Details that Stick

Here is another image I keep coming back to. This detail from a larger painting holds a certain fascination for me. When I was a kid my parents were in community theater and one of the skits they put on had a man standing on stage just as this man stands. Actors would come on and off stage, walking by the man, finally noticing him and asking each other (but not him), "Why is he standing there?" and stating, "He's just standing there." The scenario repeated itself again and again. The man kept standing there.

I would pass by this image on my wall and I'd think, "He's just standing there." Usually I saw my father in this image. Just recently I recognized myself.

One of a Kind Instead of Multiples

Two days ago I was at a reception for an art exhibit, me being one of the participants. I was advised to bring along business cards. I don't have business cards. I don't think "business" when I do my art, so I end up forgetting to have cards printed. I quickly drew some up. Each was an original thought and a tiny drawing. When I handed them out I felt like I was dealing in sterling silver instead of stainless steel.

Profile Story ~ teenager thought

My first job: At the age of 14 I worked as a janitor in a cold barn-like community building. What did I learn there? That there is satisfaction in making things change: dirty to clean, ugly to beautiful, messy to tidy. And that there was a world of mystery behind the patchwork curtains that hung at the end of the hall, on the stage of my future.

Giggling with Joy

Every now and then one happens upon a grand "a-ha!" This painting is one I return to again and again in my trips through life. Meaning, I trip and get mud on my face so I go look at the silly grins on the buddha faces and grin back through the mud. If only life could be so joyous all the time. Clearly, the shoveler knows that working near paradise is pretty good, considering the options. So, what's a little bit of mud ... but something to grow a seed in, if that mud is collected, saved, and set aside in a fertile little pile of hope.

It took one year to paint, and it sure is different from my other art. I'm not one to stay in one place... can't help but explore the world through all means possible.

Time for a Snort, Cackle, Chortle, & Guffaw

This project has been quite a lesson in looking on the bright side. I really didn't want anyone to have a negative life drawing on their card, no matter how true to world experience I attempted to make these. Sometimes darkness did encroach, and isn't that indicative of life, you can't control it! At these times I'd react by trying to make the next card more hopeful and even humorous. Humor has a way of unsticking even the most dreary and dense glue.

Tripping in the Search for What Works

There are about 65 more drawings to do. I am sad that I soon won't be walking around in this crowd of amazing people. I have continued to draw without knowing who most of these people are, but I must admit I would often google names after the drawings were finished. Again and again I have been astonished by the brilliance of these people and what they have achieved in the past 30 years. Above you will notice I took the last names off the labels for internet purposes because I am not yet sure of privacy issues. Somehow it works for me that David Y. now symbolizes "David" in general.

In September these cards will all go on display at Avenue 25 Gallery in San Mateo, CA. The originals will be full of life and flaws, uncertainty and triumph. I have drawn these images while experiencing every human emotion, fabulous to horrible. The common denominator is that I always strive to give each person a hopeful life full of heart, art, and human value. I do not want one person to go invisible, so I will include any cards that are drawn awkwardly... because we are all awkward at some points in our lives, even the most graceful of us.

Lucky Find

This is approximately number 550 out of 800 drawings that I hope to finish by the end of next month. I try not to pay too close attention to the names of the people on the cards, since portraiture is not the point here, but every now and then I can't help but wonder who these people are. I'm finding some of the addresses, though a quarter of a century old, might be accurate, so I've decided I'd better do some label photoshopping before putting them on this blog. As always, clicking on the image gets you a better view of what's what. These images are always read from left to right, a symbolic story of a life well lived.

The Wisdom of Youthful Hope

"Facing It" is approximately 4"x4" and reminds me of the little girl behind so many women that I know these days. It is so curious that strength of character develops so early in life and for the wisest, can support one through a lifetime of hardship. I am so grateful to have known well a few women with this strength. They have taught me, through example, how to shine the flashlight on my own inner strength... and thusly is created this drawing.

(Sold)

The Walnut

"Treasure Within"

Art making is a very selfish act explored while living in a world full of criticism, and the best art comes from minds that are open and aware.

Think of the art maker as being a walnut, a rich and active little brain with a hard but porous shell surrounding for protection. Imbedded within that shell are thousands of tiny little telescoping cell windows looking out into the world... the little brain inside switching from one viewing hole to another in search of wisdom. Meanwhile, overhead hangs a hammer, threatening to tap, tap... or to smash down at any moment. Does the walnut ignore the hammer? It's clearly seen. Or does the walnut adjust it's shell so that if the hammer does happen to come down too hard, the little brain inside will remain whole and intact as the shell cracks into a perfect half, not crushed to pieces at all.

Quick Fixes and Escape Hatches

I've been experimenting with escape hatches. Here's a mini version. This is a 3"x5" card. Why is it that even in my escape scenes there's some powerful danger lurking? Or is that just a beautiful wave and I'm safe on this side of a lake? So many ways to look at it all.

(Darn it all, where'd I put the hammer?) "Quick Fix Prepares for a Rescue" seems appropriate for the times right now, but tsk, tsk, I really mustn't put off solid repairs until tomorrow....

Open Studio at the art complex is this weekend... Two days away. I am not prepared but the art has been flowing so there will be many papers floating about, distracting some viewers, confusing others, and disturbing a few.

Symbols that Lead the Way

It is always my intention to learn from my art experience. A direct hit occurred yesterday. I'd finished up these drawings from "10,000 Lives" earlier in the day. That evening my husband and I were discussing a huge shadow of uncertainty that loomed in our immediate past and future. We've been trying to put a healthy spin on what has the potential for being a black monster of suppression. Then I remembered the middle drawing, above. I brought it out, marveling that this drawing, reading from left to right, representing the idea of a life, had a solution: Build from what is put before you, no matter how formless the chunk of clay might be.

Thank you, David Hays, whoever you are... 30 years after this card was last used as a contact vehicle.

Blissful Unawareness

"Lovers and Leavers"

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to clean up someone else's mess? Stephanie said it was her gift to the street to clean up the debris while she walked to work. I did not realize the major impact of her efforts until she moved away.

This was drawn around Earth Day, but of course, on my calendar that whittles it down to any one day out of 365. (The image you see right now is about the same size as the original. If you click on it you'll see what I see when I wear magnifying glasses to draw it.)

(Sold)

"10,000 Lives" Project

Every day I spend time with at least ten people through a communication system that is at least 30 years out of service.

What if the Sea Dries Up?

"Generosity Goes Fishing"

Drawing on the Imagination for Salvation

Floating along on a wave of change that we have no control over is a daunting experience. My life support system has always included a sense of humor and a thorough examination of the perils ~ real or imagined. What becomes difficult is when ones own life support might be dangerous for others of different philosophies floating alongside in the same storm. "Change As A Bouquet" emerged out of experiencing this entanglement.

Meditation with Pink Fish

Just a bit of quiet time after all the chatter.

The Blue Snake Seduces

At times I take trips from paint and line and create in other mediums. Food, with its intriguing color, shapes, and flavors, grabs at my attention many evenings. The backyard garden canvas with its seasonally shifting textures, forms, and colors has also attracted me and taken up years of my concentrating time.

I can see that this visual blog idea, which I avoided doing for years, has now taken hold of me. Who can resist this enticing light, the velvet darks, and the saturated colors? Writing one's story and seeing instant publication is so satisfying.

Yet, even as I burst with posting ideas I feel an uneasiness settling in. I am an image maker. It is time to crawl out of this silky virtual space and get back to the often cold and harsh reality of concrete image work.

This is the blue side of things. Not sad, but serious enough to cause pause. We must continue to check and recheck the path that we are on. Are we even on a "path"? Of late I've been thinking of it more as a jungle ~ where we climb through the tree-like vines and pause to check out the beauty, gasp at the oddities, and peer into enough scary shadows to find soul satisfying insight.

Bon voyage!

Windy World

The creation of art, if approached with a sense of adventure, is a great tool for learning.

Direction Comes Drifting Through the Air

I was listening to earth beat music while working on this piece. It was fine going until I reached the sky/cloud-like area. Here I felt stuck. I had no idea where I was.

A few days later I heard sweet choral music drifting from across the art complex. Intrigued, I left my earthy, deep-drummed painting scene, went across the patio, and settled myself outside the door of the wafting music, which turned out to be a collection of Bach cantatas.

I could feel my sensibilities drift upward with the music and relished the lightness of being the music infused into me. Returning to my studio light years later I saw where the painting wanted to go immediately. My neighboring artist let me borrow his music and with its spiritual-like accompaniment I was able to complete the piece.

This 3' x5' painting is meant to do a push/pull on the audience. The shapes shift in and out of abstraction/representation. This piece encompasses such a magnitude of complexities it was difficult to name. I did not want to lead the viewer in too straight of a thematic direction. I finally settled on the both practical and abstract "Confronting Brown."

Out with the Old, In with the New

About Me (...the old)

I apparently can look through you, am too short, need to correct my voice, talk too fast, don't talk enough, am judgmental, do not have an opinion, am chatty, am a dud, fascinate, am silly, should gain weight, don't read books, read too many books, know too much about you, don't know enough about you, don't look like anyone who you'd imagine creates art like I do, try too hard, am not ambitious enough, am relevant, am nobody, don't pay enough attention, over think, used to be a lot of things that are no more, and am too used to doing it my own way to listen well to others. In other words, I'm uniquely indefinable, just like you.