Redtree Times

I spent yesterday afternoon straightening up my studio a bit, something that I’ve been putting off for some time now.  It really needed tidying and I really did want to de-clutter the place just for the calming effect it normally has but it took the threat of  having a television camera coming in today to put me in action.  Our local PBS channel, WSKG, is showing up here this afternoon to shoot a segment for their Artist Cafe program.  It’s a weekly half hour program with three or four short stories featuring artists from a wide variety of fields.  Some stories are local and some feature folks of national prominence.

I am somewhat ambivalent about the whole thing, to be quite honest.  I am never too comfortable with anyone in my studio space, let alone a stranger with a video camera. Add to this the fact that  I am always wary of anything where I have no control over the final outcome, especially when it comes to my work, and I am made even more anxious.  I always like to set the narrative and while I may know what I will say today, I will not know how it will be presented.

But it will be good to get an idea of how my space looks to the outside world and I am to see how someone who is only slightly acquainted with my story and work will put together the segment.  So perhaps there is a positive spin to be put on this whole thing.  I have been impressed with the shows I have seen so far from this program that debuted late this past year.

Here’s a recent episode that features writer R.L. Stine, known for his Goosebumps  book series;   artist Allen Denny Smith, an Elmira artist whose recent forays into color abstractions has produced some really powerful work ; and  Lady Fiona Carnarvon , the real life resident  of the estate better known to the world as Downton Abbey– hey, it is PBS and that series has paid a lot of bills for them over the last few years!  I will let you know when my episode airs but for now enjoy.