A dog's place

The sun and the moon set on Bruno. My son found him roaming tag-less and hungry on the streets of Miami, scooped him into his plush red Buick and took him with him to New Orleans where they have lived together for the last 3 years. He's my son's dog, so... sort of my "grand dog". Unfortunately, I can't have a dog right now, and since my son is in transition, he needs Bruno to go live with somebody else. It breaks our hearts. There is a line up of guys who want him, so I am sure it will all work out. But for now, I paint Bruno in the Buick, with both the sun and the moon over his shoulders.
Watercolor on matte board.

Relishing Pandemonium in small doses

I adore the wild parrots in Miami. Rumor has it they escaped from Parrot jungle over a decade ago as a result of hurricane Andrew. However they got here, they certainly have adapted themselves. They flicker through the trees, and across the pink and blue skies like tiny flames of color. I have missed the chickens from up north, and enjoyed the local peacocks on the campus, but parrots speak to me in another way. Every evening I try to settle down on the balcony before I know it is time for the the evening fly. Large flocks swoop over the pool, landing in the palm trees in small crashes, and then re- launch towards the parking garages to sleep the night away. Their squoack is a harsh sound for such a colorful creature, and you can anticipate their arrival by the crazy jabbering. In fact- a flock of parrots is called a "pandemonium".
One little parrot sits in the carambola tree. It reminds me of my friend Barbara's 28 year old bird named Jocko. He nuzzles against her hand through the bars of his cage, eyes closed and almost snoring with pleasure as she scratches his head. I will give her this painting. A watercolor.

Two boys with the American flag

My baby is signed up. He's going in the army on November 4th and though I am nervous, I am also very proud of him. I just spent the last three hours with 25 students making cards for people in the armed forces. It was much more fun than I anticipated and many of the students brought their parents. We shared stories about our personal links to the military. Some served, or were married to service men, or just had family in the service.
My son feels as though it's an opportunity to be "a diplomat, a problem solver, a helper, and a leader in times of trouble; showing bravery amongst adversity".  He feels it is something he should do, and he knows it will challenge him.
I pray for him to be protected from harm. I pray this is a continuation of his unique spiritual journey.
I painted him (and his little brother and best dog) from an afternoon this summer in New Orleans. He is in the middle. The yellow light is a shield of love.

uncovering tricks and discovering designs

Students worked on  their own compositional studies of food to create watercolors with flair! Each worked within a set of rules, but found their own way to make the work was unique.  That is art.

basket case

Fruit and veggies have been the focus of the classroom for the past week. Here is my little offering demonstrating mixed media and resist techniques.

I am so glad it is Friday.

Devotional act

I had to rush home from work and go straight to the art table because my soul would not sit still.

My sister and her baby girl are heading to the hospital this evening and I have nothing that to do that will help them. Part of me wails and wonders about the strength or futility of prayer. I feel, deep in my roots, that intentional focus on gratitude, acceptance, and pleas for help, really do get heard. We can move energy with our love (or anger). It doesn't seem like much, or enough, but...

I can center my focus and paint with prayer in each brushstroke. The pigment blossoms and dyes the surface of the paper in an act of surrender and decision. When I paint yellow I feel as though I am wrapping my sister and my niece in a shield of love. The red paradise fruits feel organic and echo internally. The seed pod and birds hold potential for growth and magic.

I have painted a scene of local fruits and exotic birds to manifest a sweet paradise for my niece to heal back to. I will put this in the mail tomorrow.

de·vo·tion

 [ di vṓsh'n ]   

1. committed love: deep love and commitment
2. dedication: great dedication and loyalty
3. enthusiasm: strong enthusiasm and admiration for somebody or something
   

Balance

It’s all about Balance.

This equinox I found myself in the kitchen angry and surprised by the awareness of the missing creative action in my life. I miss painting every day, and I miss blogging. I thought that by putting those two things off I would find more time in my day. Well, … nine months into it, I realize I have not found more time. I have filled the empty minutes with plenty, and I have written “a novel” in July and painted on weekends. But the truth is I miss the discipline and the rewards of painting and blogging every day.

So secretly and with out much ado, I am going to go for it again, for a short period- such as this one between moons.