February, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 4

© Karen Kirshner 2018

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bj spoke gallery is a not for profit 501(c)(3) corporation located at 299 Main Street Huntington, NY 11743. Phone: 631 549-5106 www.bjspokegallery.org

Find out more about these artist opportunities by clicking a link below:

Membership (Gallery Artists: Richard Anello, Phyllis Baron, John Bell, Lorraine Carol, Katherine Criss, Liz Ehrlichman, Christine Greene, Barbara Grey, Simon Hickey, Barbara V. Jones, Karen L. Kirshner, Kevin Larkin, J. Lefsky, Lili Maglione, Lee Ann Lindgren, Dianne Marxe, Nicolette Pach, Gia Schifano and Cindy Shechter)

Virtual Membership (Virtual Artists: Ilene Isseks, Steve Kaufman, Michael Sauer)

Artist Circle

Guest Artist Room Rental

Inside this issue:

Poets Aloud Friday, February 8, 7:00 PM

Artist’s Circle Meetings Sunday, February 3 and 17, 11AM—1PM

EXPO 38 Opening Reception Saturday, March 2, 6—9 PM

Are you Thinking about Applying? P.3

On the Cover (Karen L. Kirshner) p.3

Pairings: The Artist’s Choice show p.4

EXPO 38: Coming Soon to a Gallery

Near You p. 5

The Painted Poem monthly column p.6

Motivation - Gia Schifano p.7

Hamlet in Oxford (chapter) Peter Josyph p.8

Editors: Liz Ehrlichman; Richard Anello, Gia Schifano

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February, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 3

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Karen L. Kirshner’s © "Rivaling Faith” 2018, all rights reserved, is this month’s cover image. Karen, a bj spoke gallery member, received the Abstract Artist of the Year (2018) award from the ACA (Art Comes Alive) national juried competition. Her painting was chosen from a field of 2000 or so artists.

Says Karen, “I am an intuitive, organic abstract

expressionist. I project onto the canvas my reaction to the news, my daily life, and whatever else moves me, filtered through my personality, emotions, experience.” Her vibrant, original abstracts range from 4x6″ to 48x36″ She has won numerous other awards; in fact this is her second national award in 2018. “Although it is enthralling to receive awards,” she says, “it isn’t only winning that matters, as much as the exposure, establishing public recognition of my name associated with my original style.”

Is membership in our gallery right for you?

Our not-for-profit 501(c)(3) artists’ co-operative makes demands on those who wish to be members, yet it provides so much in return. Members create a community for one another. We show work in group shows, participate in gallery activities and have solo shows. We meet once each month to decide on issues that affect the course our gallery will take. We have an executive board, we gallery sit (“mind the store”) and learn new skills to keep our wonderful gallery going.

Our interactions with the wider Long Island Community include a bi-monthly artist discussion group (Artist Circle). As a community, we can talk about art, our own and others, and the ideas that have kept us painting, sculpting, moving and changing, for more than 40 years. Not everyone wishes to

have this kind of commitment to a gallery or an organization. But it may be right for you.

What Are the Details of Being a Member?

Members exhibit work in 10 shows per year. These exhibition opportunities are either group shows, where the whole gallery is occupied by the membership, or along side of solo exhibitions in two of the gallery rooms (the rest of the membership then show work in the third room).

There are gallery dues: currently $200 each month ($2400 for the year.)

Each member has a gallery key and a vote at general meetings.

Each member has a solo show every 1-2 years, depending on the number of members and the calendar.

Continued on page 7

Gia Schifano, member artist, says of this

pairing: with artist Theodora Sacknoff:

Like myself, Theodora Sacknoff is a self-taught artist who has been creating art throughout her life. Born in Brooklyn and currently residing in Rockville Center she is one of my favorite Long Island artists.

As realist artists we pay a lot of attention to detail, yet we keep our paintings simple. Her acrylic paintings on canvas or board bring a smile to my face every time I see her work. Her passion for birds combined with her love of bold background colors and the way she places her subjects off center make each piece a joy to behold. I fell in love with her unique style ever since I first experienced her work at one of our past Harvest of Artists exhibits.

I am proud to say I own one of her paintings, an owl, which greets me every morning.

Theodora Sacknoff’s work can also be seen at the Huntington Art Center and the Oyster Bay Gallery to name a few. Visit her website www.tsacknoff.com and follow us both on Facebook and Instagram.

Member artist Lorraine Carol explains her

choice of artist Inna Pashina:

Surrealism was a means of reuniting conscious and unconscious realms of experience so completely that the world of dream and fantasy would be joined to the everyday rational world in “an absolute reality, a surreality.” Andre Breton-The Surrealist Manifesto, 1924.

My invited artist, Inna Pashina creates surreal worlds and characters on canvas derived from ideas such as magical and fantastical people, nature and animals. Although Inna is not an abstract painter she creates abstracted worlds, original characters and compositions from pure original conception. Her work is developed from ideas of imagination and realism, resulting in a mystic balance of the two elements that entrances viewers.

Inna has the ability to express her magical imagination through her art, an aspect lacked by many creators of this day and age but a pivotal facet to creating thought provoking, raw, and expressive work. Inna Pashina’s Apotheosis of Spring, 2018, acrylic on canvas, was selected for the Heckscher Museum’s 2018 Long Island Biennial. You can see more of Inna’s work on Instagram at Inna_the_Artist.

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Theadora Sacknoff a Couple of Grackles on Red

Gia Schifano Peaceful Inlet

We do it every year. Each artist in the bj spoke gallery chooses an other artist to show with.

It always produces a splendid show, where interesting pairings make for variety. If we wonder why each artist chose the other, the answer is right there on the wall in an artist statement made by the member artist. Here are some examples of the pairings on display. Come to the show to see more.

Inna Pashina Catching the Dream in a Dream

Lorraine Carol Bedtime for Insomniacs

THIS SHOW RUNS UNTIL FEBRUARY 24, 2019 4

Erica Cooke, Research Fellow at the

Museum of Modern Art, had it all worked out by the time she reached our front door. She had spent time viewing and reviewing the online images of 270 or more artists and had chosen to put the work of 18 artists into the EXPO 38 Winners’ Exhibition, which will be at bj spoke gallery this coming March. All that was left for us to figure out was which pieces would fit best and look best in our gallery.

Ms. Cooke is not only a Fellow at the Modern, but a Doctoral Candidate at Princeton University, whose area of interest is 20th and 21st century art in Europe and America. She is currently working on the coming Donald Judd show and catalog at the museum.

Expo 38 is a national juried show. There is an “Expo” at bj spoke every year. Artists who apply come from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska and as close as next door. Many of them travel by train, plane and automobile to attend the opening reception at our gallery in March. You can find a preview of the show on the bj spoke gallery website at http://www.bjspokegallery.org/category/kudos/expo-national-juried-fine-art-competition/. Each artist has an image of one work, and a statement about their intent or process in making it. We hope to see you at the artists’ reception.

February, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 3

Ji Hyun Jeon -Plants Room Series

Stewart Nachmias – Girlfriends of the Band

Jessica Alazraki – Open Door

Anna Tsontakis – Still Something to Scream About

FROM MARCH 1 - 29, 2019 RECEPTION SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 6-9 PM 5

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Motivation (when life throws you lemons...paint a still life) - Gia Schifano

We are busy, busy people. Our lives are full of endless activities and responsibilities with something always lurking around the corner. We plan our days and inevitably that plan goes right out the window. So how do we get ourselves to the easel, or whatever your creative platform is? While inspiration is not always necessary to get your work done, it does help. Personally, I can’t work when life gets me down. When life throws me lemons, I have to work hard to regain the mental clarity to get those creative juices flowing again. Unlike Picasso, I doubt if I will ever have a “blue period.” Who knows, maybe if Picasso had an iPhone to procrastinate with he wouldn’t have had a blue period either. As human beings we are meant to create. It is a vital a part of ours lives as breathing for most of us who are dedicated to our craft. Nothing feels better than that artistic high when you’re right in it, you can feel it flow like your hands are being led by a power greater than yourself! Sure its not always like that, but even the smallest attempt at a new piece can carry you away from the mundane activities of the every day.

So how do we get there? How do you walk up to that canvas and begin when you are feeling overwhelmed. Here are some suggestions:

Take your time back. Learn to say no. Carve out time for yourself to be creative everyday and unless its an emergency don’t let anyone steal that from you. Don’t be afraid or apologetic; just say no. Your time is just as valuable as any one else. If you can, choose a time daily and make it a habit. Habits tend to continue even when inspiration is lost.

Use post-its to leave yourself goal reminders and affirmations. Put them on the bathroom mirror, by the nightstand, on the refrigerator – Today I will plan my next piece...I love the way I feel when I’m painting...I am proud of my work...I accept my gift of unlimited creativity...etc.

Leave the cell phone in another room. We are all too tied to this mesmerizing piece of technology. Release temptation to pick it up while you’re working and keep it out of sight.

According to Mel Robbins, author of “The 5-

Second Rule, ”hesitation is the kiss of death.” When you decide to do something, like walk into your studio, but feel lazy or overwhelmed it will take your brain 5 seconds to talk you out of it. So if you make that decision to get up and go, count 5-4-3-2-1 stand up and move. This trick also works well with laundry and dirty dishes, etc.

Visualize yourself working in your space. Take some day dreaming time to visualize yourself in your studio creating. Picture yourself in your space with your materials all around you. What does it look like, what does it smell like? Immerse yourself in the vision, really feel it.

Release all fears and doubts. Even the most seasoned artist sometimes stands in their space thinking “what do I do next? how do I start? where do I get off thinking I know what I’m doing?” Let it go! You know what needs to be done, there are no one-hit wonders here. Trust yourself. Create for the sake of creating without judgment or worry. If you create because it’s what you enjoy and not in hoping to please a group of strangers your work will be that much better for it.

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Create for you. Feel free to paint what you think

may work commercially but be sure that there is part of you in the process. The quickest way to struggle is to force yourself to do work that you do not feel in your soul.

Lastly, my favorite way to be inspired is to talk to other artists. I am lucky enough to be part of bj spoke gallery which gives me instant access to many fabulous creative people. Visit galleries, attend receptions, take in a demo. Watching and listening to others speak about their work can really fire you up. It’s great way to reinforce what you’ve been doing and learn a trick or two along the way.

I hope some of these tips help you take at least a moment every day to feel like the artist you know you are. Surely there are times life will still get in the way of art but we will come out the other side that much better if we remember to grow productively and nurture ourselves as artists.

Are You Thinking… cont’d Members having solo shows make their own receptions and invitations. bj spoke will provide PR for member solo shows but additional publicity by the solo artist is suggested.

How to Apply

Prospective members bring their work in to be assessed at a regular monthly gallery meeting. This usually happens on the first Tuesday of every month, but call the gallery to be sure of the date. If you’d like to apply for membership, bring six pieces of actual work and a statement/resume. You can bring photos in addition. The gallery will vote and you will be informed of their decision the next day.

If you are interested in becoming a member, please go to our website for further details. Look at our membership page here: membership and find our membership application form by clicking this link: membership application.

Let us know who you are and what you are reading. Especially if you like it and would recommend it to others. Tell us what you liked about it. And if you wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, tell us that, too. We will publish what we get in a recommended (or not) reading list next month. Write to Gia Schifano at giapaints@gmail.com

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This monthly column will feature poems about art works (ekphrasis), poems that refer to art, poems with a strong visual aspect and

paintings that refer to poetry.

This month there are two poems. Pomegranate, by Poets Aloud’s Kelly Powell refers to a still life painting of a pomegranate by Leo Mancini-Hresko;

member Liz Ehrlichman’s poem, The Uses of Art is inspired by Anselm Kiefer.

Pomegranate (after Leo Mancini-Hresko) Kelly J. Powell A savage slice, remnants— of the end of patience—waiting for the overdue rescue torn from the heart of overripe fruit

on the table the pulp, greedy carnage only six small seeds missing eaten in desperation, defiance

of the mother, binding her to the lover to his legendary dark beauty and the cold elegance of his home

to begin the forever dance of winter to spring to winter to spring birds nesting in her empty womb

The Uses of Art (after Anselm Kiefer) Liz Ehrlichman

Dark vision on a painted horizon call it an empty boat. Load it with despair, with fear, regret, dismay and let it float far away, over a painted sea.

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Powell’s poem, Pomegranate, refers to the myth of Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades and brought to the underworld as his bride. Her mother, Demeter, argued for her return. She came up from Hades, but the six pomegranate seeds she had eaten while there insured that she would have to return as a prisoner for six months of the year, delaying the arrival of spring until her return.

PETER JOSYPH is a long time friend of bj spoke gallery. He works as

a writer, painter, actor-director, filmmaker and photographer. His books include The Wrong Reader’s Guide to Cormac McCarthy; All the Pretty Horses; Cormac McCarthy’s House; Reading McCarthy Without Walls; Adventures in Reading Cormac McCarthy; The Way of the Trumpet; Liberty Street: Encounters at Ground Zero; and What One Man Said to Another: Talks With Richard Selzer. His films include A Few Things Basquiat Did in School; Hell; Bard Talk; No Standing in St. Petersburg; Acting McCarthy; The Making of Billy Bob Thornton’s All the Pretty Horses; and the award-winning Liberty Street: Alive at Ground Zero. At bj spoke gallery he has performed the work of Allen Ginsberg, Henry Miller and David Mamet, and together with thrice-Grammy nominated jazz trumpet player and composer Tim Hagans, he has performed his haiku novel The Way of the Trumpet. The president of bj spoke, Kevin Larkin, has directed Josyph’s play The Last Colored Lightbulb in Louisiana, as well as a staged reading of Josyph’s Book of Thieves,

both at bj spoke, where Josyph has also shot sequences from several of his films. We are pleased to include this chapter of his novel in this month’s issue.

Here's a chapter from Peter’s novel HAMLET, a series of loosely linked episodes chronicled by a female

science writer who is using Hamlet as a warm-up for when she can write about someone important. This is why most of the chapters have endnotes. This chapter is one of the shortest.

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HAMLET IN OXFORD by Peter Josyph

(from the novel Hamlet)

Hamlet climbs the stair to the door of Newton’s room at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he metaphorically trembles and genuflects as if before a king in an epoch of servitude or one of the Dark Continents. He rows the River Cam, sees a cluster of cows grazing the bankside, passes a larger boat in which a windup Victrola is playing old music from His Master’s Voice and students are dressed like the young brats of Brideshead. He does well on the water. It’s a good day. Time to visit Oxford. There he sees a tall dark haired beauty in a long skirt and rather high heels. She is exquisitely English, smoking a cigarette. As she passes through the gate of a college, a heel gets caught in the cobbled stone. (1) Hamlet squats and dislodges the heel. For which he is thanked.

How do you like Oxford?” she asks, well appointed, well bred, well educated — upper. Talk about Brideshead. (2)

“It’s… heavy.”

“Heavy. Do you mean heavy as, like… heavy, man… or—”

“No, no, I mean weighty. Compared to Cambridge.”

“Really? That’s odd. I’ve always thought of Oxford as ethereal.”

There is more to the conversation—Hamlet asks her to join him for dinner, she repeats the invitation aloud, reflectively, so that Hamlet has a hope for a moment and so forth—but her use of the word ethereal… her long black skirt, her heels so prominent, the cobbled stone… even the cigarette—the fact of the cigarette… is what he will remember of Oxford University—remember in the respect that everything else is diminished,

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February, 2019 Volume 1, Issue 4

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so diminished that the Lady of the Heel has virtually disintegrated the rest of that vast and revered seat of learning. That and the landlord of his bed & breakfast who said: “O… and… one more thing… No guests,” so that when he invited the blonde from the train out of Reading to come for a so-to-speak spot of midnight tea he was inviting a violation. (3) And the guy in the hardware store who, standing at the counter with his wife, looking at a battery—presumably for his car—that happened to be old, dirty, used looking, said to the clerk: “Well… we won’t have that.”

But Hamlet needs, now, to remember more closely what that stunning Englishwoman said to him about the business of dinner. Use of ethereal, yes. Cigarette, black hair, long sleek body in a sweet skirt sure, the nearly out-of-reachness of her—all of that’s fine, the stuck heel too, but—was it on her foot still when he pried it free for her? Did he touch her ankle? Was the shoe broken and it pleaded repair? Did she say something about meeting a girlfriend and Hamlet invited the friend to dinner as well and did she then say something about the friend not knowing him—nay, the two of them not knowing this courteous American at all? He is interested in the facts, not a reconstruction. He needs, now, to be there again—rather, to be there yet. He goes to work on it, on being at the gate in Oxford. Momentous—what a word, one of the best for him. Momentous. He goes to work on being at the gate. Time is only us without this kind of work. Do the right kind of work, time dissipates, dissolves, disappears—whatever becomes of something that isn’t anyway. Imagine if she, for her part, were to go to work on being there too. That would mean that she, too, remembered and that she, too, would like to have a return—or would like not to have gone away. This is not exact, but with a jag out of Hamlet, exactitude is rather an idle end.

Whatever she might be doing, if Hamlet remembers and returns well enough, is he not taking her back there—rather, over there—with him? If so, will she not know it? What a way to

communicate, keep the conversation current after how long has it been?

I am a smart woman, but when H once asked me, during a slosh of BIC, whether this could still be true if his Woman of the Oxford Gate were not alive, I said: “I wouldn’t know how to know that. What’s your view?”

“Probably—I am not sure of this—if you are once alive you are alive always. That’s the idea.”

“Are you saying that perhaps you can remember someone back from the dead?”

“To think about back is, maybe, a mistake. Maybe there’s no forward or back.”

“Is there a way to prove it?”

“I’ll answer that from the gate in Oxford, squatting at the heel of the girl I was meant to marry as a fate that’s as old as the sun-god Ra but her father would not agree for I was lower than a boy in the stables.”

NOTES

1. H is offended, even outraged that we must, for now, say “a college.” Specifically which one at which the heel event occurred—that is a lapse we are striving to correct. The Woman of the Oxford Gate—she could help us. She knows. She remembers?

2. One day, out of the blue, Hamlet said: “Bet you any amount of money she spoke French perfectly—speaks it perfectly. Bet you any amount.” The problem was that we had not been speaking about the Lady of the Gate. When I discovered who he meant, I realized that whatever we were talking about, we weren’t.

3. Once, when Hamlet was deep into his Baileys Irish Cream, he said: “Time’s a fucking swindler. A pro but a swindler nonetheless. I owe it no respect n’ that’s exactly what it gets of me—I give it nothing less.”