a m e l i a   f a i s   h a r n a s

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.


- Mary Oliver (via Kat Yeary)

This video sums up two major events on my horizon:
1) Halloween (my costume will be Chick with Steve Buschemi Eyes)
2) On Halloween Day, I will hop on a train (Amtrak!) and spend 3 days traveling to PORTLAND.

Just wanted to let you all know. Now please excuse me while I go dance like a 7 year old at a birthday party featuring a ball pit, candy and caffeinated root beer.

Super concise two-month recap:

1. Hammondsport: success with two sales and First Place in my category, Drawings & Graphics.
2. 60 Hours: success with 100+ participants, no major damage due to fire & seriously good vibes - results can be viewed here.
3. Grandfather Fais: broke his hip in late June, but had successful surgery and rehabilitation, returning home and continuing physical therapy. It's been intense for the Fais Family in terms of transitioning the grandfolks into grandfolk-living, but we're happy they are able to stay home in good hands.
4. Market Street Neighborhood: moved to a second floor apartment on the east end of Market St., meaning that I'm sticking around Corning (for the time being). This includes studio space!

I've sent along this small embroidered piece to a group show in honor of Reading Frenzy's 17th Birthday. If you don't already know about this rad bookstore, then check it out here. 

The opening is tonight, and obviously, I would love to be there--and I will be, but just in spirit.

Note: This is my version of the Paris Métro map; the X (embroidered using my own hair) marks a particular stop where a particular escalator has a particular brand of escalator friction jazz music (at least it did last January) that made me particularly happy.

Next up: The Southern Tier Biennial Show - September 17th