A Post Script: The Residency is Over.

What happened there?  the residency is over, people came to the Open Studio we talked and performed and by monday everyone was gone.

So what happened? The day was spent preparing for the 1.00 presentations to each other, in each others studios, a chance for us all to see what the others had been doing and a chance for Ralph to see and hear what we all had been up too.
 It was good to see and hear everyone talk about their work and their process, the highlight for me was Romans film of the park and the strange narrative that went along with it, well read by Andy,  I was pleasantly surprised by how much footage he had used of my Fibonacci Tree and it playing, thanks for that Roman.

My presentation went well and the instrument was in fine form, ringing loud acoustically and electronically, this is such a good area to develop and I have a bucket load of thoughts and ideas for other places with other instruments.

The public came and I played the FT, again it sounded very good and I let the public play and it still sounded good, the pleasure on peoples faces was a joy to see and the reaction was very good, I love the American acceptance of the creative and experimentation, there really was an enthusiasm towards the instrument and what I am doing.

Next the presentation of our work in the common room, here I showed the time-lapse and gave a little talk about the scaryness of my walk home at night on a couple of occassions, and why I had taken a dark avenue for the video.

After the presentations Jee Soo and I did a short improvisation piece in her studio, me using the instruments I had made the day before.  This went well and again I was surprised at how well received it was.  Jee Soo recorded it and I have since listened to the recording which is good.

Afterwards we all ate and had an artist toast with champagne, Chef Jacob had gotten pizzas and we had a little feast together before going over to Pond Studio for a bonfire laid by Mason.
A jolly evening around the fire as one always has and then to bed.

But here was the weirdest thing, I lay in bed and a headache of proportions I have never felt before consumed me, it really hurt, I felt the back of my neck swelling and the pain would not go away, there was no respite, I couldn't sleep I lay in bed in agony, it was too painful to even think of walking back to the house to get painkillers, there were times in the night I thought that was it my brain was swelling and I going to die!  Yes very dramatic, I know, but I have never felt a pain in the head like this before and my neck was so so tender.  I got up next morning with a little relief and walked to the house and took painkillers immediately, had something to eat and got ready to go.
At 10.30 Mason took me to New London to catch the ferry to Orient Point on Long Island, my head was feeling much better, I was just consumed with tiredness!

The ferry was terrific, just relaxing on the top deck in the sun taking in the views, and hour and twenty minutes later and I am on Long Island, a sandwich at a deli and then a bus trip to East Hampton for 2 dollars, surely the bargain of the century, the journey is three hours, and what a great journey it was, lots of great characters on the bus, a bus driver who talked, farted and belched his way being both kind and rude to people, an eye opener, but a lovely little cameo take on some American life.

Met by Scott, so lovely to see his face and then off to meet Sara with whom I had shared a studio complex with at Hurstone for many a year in the halcyon days.




And yes that night in a comfy bed I slept and woke feeling wonderful.