Can You Own a Sound?

My favorite album sophomore year in college was De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising, and my favorite single on that album was definitely A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays". But it wasn't until I had listened to the song a couple of times, that I recognized that among others, Saturday in the Park, by Chicago and Could you be Loved, by Bob Marley, had be sampled into it. Besides being one of the greatest records of the last quarter century, 3 Feet High was a turning point for sampling laws.

That's just a little background on where I was really going---last night I watched COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS on PBS. As an artist who helps others others produce their own work, I found this film to be so interesting. It addressed questions of ownership, the role of the producer, the artist, and the publisher. The main question the movie asks is--can you own a sound? As hip-hop rose from the streets to become a multibillion-dollar industry, artists started reusing parts of previously recorded music for their songs. But when record company lawyers got involved everything changed. The movie examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law and money.
Check it out, it's so good and hurts so bad (Little Anthony & The Imperials) at the same time.
Watch the trailer

Paper Capers

I'm not just saying this because I've been snowed in for two days and uninterested in the Superbowl....
You should watch this video. It provides a really fascinating look at how rag paper was made in the day at Crane's Bay State Mill. If you like paper, make paper, or just have a fancy for the 1920s, then check it out.


Many Thanks to Peter Hopkins for the original post, and for transferring the film to disk.

Snow Jesus

I'm pretty sure as a joke, our friends Jessica Calderwood and Amin Lahlou gave us a Jesus statuette.



Starting yesterday morning and ending today around 3pm, I took a photo of him every hour.You might notice that there is jump in the amount of snow in a couple of the photos. That is because it snowed all through the night, and when it was all said and done, we got about 32" of it. I've never seen anything like this! Here are a some more photos.
Maybe I'll bind the jesus photos into a flip-book.
Good times being snowed in!

What ho, life?

So I've been slacking in my posting. What have I been up to for the last two months?




Playing Honoria Glossop in Lumina Studio Theatre' s production of What Ho, Jeeves!
The lovely and talented Linda Parker took the photos above.





















Exhibition at McLean Project for the Arts, which opened on January 21 and runs until March 6.

Toodle-pip for now!

Women's Studio Workshop-Day 8

A bit of time has past since my last post, but still having a great time here at Women's Studio Workshop. I've been plugging away on my prints and sculptures, but in the meantime.....
We took Zoey (the other studio dog) on a walk up the mountain.










I drove into town to drop off a package. For those of you who have not been to Rosendale (which is probably most of you) it is the cutest little town that you ever did see!












My favorite place so far is The Big Cheese, where of course one can not only buy really good cheese, but vintage clothing. Woa, what a combo!

Women's Studio Workshop-Day 3

Well, I finally feel like I'm getting into a groove here. It's sort of strange, but a good challenge, working in a different studio than your own. It's interesting to see how they order and arrange things, like hanging the squeegees up(simple, cool, & organized, right?)Today I worked some more on my paper pieces. I tried pulp printing on them, but I think they pulp may have been too coarse to go through the screen. Tana worked in the paper studio a bit today. She is working on casting some bread sculptures. They are really cool (and realistic!)
There was a holiday card making party tonight. A good crowd showed up, despite the snow and 30 degree weather.

Women's Studio Workshop-Day 2

We got some serious snow last night!


Got a little help exhuming and moving my car this moring from Woody and Chris.
Worked in the paper studio-made abaca and gampi sheets, then layered in some pulp painting


The ladies at WSW are getting ready for a holiday card making party tomorrow night. Kristen scored some cards on the Chandler and Price Platen Press


and Lindsay worked on a serious lock-up




Wasn't so bad being indoors all day today!