Virtual Living

It’s such a different world, I just have to muse about all the online opportunities these days. 

 On Wednesday we watched a Seattle Art Museum talk on conservation of the sculptures in their amazing OLympic Sculpture Park, and all the work that has to be done to keep up with the many different materials, paints, mechanisms of these large scale sculptures that live in a harsh marine environment next to the Salish Sea.    Some were completely refabricated with the artists help if they are still alive.  So interesting and daunting to hear how some materials had to be replaced or preserved in a different way, and repainted of course.   
We had to go have our walk there so we could appreciate some of what we learned. This one we can see as it's outside.   This huge Richard Serra sculpture  (“Wake”) was wet on the inside and rusting even more so had to be opened and sealed on the inside.  This photo was into the sun so I had to mess with the color a bit.  If you click on the website above you can see an arial view of this sculpture.
We also walked by my old studio that was a block away when this was a polluted field. the building is so spruced up now I can’t imagine what artist can afford it.

Friday was a presentation of the new “Cruisin the Fossil Coastline" at the new  (and closed) Burke Museum with a fascinating and excellent discussion by the artist Ray Troll in Alaska and and the scientist,  Kirk Johnson in Washington DC.   I learned that there has only been one dinosaur bone ever found in the state of Washington,, a leg bone on Sucia Island, in the San Juans.    OH how we’d love to take Fiona here and hope we’ll be able to before it closes in May.    And also Friday night but continuing all this week online was the Pike Market Senior Center”s fundraiser, The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition , which involved singing groups from businesses or where ever.  I used to volunteer there in the 80s and 90s so was involved in some of the early events…. Now it is a huge thing…took the girls 2 years ago to the big crowd..  HERE ..we saw this same group ( plum sugar elves)same outfits with no audience online.   this year of course it’s all virtual.. The extra is a wonderful group of UW students (called The Hounds of Music”) performing in an empty part of the market.  Not the same.
Just added another extra.  This years sugar plum elves virtual . No crowds.

And that’s just 2 days.    We will be watching the  PNB Nutcracker with our family.   On our separate tv screens.  There are opera performances, book talks,  and we’ve signed up for 2 online classes in January.   All good learning. 

But..It just might be too much.   And I haven’t actually had a voice conversation with anyone but H and a neighbor in the garage for days.  Will I remember how to relate to a normal world if we have the chance?


Tomorrow….. only a few words, I promise.