Two Hearts This World Have I Known

Two Hearts This World Have I Known

The first so parched I could weep

The second so deep I could drown

Whene'er I dare embark in each.

The first, mailed, stares out from her keep

Ne'er frail, ne'er weak, ne'er stripped is she,

Nay.  Nor is she lush, nor teeming,

Nor verdant, nor dreaming to be.

All who would know her break 'pon her

Stony walls high, thick and pit'less.

Their sole succor tear-smeared folly

Despair and wounds' thirsting distress.

The second's undefended shores

So bare, so rash, so little concealed

So little craft, bubblingly daft

All too often recklessly real.

To know this heart, then, is to plunge

Risking the self midst endless charms

Wandr'ing lost, myst'ry fathoms deep

Bewitched, drowning, snared in her arms.

By each heart the hardy hero

Is changed utterly, forged anew.

This, the ordeal: Chancing love's font

Better the trickle or deluge?

Jeff

newclassicstheatre.org

Glass that looks like fabric

Recently, an artist friend of fused glass artist Heidi VanderWerff challenged her to try to make glass look like fabric.  Well, Heidi is the type whose wheels start turning as soon as someone makes such a suggestion!  She mulled it over, had unusual dreams about it, and tried out many possible scenarios.

First, there's the problem of making something look woven.  In fabric, thousands of tiny threads are woven in and out of each other to create what we know as fabric.  How to do that with glass?  It's not flexible like thread is.  On the other hand, there are skinny, thread-like rods of glass available.  What would it look like to lay a bunch of them next to each other, and then again cross-wise?  Hmmmm....

More testing with solid colors and transparent colors to get the best look, and what do you know, but a flat piece finally emerged from the kiln that looked woven!  Unfortunately, it also looked stiff.  And fabric certainly doesn't look stiff.  How to make it drape, like fabric drapes?  Hmmmm.....

More testing with various shapes and molds, and finally, there emerged from the kiln these two wonderful, shapely, draped results!  One works great as a candle holder, as the light passes through the transparent parts of the glass, it glows in the most wonderful way.  The other is a tray that could be used to hold food, as it is indeed, solid, even if it looks like there are open spaces in between the "threads."  Or place it on an easel in front of a window, and enjoy how the light goes through it!

And now, for the final test.  What do other people say about it?  That question was answered just a few days ago when a lovely 5th grader came in to enjoy the glass.  She said, "Wow, is that glass?  It looks like fabric!" So I got to tell the story of how an artist friend of Heidi's challenged her to make glass look like fabric, and presto!  Here are the results!

Great work, Heidi!  We can't wait to see the results of your next challenge!

Manya
ManyaVeeSelects.com

Long Have I Chased Inner Peace

(Well, since it appears that the Edmonds arts scene has shut down entirely for this spell of sunshine...)

Long Have I Chased Inner Peace
Flitt'ring flutt'ring, all flowers kissed
Brightly hued and fragrance sweet
A meadow's worth, nothing missed

But me.  I called to Peace, chased
Through meadow deep, my palm out
Stretched begging Peace to land
Cajoling, pleading, a-shout

To my hand to come, just once.
My tears stinging, staining my
Calls, my cheeks, my heart, my sleep
Always that sweet Peace denied.

At last, wearied dear and spent
I breathed my pain to a calm
Long and last, to my surprise
Peace alighted on my palm.

--Jeff
newclassicstheatre.org

Perks (finally!)

(sigh)

So, I imagine that it goes without saying that if you're going to spend your life running a gallery, building art walks, mural societies and putting on plays, the last problem that you'll ever have to worry about is worrying,  "What to do with all that money?"

There isn't any.  Ever.

Why do it, then?  Well, just occasionally, perks come our way.  Like the one to the right.

What is it?

My birthday gift from local chocolate artisan Piper Peterson!

Thank you for making my week, Piper!

Jeff

Win - win - win - win!

It's such fun when something new comes to the gallery.  Today, on a dreary and wet Monday, the entire place got livened up by a delivery from Edmonds artist Amy Vakontios and her Sagapo candles.  You already know that we like win-win situations quite a bit.  Well, Amy's candles are sort of a win-win-win-win and keep winning deal.

First off, she uses palm wax, which is a renewable resource.  It's not paraffin, which is derived from fossil fuels.  Paraffin candles are the ones that make black spots on the ceiling above where they've been lit.  But not palm wax, no!  It burns cleanly and wonderfully.

Next "win" on the list are the fragrances Amy uses.  Not one to scrimp here, Amy uses the highest quality fragrances available for use with candles.  She knows a lot about this from first-hand experience, because she used to work for the only perfumery in Washington state, which provided lots of fragrances for the entire candle industry.  Talk about first-hand experience.  Because of this, her fragrances have very little solvent in them, so the scent comes through in a more pure form - not laced with chemicals.  This is much nicer to breathe, I can assure you.

Another "win" is that Amy painstakingly tests each candle to make sure the best possible wick is used.  So I asked her the other day just how many wick options are out there.  She said over 200!  Who knew?!?  So much for my one-day candle-making class taken years ago when I learned that there were maybe 2 kinds of wick.  Amy tests them to make sure the wick she uses with a particular wax in a particular shape will burn all the way to the edge and make the best use of every millimeter of wax available!  Waste not, want not...

But wait!  There's more!  Purchasing a candle made by Amy, an Edmonds artist, from Manya Vee Selects, an Edmonds business, means making the most of your spending money by infusing it right back into the community.  I'm sure you've heard it already, but shopping at the mall sends most of your money far away from here.  Shopping locally keeps 68 cents of each dollar in our area.  Shopping at Manya Vee Selects keeps about 80 cents or more here because you are supporting (1) Manya Vee Selects and (2) a local artist.

So there you have it!  Respect the earth! Make your home smell great! Improve our local economy!  It just doesn't get any better than that.

By the way, Amy's candles are available on our website too: Sagapo Candles

Manya
manyaveeselects.com

Three Masks

Yes, I confess: It's true.  Novel writing - in the form of my new A Jade Coffeehouse; or playwrighting - in the form of my new A Dropped Stitch, going up in October; how are they constructed?  Usually via the process of sitting for months in utter agony, dreaming, always dreaming, waiting for the Muse to give me the power to wield words once more.  How do I spend the hours 'tween times?  Well, crafting ditties such as these...

Three-fold Masks Have I Worn
One, all the lands to see
Another have my lovers' born(e)
The last, serves sole for me.

Ah, but what joy, one to wear!
And one alone for all times
All places, all spaces where
In all variant of climes.

Ne'er more pretend, to fib,
To ride a pompous gust of heat
Or chill. To trim my sail, my jib,
To soothe a pfuffle eased.

Begone smooth face perfected
'Twout chip nor mar to see!
Too, smooth tongue affected
Honey dripped unceasing sweet.

Nay more! Just me, 'tis just me
You mark now, spotted and maul'd
Yet, burden'd light as can be.
For, one mask is no mask at all.

Jeff
newclassicstheatre.org