(In)Frequently Asked Questions + Answers

Q: * Sounds familiar; what’s that snippet “the empty room beneath the breath” from?
A: A line from David Whyte’s poem “Muktinath”:
“This is the place the path begins / the empty room beneath the breath / where everything we’ve broken / comes back to be repaired,…”

Q: * What’s that blurb “objects give off more energy than went into their making” from/about?
A: An excerpt from a piece by Jerry Saltz in his brilliant book Art Is Life.

“All art is a kind of exorcism. This is what gives art the power to change the conditions of our life. Art not only saved my life in very real ways; … it also exerts an ancient force that gives me access to a place where things are more than the sum of their parts, where — in violation of all natural law — objects give off more energy than went into their making.” — Jerry Saltz

Q: * What’s that blurb ”a whisper in the leaves, a movement in the grass, a ripple in the water, a stillness in the air, strange losses of time“ from/about?
A: A line from a book called The Fairy Bible by Teresa Moore, that I copied into a sketchbook in 2016… still resonates!

Q: What about Maxine and Mateo?
A: They’re 2 years old now and individuated. Meaning orange boy Tater is goofy, food-loving, easy going, and sister Maxine upholds every crazy thing you’ve ever heard about torties. And she parkours.

Q: Studio Inki? What?
A: I wanted a home for the new stuff and was simultaneously struggling with what/how to sign my body of imaginary work. Current thinking is to use my initials NKE (enigmatic!) An artist’s signature is essentially a logo, the development of which includes a lot of staring, which led to “pronouncing” NKE like a word. I very much like the connotations of inky: letterers and printers, smudges and mess. Vaguely Scandinavian. One night at dinner, B suggested Inky with an I, and now it’s perfect. Better than Studio Smudgy.

Q: What happened to Scarlett?
A: We think the predator became prey. We are devastated. No, we never found her. In our suburban neighborhood and environs live mountain lions, bobcats, coyote and… others. We still miss her.

Q: Who are the new guys?
A: Mateo and Maxine, a bonded brother/sister pair of rescues, now about eight months old. Characters of mayhem.