March 22, 2009

Talk and Take...

The Retrospective has come and gone... a truly fine experience I am glad to have had the opportunity to be part of. Why wait until it's too late and someone else is in charge of looking back and assessing your life's work this way? It certainly gave me tremendous insight into where I've been and what I've done. Didn't really reveal anything about where I'm going, but that's a chapter yet to be written. I have thoughts...



We arrived shortly before the 2:00 talk was to begin, having driven around the picturesque little college town and timed our arrival so as not to be too early. Grateful to see at least a few cars parked in front but a bit in awe of the room full of folding chairs waiting... no way those would be filled. But they were. And I was told most were well established artists in their own right. Oh, geeze! I really had pictured an informal little group of three or four that would follow me around the room asking questions in a conversational manner...and I wouldn't really need to "talk!"

But it was my stuff and if I can rattle on about anything, it's the how and why of the work I've done... so I did. Probably not as I would have written it, but it seemed to entertain.

Moving around the room...


Notebooks, etc...

Good stuff to eat!

16 comments:

Annette Bush said...

The show looks good, Karen. The talk must have been okay, too, since no one threw any of that lovely food at you! lol

"It certainly gave me tremendous insight into where I've been and what I've done." Absolutely. I had to do a similar thing for a presentation last week. (tiny, tiny compared to yours and not about art.) I had not realized how each step subconsciously added to my knowledge and ability even 20 years later! Like you, I was surprised at the subtle connections.

I am really impressed by your efforts to get this put together.

Karen Jacobs said...

Thanks so much Annette... you are one of my few e-friends who knew me way back when and can compare the old and the new with 'real-time' eyes. A retro of your work and career... and especially the influence you have had on so many aspiring artists and their communities, would be very worthwhile. Hope you'll do your version soon. (I.e...the extraordinary effort you made with that traveling art exhibit to Japan... including one of my w/c's! That was a confidence building block for me, for sure!)

Anonymous said...

It looks wonderful. Enjoying some blogs with my coffee..Thanks for putting it up so fast..busy day,

Linda S.

Mary Buek said...

Lovely show, lovely place to have a show. So interesting to see where you've been and where you are now, and I can't wait to see where you go next.

Tracy Helgeson said...

What a wonderful event Karen, and I am again full of awe here for you.

Rebecca Crowell said...

Congratulations, Karen, and I hope that you get the chance to visit with your work when no one else is around, to sit, think an dappreciate--what an amazing thing to see so much of a life's work in one place.

Rebecca Crowell said...

Congratulations, Karen, and I hope that you get the chance to visit with your work when no one else is around, to sit, think an dappreciate--what an amazing thing to see so much of a life's work in one place.

Karen Jacobs said...

I did enjoy revisiting the work, Rebecca, but not so much the public venue as the dining room sorting stage ;) Deciding what to include, what to delete... all florals, stillifes and landscapes were axed as I realized they were not pivotal to the whole. I could do another retro and only show the constants, or reoccurring genres. Except that they were also the ones likely to sell in the early years, and I don't have as many left to show. Which leads to another subject altogether...

M.A.H. said...

Thanks for posting the pics of your retro. What an opportunity to reflect! Congratulations again.

CMC said...

Fantastic, Karen. I'm just now getting to my Bloglines emails. It looks wonderful and I know you did a great job "entertaining" ...I've been to another you did with great success.

How 'southern' everything looks now that I'm looking through at the dining table and good food........and wonderful art work on the walls.

BUT, you now have time for more to add to the old 'final' retrospective I think.

Karen Jacobs said...

I need a clue, Cheryl... tell me when and where that 'other' talk was? Lordy, just give me an audience and not telling where or what was said! I'll think of it soon as I hit publish!

CMC said...

the one at the Meridian museum with Keith and you having a show......very brief and casual.

Karen Jacobs said...

Oh, of course! I knew that ;) Geeze! Slipper slope!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! I really appreciate your sharing of the history and talk, too.

Martha Marshall said...

I apologize for only just now getting here to this post, but a lot's been going on as you well know.

Fantastic looking show, and congratulations on what looks like a fine success! Wow. I can only imagine what it must be like to see your own retrospective. Glad too that you could participate rather than waiting years for somebody else to do it for you.

Karen Jacobs said...

Martha, I highly recommend this area for your retirement ;) Met several top notch artists and you are going to fit right in! The sense of artistic support is strong... but you already knew that...