unaccompanied
adjective or adverb – for or done by one person alone: [as adj.]: a solo exhibit
verb – (soloes, soloing, soloed) to perform something unaccompanied

Ok … so you already knew all that.  I’m sure you use that word all the time …
everyday even. It’s an everyday kind of word.

But let me tell you this, when you’re actually doing it?  Soloing … yourself … all by yourself? There’s nothing everyday about it. It’s the tight fist that grips your windpipe. It paralyzes and catatonifies … dries up every drop of saliva you ever had in your whole life. It’s terrifying. Gut wrenching. Spinal tapping. You feel like you’ve jumped off a city building without wings or parachute or even clothing; unprotected, undefended, unsupported by anything save whatever gumption you begged, borrowed, stole or convinced yourself you possessed … which is how you got into this soloing fix to begin with.

For me, it’s usually flattery that’s gets me in trouble. “Oh, Bim, you’re so good at this! You can do it! You’ll be great! …” What’s the saying? Pride goeth before a complete and total bare-assed mortification?

So here I stand … before the fall … ass in hand, so to speak. The paintings have been painted and dried and framed and logged. They’ve been on Facebook and Instagram and http://www.bim-jones.com. People have seen them and been incrediby supportive and appreciative. Many even expressed a wish to attend the opening and you first 10 (to which this private venue limits me) are now officially on my guest list; duly confirmed and apprised of location, date, time and dress code (aye yayay!). Now all that’s left is to hang the show and ATTEND THE OPENING.

And, as quoth Shakespeare, “there’s the rub” … the exposed and vulnerable scary rub. Sure, I’ve been nose to the grindstone, painting my heart out for months and am very jazzed and happy about this body of work. Sure, Facebook and Instagram have flashed my work all over the world wide web-iverse already. BUT I didn’t have to see the people’s reactions. I don’t have to know that even though oooo-gobs of lovely people “liked” and “loved” my paintings online, that there were oooo-gobbier gobs more people that were not impressed at all; or, god forbid, were repelled by my efforts. I don’t have to know about them. And I don’t have to make small talk. I am soooo not good at that.

Here’s me making small talk:
Hi. How are you? I’m fine, thanks. Yes, this is my work. I did it on … some days. It was fun. It keeps me out of jail. Yeah. Excuse me. I have to go to the Ladies Room now.

At a solo show, you see it all: if anyone is interested enough to attend; who will look,  who won’t look and all the reactions. It’s all on you. You can’t even pretend that any distasteful faces and hand-hid whispers are about someone else’s work because all the work is yours.  … All THIS work is MINE.

There it is: my fear … my awkward, childish, unprofessional, completely human fear: naked and afraid. (… my brother’s favorite reality show… HE should come to the opening.)

Awkward silence.

Still … that said … my ever faithful Mom will be there! … And my husband/agent /biggest fan (who is a saint!) … And one of my 5 favorite sisters! … And some of my most dear and treasured friends, no few of whom are driving a good distance to attend.

So I guess, really, I won’t be solo. I won’t be alone. I’ll be bolstered and buttressed and beatified. I’ll be shored up and shining. They’ll refer to me as “the artist” not in its usual connotation as a synonym for “not-making-minimum-wage,” but rather as an honorific. And I’ll bask in that for exactly half an hour. Then I have to get up and “say a few words.”

Yikes! Naked again … with black socks and bed-head.

Disclaimer: Any utterance I might make at such times of duress and doleful duty is totally not my fault.

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I’m Not Sad … Am I?

So, you probably know, this is the last year that Fairie Festival will be held at Spoutwood Farm.

I’m old-ish. I don’t like change that much. The uncertainty of the future is … well … uncertain. Still, I’m going through the motions. The same motions as always, hoping that the motions, themselves, will start to generate the happy rhythm that we always dance to this time of year. I even got juiced up enough to make awesome new things that I’m truly excited about. But I think a lot of me is feeling … not exactly excited? Mostly, just sad.

I can’t go to Fairie Festival feeling SAD! It just isn’t done! Fairie Festival is fun! And bright and shiny! It’s makes my birthday last longer! I cheat on my diet! I wear goofy clothes. Hell, I MAKE goofy things! And people like them! People come to fairy festival to BE goofy! Or at least to watch other people be goofy. Right? And just because it’s the last year at Spoutwood doesn’t mean any of that has to change, does it? Does it? Maybe you’d better come and convince me! Or I’m just going to be sad …

Wild Hawthorn in the Fairie Garden (nearside of the farmhouse) Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm May 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th.

 

Magic Potion While Supplies Last

While my stash of Magic Potion was depleted over Christmas, and plants for the next batch are not yet grown enough, there is still a fair bit left.

The poison ivies and oaks are juicing up for you now and the mosquitoes are too. So getcha some magic potion while supplies last and be ready for them.

Also, if you bring an empty potion bottle from last year, I’ll give you a discount on a new bottle full.

The woods are greening fast and I’ll be making another big batch of potion this summer, as well as a batch of super comfrey balm. So, let me know if you’re interested and we can make sure you get some.

 

Wild Hawthorn in the Fairie Garden (nearside of the farmhouse) Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm May 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th.

 

Wanted: Preferably Alive

Wanted: these three individuals, who were spied in the year 2014, letting their Fairy Freak Flags Fly.  Their likenesses were captuired but, sadly, never discovered. If you’ve seen (or think you’ve seen) these individuals, please notify the authorities (namely them) that these portraits exist in case they’d like to get them off the streets to protect their reputations … or the opposite …  As this is the last year at Spoutwood, they also might like to come anyway and relive some memories from 2014.  Their costumes were stellar! Sharing is good.

Wild Hawthorn in the Fairie Garden (nearside of the farmhouse) Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm May 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th.

Weather or Not

Soooo … I just looked at the weather forecast for Fairie Festival Weekend, (which, as you may know, is now close enough to show up on the 15 day outlook) and it looks terr …. wait, no, it looks wonderful for wearing warm clothes!

That said, you should know that we’ll have new knits including, new hats, more Viking Hats, new hoods, an amazing long hooded vest that made it’s debut at Ramblewood and other shawls, mitties and sundries which you may actually need. (Including handwarmers for your pockets @ $1 a pair). If, by some miraculous chance, it does get hot, I also have lovely hats knit in cotton. Something for everyone, in every weather.

Wild Hawthorn in the Fairie Garden (nearside of the farmhouse) Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm May 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th.

Making Like a Tree

As ever, there are new paintings this year!

There are 5 little mushrooms, 2 wee flower paintings and a tree that lives along the creek at Spoutwood.

There is also a new calendar for this Fairy Year (from May 2018 to April 2019).

And of course, there’s a new painting of one of you. But I’m not going to tell you who. You’ll just have to come and see!

Wild Hawthorn in the Fairie Garden (nearside of the farmhouse) Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm May 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th.

StoneHeads (or Crackers & Poo)

Finally … for my heart’s contentment … there are more Stoneheads this year: little guys found hiding in blocks of soapstone and busted out especially for this occasion.

Yet, even with all the chiseling and scraping and filing and sanding, they never seem to wake up. They are SLEEPERS for sure. I’m hoping some of THAT medicine rubs off on me. This one you see here is named “Crackers.” The other one is named “Poo.”  (Now, you know you’re going to have to come and find out why.) 

 

Wild Hawthorn in the Fairie Garden (nearside of the farmhouse) Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm May 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th.