Pelican Tea Phone Call Installation

Working on this "Four calling birds" installation has not been as smooth as the "three french hens". Yesterday I tried to ad the SENSUOUSNESS of paper to the figure of the pelican and I think I ruined her for the grouping... Now she is off to the side having tea in my store. (The tea cups have letters floating in the surface that say, "Call your mother". But that's another train of thought. 

I have a few things to work out in the studio to come clean with one good piece. Some days, weeks, months are like that.

soul searching art therapy

A long time ago I must have painted this. I can feel the despair in my soul just looking at it. The painting has lots of textural qualities though it is painted flat acrylic on canvas board. 

Today I work harder at setting up appointments with God. I hand over my worries in the morning and during the day I search for pauses where I invite God into my life. Its like a hide and seek game where I know the Presence will be felt at some point, with some vision, through some act of kindness, a manifest miracle. I just have to be aware. At night I say my gratitude list. I do not think I could paint another painting like this one since I have really changed so much since then. If I did one today I'd have to paint about the words, "God is everywhere".

16 x 12 inches.

Flags going for county wide quilt

Three of the flags made this summer are going to be included in a county wide quilt project...
The Millerton Clock Tower by Ralph F., the Maxon Mills (Wassaic Project) building by Rhoda L., and the Furnace by Kent K. 

It's going to be awesome. The walkway project organizers- in addition to the quilt are creating a book. I know they have to still fund raise for a couple million to finish the park amenities. Perhaps the book will be something to inspire people to give back to the bridge. (views on the bridge) 

(no dp)

Hen under bright light

My hens have quit laying eggs this week. I know it is a normal, and hopefully temporary, reaction to the weather and the season. I have a lightbulb installed on a timer- and it is the most frustrating newfangled contraption... I can't tell if the light will go on at 3pm and off at 8 or on at 2am and off at 5am... There are dials that rotate counter clockwise with in dials that rotate clockwise. The numbers listed go 2, 6, 10, 2, 6, 10, etc... My brother the engineer will be at the farm for Thanksgiving. I will have to ply him with wine and see if I can weedle him up here to look at this thing.
Meanwhile- I paint voodoo... a glorious domesticated hen in all her purple feathery finery sitting on a mound of pale prism colored eggs!
6 x 6 inches, wood panel.
By the way- I visited the Rhinebeck Art Store today to pick up my Sinterklaas canvas... and wow! What a place. It is much larger than it looks with lots of "secret" rooms full of discounted canvas, and basement displays of glorious paint, and little nooks with great kid gift craft items. The owner, Doug Shippee, had some of his own oil paintings displayed on the walls. I liked them. I liked the place a lot.

So much going on... And if you are in Berlin?

ANONYMOUS DRAWINGS SHOW N°10
December, 12th 2009 - January 17th 2010

opening reception: December, 11th, 2009 / 7 pm

closed on December 25./26. & Dezember 31. & Januar 1st


program:
every Sunday, 2PM (except December 27):
GUIDED TOUR at the exhibition with Anke Becker (blütenweiss)

Sunday, December 13. and 20. / 3 PM:
ADVENT at BETHANIEN: hot wine punch & christmas cookies

Thursday, December 17., 7PM
LECTURE
with DR. ANDREAS SCHALHORN/Kupferstichkabinett Berlin:
“In Grenzen grenzenlos. Anmerkungen zu Qualität und Vielfalt der Zeichnung“

SALE OF tilly's DRAWINGS
for a unit Saleprice of 150 Euro each
at the opening night and at the weekends form 3 - 7 PM.
(except December 26./ 27.).


location:
Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien
Mariannenplatz 2
D-10997 Berlin
www.kunstraumkreuzberg.de
www.bluetenweiss-berlin.de

Nest's back Then and Now

I am installing a mini- retrospective at the Maplebrook school this week. (Open reception will be December 6th). I start with the 1989 nest on a branch and end with the 2009 empty nest in a fog. Funny thing: when I look back over the twenty years, a lot of the symbols and vocabulary are the same... but the story sure has changed.

I hope the students at the school appreciate narrative art, and find some inspiration to document their own struggles. I mean Life.

Wine, fruit and phone with text

Well- I'd like to call this something more like: spirits, seeds, and connection. But I am told to be more simple and visually analytical when posting an image to the search engine so... people can find it!

I was thinking of my sweet sister-friend Lise when I painted this... flanked by her daughter and listening to Haitian music in the studio this rainy afternoon.I know Lise loves papaya... and I know she misses her past, her parents. Would a phone call help? 

Then I added random text from the headlines box. I swear, whoever is doing the headlines at the Los Angeles Times has to be a deep and dark person. The headlines are often a blatant cry for help. So I think.

I like the banner about picking life OR money. It is so true for me right now.