Riverside Cemetery, Asheville

Spring is in full bloom at the historic cemetery in my neighborhood. Along with the dogwoods and azelas, I found two more interesting photo ops:

Kenneth Noland is alive and well (as far as I know) but he has already erected his mausoleum in Riverside Cemetery (he's from Asheville). Kinda creepy. or not.??

This has always been my favorite tombstone at Riverside. These people were obviously huge party monsters. Do you think they dug their own grave as a parting gesture?

I recently went back to Seattle, where I lived from 1994 through 1998. I have always said there is no place more beautiful than Seattle on a clear day. I was fortunate to have good weather for most of my visit. There is something about the light on the water there that is like nowhere else. I’ve seen some amazing light on water – on the Costa Brava of Spain, in Seaside Florida, at Big Sur, on the coast of Turkey…….but Seattle’s light is luminous - it feels like it is full of shimmering water droplets (which is probably is).

It was a wonderful trip - I spent time with good friends; I saw a lot of great art in the galleries; I took a ferry to Bainbridge Island; I saw a play; I ate a lot of good food (cedar planked salmon, yum). Though I enjoyed my time, I couldn’t help but notice an undercurrent of anxiety running through me – the source of it was, I think, a somewhat sinking realization that yes, indeed, I DO live in a small town. I know that “the grass is always greener…” and I’m not saying I want to move back there, but I was humbled by the knowledge that being a somewhat big fish in a small pond is not always conducive to growth. Being in a Big City is kind of like playing a sport with someone who is much more experienced than you are: it forces you to play better.

I just needed to acknowledge my moment of Big City Envy, a condition that sometimes invades my psyche. But now I am back to this “small town with a big footprint”. Glad to be home, trying to be where I am, to put one foot in front of the other and move along.

I Love Good News

It’s about time. I watched the news last night and to my amazement the news was by and large GOOD: ship captain dramatically rescued, Cuban-Americans allowed to visit Cuba; gay and lesbian couples invited to the White House Easter egg roll; the Obamas’ new puppy. Put this together into a children’s book and it would go something like this: Evil pirates overtake a ship carrying big mysterious boxes. The good guys rescue the brave captain, who then decides to quit the container ship business and start taking people, particularly gay couples and dogs, to and from Cuba. And they all lived happily ever after.

Another thing that makes me happy these days is the fact that a lot of smart people are choosing to study teaching over investment banking. What a concept.

And to make me even happier, I found an image of a penguin delivering the news. Now that's happy.

The Art of Healing

Take Your Time

15" x 48"

I recently sold this painting to the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The Inn provides a homelike residence for more than 1,300 children and their families each year during the time the children are receiving medical treatment for cancer and other serious illnesses. The painting is in a public area, and I am thrilled with the placement. It reminds me of some of the reasons I became an artist: to REACH people, to bring something good into the world, to encourage questioning, to share a unique perspective. These days I worry too much about making a living; sometimes I forget about the bigger picture. Today I am grateful for this opportunity to have my work in a place where it really might "matter".

Getting a Line on Linocuts

Recently I decided to switch gears in the studio and experiment with linocuts. The process is all about negative vs positive space and economy of expression. Simple, direct, black and white…. back to basics. Appropriate for the times. Cutting into a block with the relatively unfamiliar tools is challenging, and sometimes they slip – I have an old scar on my thumb to prove it. Once you cut it away, it’s gone. No painting over it.
I have worked on about twelve so far. I’m planning on making small editions of a few of them. Stay tuned.

Where is Art Going?

This is the title of an article in the March issue of ARTnews. It poses such questions as, how will artists survive? How will the market change? And, on a deeper level, how will creativity be affected? Artists, curators and other Art World people are interviewed, and I find a lot of hope in what they say. For instance, Gary Garrels of SF MOMA says, “We’re going to see a shift toward work that is more psychological and introspective”. This is good, right???

As we artists find the ground shifting beneath our feet, one option is to come up less expensive ways to make art. A woman in the article, Ellen Harvey, is working her way through all the materials she has in her studio. That effort will not only save money, it will no doubt result in many “happy accidents” of creativity.

For me, making more and smaller things seems to be a good option right now. I believe that in these uncertain times, there is a general longing for hand made work. People are consuming less, and my hope is that rather than buy that big new TV and feeding the “big box” store, some might consider buying a piece of local, original art. Something to feed the soul.

I am determined to continue to see the upside of this recession, to trust that in the long run we will build a stronger community. And to do all I can to remain true to myself while working harder every day to be smart, practical, compassionate and, of course, creative.

Rocco Loves a Picnic!

(I never said I wouldn't post an occasional cat photo!)