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Posts Tagged ‘Neko Case’

This Little Light of Mine

Posted in Biographical, Music, Painting, tagged , , , , , , on July 26, 2015| 3 Comments »

GC Myers- Center Stage smI think I’ve written here in the past about how the aftermath of  a show is for me in the studio.  In the week or so after a show opens there is generally a little letdown, the result of a sudden loss of the energy that accumulates from the adrenaline and anxiety in the build up to the opening.  I usually mope in a way, floundering around for several days trying to refocus and regain my bearings, to find some point in which to direct my energy.

It’s often a frustrating time even while the show still hangs and does well.  I sometimes get a little lost in those moments where the very act of painting becomes absolutely abstract and foreign in nature to me.  The purpose that just a week ago seemed so apparent now has dissolved and I find myself questioning everything– my abilities, the purpose and direction of my work and so on.  Those particular moments weigh heavily on me.

As I said, it’s a frustrating time.  Fortunately, I know from times before that this was coming and will pass.  It’s part of the process, part of who I am, If, as Shakespeare says, all the world’s a stage and we’re all merely players, then this is simply part of the makeup of the character I portray in this play.  It’s maybe the only role for which I am truly suited by nature and ability.

And maybe that’s the thing I need to remember in these frustrating days; that this is the role that I best play, that this is the role that was written specifically for me.

That kind of ties in with the painting at the top, Center Stage, which is part of the Home+Land show at the West End Gallery.  We are all the main characters in our own plays and we need to be be willing to play the part with conviction, to embrace the role that is written for us.  When you are on that stage, let your light shine.

And that brings us, in a sneaky manner, to this week’s Sunday morning music.  I’m going with one of my favorites, Neko Case, and her rousing version of the children’s gospel classic, This Little Light of Mine.  Gets the day started with a kick and blows away those frustrations.  So, enjoy, have a great day and let that light shine.

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Soulful Shade of Blue

Posted in Favorite Things, Music, tagged , , , on January 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers Memory of Night smIt’s a Sunday morning, the first in the new year, and that means a little music to start the day.  I am still trying to figure out the feeling of this year.  I am not in any kind of rhythm yet, having taken a short hiatus, and am trying to break through to a hopefully rich vein.  Maybe today is the day.  We shall see.

But for my music I am going back to one of my favorites, Neko Case, whose music has appeared here a number of times.  This song is Soulful Shade of Blue, taken from a live set  in 2004 that became  The Tigers Have Spoken,  an album that instantly made me a fan when I was introduced to it.  This song is an old Buffy Saint-Marie tune which probably doesn’t mean much to you if you’re not of a certain age.  Click on her name for a quick education on her career.

It’s a wonderfully crafted song and Neko Case does it beautifully.  It’s a nice, easy entry into 2015.  Give a listen, take it easy and head down that road into the new year.

Have a great Sunday…

PS: The painting at the top is Memory of Night which is at the West End Gallery.

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Night Still Comes

Posted in Music, Video, tagged , , , , , , on July 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

GC Myers- Confessor Blue smYet another Sunday morning finds me in the studio working.  My show, Traveler,  at the Principle Gallery ends this week and my next show, Layers at the West End Gallery, opens in a few weeks on July 25th so there hasn’t been much of a break.  But that’s okay, I like the busyness and purposefulness of it.  It forces me to keep my head down and concentrate.  To forge ahead instead of being distracted by shiny things, something to which I , like many others, am prone.

Not that distraction is a bad thing.  You find interesting things when you allow your eyes and mind to wander and that, too, eventually finds its way into your work.  But that is for another time when there is a deadline involved.

So, its back to work.

But it is Sunday and I have made a habit of having some music on this day’s posts.  This week I am featuring one of my favorites, Neko Case, who I have featured many times over the years.  This is Night Still Comes from her most recent CD, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You– which is quite a mouthful.  I chose the painting above to go along with it.  Its title is  Confessor Blue and its one of the remaining paintings at the Principle Gallery show.

Enjoy and have a great Sunday…

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Shadowsong

Posted in Biographical, Favorite Things, Music, Video, tagged , , , , , on October 15, 2013| 2 Comments »

GC Myers- Shadowsong smWe are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

–Buddha

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It’s an idea that we all too often forget,  that our thoughts can form who we are.  I know for myself, the thought  that I was an artist was the most crucial step I made in becoming one.  Once I had made that decision that, yes, I was an artist, every decision  after that that contributed to me being an artist came much easier.  This was the road I was going to follow and any action that occurred would take place based on that fact.

But it took a long time to reach that point where I determined that I was indeed an artist.  In fact, for quite some time i was embarrassed to say it  when someone would ask what I did.  It just sounded too presumptuous to state it aloud even though in my mind it had become fact.  So I would say I was painter.  It sounded safer.

But inevitably, the person asking the question would determine that what I meant by painter was that I was a house painter and ask what it would cost to get their living room painted.  I guess I looked more  Sherwin Williams than Salvador Dali.  So I decided that I better just say that I was an artist.  Just less confusion and besides, that is what my mind  had already patterned itself in the shape of that word.

And, like Buddha said, joy followed.  Hopefully, it will stay with me like that shadow.

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The painting at the top is titled Shadowsong.  It’s a new piece, 6″ by 8″ on paper,  that is headed to Erie for my November show, Alchemy,  at the Kada Gallery.  Usually when I have an image of a musician, I will follow on the blog with a video.  So, in keeping with habit, here is The Train From Kansas City by Neko Case, a favorite of mine.  Plus , it has lots of film of trains.  have a great day.

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Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth

Posted in Current Events, Music, Video, tagged , , , , on October 31, 2012| 6 Comments »

It’s been hard to not watch the coming of  Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath over the last few days.  Locally, we pretty much dodged the worst of the storm, mainly suffering through some strong winds though not as damaging as we had feared.  But it’s been sad to see how Sandy has affected the coast here in the Northeast.  I know that it doesn’t in any way rival the devastation of Katrina, thankfully, but its been hard to see how much damage has been inflicted on regions that are so familiar.  Maybe it is the fact that this type of destruction is so uncommon in these areas that makes it so startling.  I don’t know.  Time will soon tell if this is indeed  the result of climate change  and unusual storms like Sandy will become more and more common.  Our Governor Cuomo here in NY commented recently about how 100 year floods now seem to come every 2 years.

Ah, the wrath of Mother Earth.

Here’s a little music  that warns about taking our relationship with Mother Earth too lightly.  First recorded by cult rockers Sparks in their Glam phase in the 70’s, Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth, is covered here by my favorite, Neko Case.

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The Zombies Live On

Posted in Favorite Things, Music, Television, Video, tagged , , , , on January 8, 2012| 8 Comments »

I have never seen the HBO series True Blood.  Maybe I’m reticent to get sucked into the current vortex of popularity created by the return of vampires and zombies in pop culture.  I don’t know, but I have never felt a strong desire to watch the show.  Maybe that will change.

One thing that might make me switch on True Blood is their use of music in the show.  Apparently, each episode is titled after a piece of music that is used in that show.  I came across one such piece of music created for an episode that really piqued my interest.  It’s a remake of the 1964 hit She’s Not There from the classic 60’s British Invasion band, The Zombies, performed by my favorite, Neko Case, and the provocative Nick Cave.  I immediately knew that this would not be your typical cover/remake.

Normally, I wouldn’t even want to hear a remake of a song like She’s Not There.  It has held up spectacularly well over the almost 50 years since it was released, as do several of The Zombies’ other songs.  Probably why they still perform and tour after a half decade.   But the idea of these two performers singing it expressly for a vampire series brought up some the possibility of something different than a straight cover.

And I was right.  It has a creepy Cajun bayou thump in its bass and with Nekos’s voice soaring over Cave’s growl, it makes a compelling cover.  Old yet new.  Like a vampire, I guess. 

So, here I am, despite my protests, endorsing a song made for vampires originally sung by zombies.  Here is the new cover with Neko and Nick (hey, that’s kind of catchy) and, if you’d like to compare, the original from The Zombies.

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This Tornado Loves You

Posted in Video, tagged , on July 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Well, my shows are completed and hung but that doesn’t mean my work is done.  Already I am prepping for next year and starting new work, new images based on ideas that arose in the final days before this year’s shows.  On July 28th, I have a gallery talk at the West End and today I’m on the road, taking a swing over to Erie to see my friends at the Kada Gallery to deliver some new pieces and talk over plans for future shows there.  They have shown my work for 15 years now but it seems like it was only yesterday since I first met owners Kathy and Joe.  Great folks.

As I often do on such days, I leave you with a bit of travelling music.  Today, it’s once again Neko Case, a favorite of mine with This Tornado Loves You.  Have a great day!

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Thrice All American

Posted in Favorite Things, Video, tagged , on May 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I’m off to talk with professor Dave Higgins’  drawing class this morning at a local coffeehouse, something I have done in the past.  It’s always a challenge speaking to students, much different than speaking to a gallery audience of people who somewhat know your work.  There’s a bit of a wall to knock down with some of the students and sometimes its not an easy thing to accomplish.  All I can hope is that I come out with at least one or two thoughts that might prove useful to some of these kids somewhere down the line, some little tidbit that they might hold on to for more than five minutes.

I will probably talk about the focus and choice I mentioned in a post last week.  Making a choice and giving a fully invested effort is essential, be it in art or some other field.  But it’s also important to recognize that this choice can be an evolving, changing thing.  Where they headed for may not be their final destination.  But if they make that first conscious decision to head in a single direction they will at least be on some sort of path forward, one of their own choice.

We’ll see.

Anyway, here’s a little musical interlude for this lovely Thursday morning.  It’s a video that mixes two of my favorite things, the singing of Neko Case and beautiful old film and photos of the last century.  I find myself always moved by this kind of imagery, as though it is exposing our commonality as a people, our interconnectedness with one another.  Whatever the case, it’s a beautiful song that meshes very well with the video here.  Enjoy.

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Don’t Forget Me

Posted in Favorite Things, Video, tagged , , , on December 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I’m on the road today, taking a group of work to the Principle Gallery in Alexandria.  So, I thought I’d play a song that ties together several different elements.  It’s a song that I referenced in yesterday’s post on Harry Nilsson, Don’t Forget Me.  It’s performed by one of my favorites, Neko Case, who has been featured here a number of times.  She covers this song on her most recent album but this is from Elvis Costello’s Spectacle television series.  She also hails from Alexandria.

So, give a listen and, like the songs says in such a wistful way, come on, get happy…

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Monday outside my window

Posted in Favorite Things, Opinion, Video, tagged , on September 27, 2010| 4 Comments »

Monday morning and the world is still spinning, at least it seems to be there outside my windows. 

Last week on CBS Sunday Morning, there was a segment with Ben Stein doing a monologue with him bemoaning the fact that though he is in the highest tax-bracket  he is not rich and that he feels he is being punished for being successful by allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire or by letting the cuts continue for only those making less than $250,000 per year.  It’s nagged at me for the past week and I wanted to comment on this new surge in whining by those in higher tax brackets that seems to be popping up more and more these days. 

But this morning I find myself just tired of the whole thing.  There is just so much data out there to counter all this whining and doomsaying by those who say that a return to the tax rates of the 1990’s would be apocalyptic that it just seems like an exercise in futility.  I want  to point out an article from the NY Times this past weekend by Richard Thaler  and another article on Tax.com from David Cay Johnston that provide a lot of content about the negative effects on the economy from the actual Bush tax cuts.

But that’s it this morning.  I think I will stick with what I do, which is paint.  Just paint and let the world spin outside my window this morning. 

To that end, here’s a song called Favorite from one of my favorites, Neko Case.

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