Thursday, July 30, 2009

poor bird

36'' x 36'' mixed media on wood: acrylic, pencil, blueprints, paper, found objects

I found this bird nest under a tree in my yard one day after a storm. I was sad because I thought that the babies must have fallen in the storm too, but I did not see any dead baby birds in the yard, and I felt better. Then, I when I picked up the nest, I examined it, and became absolutely engaged in it’s structure. It was really intricate, durable, and was completely intact after falling 20 or so feet in the storm. At that moment my compassion for little dead birds, and sad momma birds turned into wonder and amazement and respect for this tiny cradle.

Somehow a small bird knew how to gather the myriad materials for this structure. Somehow this bird arranged scores of small pieces of twig and grass and weed and bark, weaving them together with such precision that the nest is still sturdy and secure after the storm. Considered in this light, this little bundle of dried vegetation is really a small miracle.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Dates To Remember...

36x36 mixed media on canvas








Finished a new painting called, "dates to remember":
Still inspired by the drive East on 66, the colors and textures are very much the same as "east-bound", a painting I finished just days before beginning this one. So, I think I was still in this earth-tone/dirt/grass/wind/ kind of mode... But during the time I was working on this piece, I was feeling a little sad about the kind of life changes that take place naturally over time, and the effects of loss, divorce, marriage, birth, etc. - and the way these things take a toll and can make our lives better and worse. The way a baby can make our lives mean something, the way the loss of our loved one can leave us responsibility like we've never known... and divorce makes everything complicated and destructs an entire family- but my recent marriage gave me reason to have faith in love. So included in this piece, are the dates on which life-changing events occurred in my life.