Sunday, October 6, 2024

What Luck

“Maybe” -The Farmer’s Luck

There is an old Taoist story that tells of a farmer whose horse ran away. When his neighbors came by to say how badly they felt to hear the news and tell him what bad luck this was, the farmer’s only response was, “maybe.” The next day the farmer’s horse returned with another, wild horse and when the neighbors again came by to say what good luck this was, the farmer simply replied, “maybe.” The farmer’s son tried to tame the horse but was thrown and broke his leg. Again the neighbors descended to express what bad luck this was to which the farmer said, “maybe.” A few days later, the army came through town to collect all the able bodied men and boys for fighting but upon seeing the farmer’s son with his broken leg, they passed him by. Yet again the neighbors, standing at the doorway said what good luck this was. “Maybe…”

George David Clark lives and works in Pennsylvania. He spoke to us from his office about his writing. Presently he is in process with a manuscript of poetry. It has been five years since publication of his first book, Reveille, and since then he has attempted a few iterations of this second manuscript. The poems he seems to have settled on are more autobiographical, including a piece about the loss of a son during childbirth. Many of the poems relate to his children and the experience of time. To hear more from Clark, including live readings of some of his poetry, listen to the complete interview.

Lee Emma Running spoke to us from Tallahassee, Florida where she was at a week long residency at Small Craft Advisory Press. During residency period she worked with her longtime collaborator to craft their second artist book together. The book is part of a series in the collaboration. She and her collaborator met when they both served as teachers at Oxbow and discovered complementary skill sets. As a sculptor, Running has worked extensively with roadkill bones as her medium and she is currently developing and refining the process of glass casting. Her work embraces the complexity of the natural world. To hear more from Running, listen to the complete interview.

A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket:

Luck is relative. What may seem to be incredible fortune might turn out to be the beginning of something entirely different. And what may feel like a devastating blow may be a new opportunity in disguise.

Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews here.

Books to Read

What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. George David Clark is reading poems by Kristin Robertson. Lee Emma Running read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

The Print Center announces the 94th annual International Competition. This is one of the oldest competitions in the United States and is open to all artists using photography or printmaking as a critical component of their work. There is a modest entry fee but there are many awards and prizes in this prestigious competition. For more details and to enter, visit the website. Deadline is June 14.

Deadlines

Weekly Edited Grant and Residency Deadlines – review the list here.

 

 

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists; Making it in the Art World, New Markets for Artists, The Art World Demystified, Fund Your Dreams Like a Creative Genius, Sell Online Like a Creative Genius and the forthcoming Succeed with Social Media Like a Creative Genius.

Signed and doodled copies of these books can be purchased from Praxis Center.

 

Golden Artist Colors began publishing the Just Paint newsletter in 1989, a source for information about painting techniques, product information, and the latest research in art materials. Now online, JustPaint.org has become one of the most exhaustive resources for technical information in fine art. With the new Just Paint Experience, GOLDEN is expanding the concept to provide artists with quick-reading, studio-oriented content to help bring their visions to life.

When you subscribe to Just Paint Experience (free), you’ll receive access to exclusive content. GOLDEN will also notify you whenever there is new content added to the site.

 

 

Previous articleMake This Your Moment
Next articleCan You Feel It?
RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here