song of the blackbird

"song of the blackbird"

abigail pictured herself as quite the performer

"Abigail Pictured Herself as Quite the Performer"

k

"k"

CityFolk gallery in Lancaster, PA wanted to spell out their name in 3D letters for their front window display, and so asked eight artists to each decorate one. Receiving the "k", I painted it as a landscape and then added the scene at the top. 

Why doesn't the bird just fly up to the nest? And why does she seem daunted by the prospect of climbing the ladder? Perhaps because sometimes we forget to use our God-given skills and so what could be simple becomes harder than necessary. 

These letters will all be auctioned off to support the social mission partners of CityFolk. Find out more by contacting CityFolk.

sing a song of sixpence

"sing a song of sixpence"

over achiever

"over achiever"

hatched

"hatched"

empty nest

"empty nest"

happy 4th of July!

"the blackbird's flag"

and the day came

"And the day came when the risk to remain in a tight bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

Anais Nin

so, it's been awhile...

I cannot even believe how long it's been since my last post! Chalk it up to being busy as well as not having much to show or say.

Recently, I was asked to decorate the letter "a". It's for the cover of "Fig" a local publication that promotes the downtown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

To celebrate the new issue, Fig held a launch party and since I did the "a", I was invited. I got to dress up, eat hors d'oeuvres, sample local beers and wines, listen to a couple songs from Opera Lancaster's upcoming show, and meet a lot of interesting and very nice people. What a wonderful opportunity to be a part of something so fun!

the princess and the pea

Inspired by the old children's story, this princess is resting on a stack of seven cushions. Near the bottom is a pea in a pod, keeping her up at night.

The cushions are made of ceramic, as is the princess, but she also has wire for hair and a tin crown.

perched

Above it all, perched on her very tall chair and enjoying it, or wanting to get down if she can just figure out how? Maybe both. As she is torn by conflicting desires, blackbirds are watching and waiting to see what happens, but not helping.

At Diddywopps & Keeffers gallery in Monkton, MD.

the wonder of flight

Perhaps it's just me, but I think the sensation of flying is one we'd all like to experience. Soaring through the air, the wind rushing past us, the utter feeling of freedom. Getting outside ourselves, out of time and place, and just being in the moment...

This is a subject I've explored several times, but seemingly one that I'm not yet done with.

At Diddywopps & Keeffers gallery in Monkton, MD.

morning has broken

Morning has broken,

like the first morning.

Blackbird has spoken,

like the first bird.

Praise for the singing!

Praise for the morning!

Praise for them springing,

fresh from the word!

Sweet the rain's new fall,

sunlit from heaven.

Like the first dew fall,

on the first grass.

Praise for the sweetness

of the wet garden,

Sprung in completeness

where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight,

mine is the morning,

Born of the one light

Eden saw play.

Praise with elation,

praise every morning,

God's re-creation of the new day.

That old hymn, originally an even older gaelic tune, and popularized by Cat Stevens was the inspiration for this piece. It's this sort of song and performance that makes me wish I was a musician and singer. The best I can do is to try to capture the mood, feeling, and emotion the piece evokes.

I might take another shot at this, perhaps making the scene more lush in order to better capture the mood of the song. I'll have to think on it...

At Diddywopps & Keeffers gallery in Monkton, MD.

symbiosis

In the give and take between human and animal, a serenity is achieved while the knitter works and the sheep takes comfort in companionship.

At Diddywopps & Keeffers gallery in Monkton, MD.

going places

Delicately balanced through his forward momentum, this crow has places to go, people to see, and things to do. Busy, busy busy.

You know, sometimes we are so busy trying to get where we're going that we fail to enjoy the moment. Crowding our lives with so much activity that we don't even notice we've lost the ability to be still. How long has it been since you've laid on your back in the grass and watched the clouds go by? Or sat on a porch swing with your eyes closed and listened to the sound of birds? Or gone outside at dawn just to breathe deeply of the morning mist before the rest of the world wakes up? Try it. Slow your brain down and think of nothing but the enjoyment of the moment. It will fill your heart up.

At Diddywopps & Keeffers gallery in Monkton, MD.

in my studio

I keep the bits and pieces of works in progress on a small table in my studio. There they stay safe and organized. They also stare accusingly at me every time I walk past as if to say "hey! we're still not done, and yet you dare to start another piece?" That's right, my work gives me attitude! You can see glimpses of two different pieces in the photo above. The woman is part of a sculpture which will probably be titled "freedom". Gruesomely, her legs aren't yet attached to her body (not that she seems to care). Eventually, she'll be sitting on the back of a crow in flight, and the whole deal will be hung from the ceiling. Clearly I'm not done yet with the subject of flight because another piece is in the works which also explores that subject matter.

And here is a little vignette of one corner of my studio work table. I got this table third-hand and happily don't have to worry about ruining the surface since it was already pretty messed up when I got it. At times I think I should sand it down to make it nice again, but but so far have resisted the temptation since then I'd have to be careful with it.

rainfall

For those of you who couldn't make it to the show, I'll be posting images of some of that work here in the next few weeks. I hope to continue this, posting images of new work as it is finished. There is so much in my head begging to be let out that sometimes I hardly know where to start. But what with the big push to get everything completed in time for the show, it seems I'm now back in creation mode - the long drought over.

And so here we have "Rainfall"...

Still in his shell and refusing to come out and face the world, this little guy is hunched in his nest and seeking protection from the elements with a rather flimsy umbrella. All within a glass cabinet, as though preserved like a specimen.

I sort of like the whole specimen concept. I may have to pursue this further... more little cabinets, more odd vignettes.

At Diddywopps & Keeffers gallery in Monkton, MD.

I hope to see you tonight!

So tonight is the opening of "In My Own Backyard" at Diddywopps & Keeffers. This will be my third show there in three years, but I'm still excited, thank goodness. The day it stops being exciting and showing becomes ho-hum is probably the day I should stop. Happily, that doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon. I continue to amuse myself while making the work and hope it strikes a chord with those who view it.

I'm a pretty private person and so putting this stuff out there has always been a stretch for me. Sort of a "here's what goes on inside my head, please don't smirk" kind of thing. But the reward of a piece making a connection with someone is worth the risk of disdain. I think. At least as long as I don't have to witness that disdain personally.

a preview of September 12, part 9