Exhibit at Park Congregational Church

On March 21, 2010 I had an opening at Park Church Congregational Church in downtown Grand Rapids. A friend took some photos of the opening and I took a few photos of the walls.

The Tenacity of Life

The Strength of the Spirit of Nature:
Have you ever walked down a path, road or a sidewalk and noticed seedlings and plants trying to make their way through the barriers that mankind has constructed to keep them out? I have long observed and given these tiny bits credit for trying so hard to make it through anything that we put down! Of course I have been a perpetrator as well, and a puller of "weeds" or plant life in the wrong places, but still, I see beauty in the growth, and a tenacity of spirit for these seedlings, to push their way through and venture into life. There is something settling about the way the natural world eventually topples us, slowly, and efficiently, and with great strength of spirit!

At the moment I am working in Baton Rouge, where I have set up a little make shift studio and going on walks to find new and adventurous ways to realize that life continues.

The images you see are varied, a crack in the pavement, an anthill slowly wearing away the pavement in my driveway, A little flower making its way in what looks like no crack at all, a mixture of driveway cracks that have a multitude of life, and one just barely begun, a plant that found it's way up to a rooftop to insinuate itself on a garage!

ArtPrize Madness!

The first weekend was pretty exciting! We had an opening on Saturday night, and then Shawn and I had an art talk on Sunday! I brought along digital slides from my computer, and the original plein air painting that my larger piece was painted after.

I also am including some photos of the big event on Sunday when the 100,000 paper airplanes were dropped
from the tops of buildings
on Monroe Street.

Grand Rapids has been
a remarkable place to be!

ArtPrize Is BIG Event in Grand Rapids!!!

I am exhibiting in ArtPrize and welcome all to participate. You can pre-register to vote online and then finish registering at a voting station starting September 23rd. I am encouraging everyone to vote and vote often- you can vote for as many artists as you would like in the first week.

For full information about my work please go to:
http://www.artprize.org/artist/id/4168

Voting number:
vote31541

My venue is at:
St. Mark's Episcopal Church,
134 North Division,
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

There will be an ARTIST RECEPTION on Saturday, September 26 from 6 to 8 pm, and artist talk: Sunday, September 27, 2 to 3:30 pm.
Don't miss this unique week of art!

New Work: Early Spring, Early Morning Pond

This was painted using a plein air sketch of a pond near my home, early in spring, and early in the morning. I visited the site many times, observing and considering before I took my easel and began painting on a much smaller canvas. Next I brought the sketch to my studio, and began again, making new considerations concerning the image, changing and rethinking the initial conception but yielding to the original inspiration. The painting has been painted on gessoed linen that has been stretched on sturdy stretcher bars. I have a simple mahogany frame that I will bolt the painting into.

On the surface this is a painting of a pond in early morning light, at a point when the leaves are just beginning to form. On a deeper level, I was seeing the scene as representation of the four elements: the air (sky), fire (sun), water (pond), and earth (shore), using the trees to link it together. These elements are basic to our life, they are both life sustaining and dangerous at the same time. In equilibrium they provide the nourishment to the planet, and out of balance, they threaten our existence.

I felt the inherent balance of this landscape, providing a sense of serenity and calm in our harried world. In painting the trees, I could perceive strength of the trees, from roots to treetops; they live rooted in the earth, provide oxygen for our air, protect us from the sun, and bring water from the lowest areas to the tips of the leaves, uniting earth with the heavens.

Installation for Waiting Room in Greenville hospital

Spectrum Health United Memorial Hospital in Greenville bought a painting from me called Four Elements, Four Seasons. There are 16 square boxes with linen attached to the front, each with an oil painting. They read vertically in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall; and horizontally in Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Mark Mitchell had made the boxes, and helped me install them this week. They are in a waiting area in the hospital.

Santa Fe work from Baton Rouge

While in Baton Rouge, I was able to bring my pastels and paper and worked on 6 different images from my trip to Santa Fe. They are all 8 inches by 10 inches, or 10 inches by 8 inches.

When I was in Santa Fe, I was interested in the many beautiful doors and windows that you see in that area. Some were fairly old, and some were ancient. Some doors were closed, some were archways and looked to an inner courtyard. The kivas were mysterious- such a small square of light that caused the inside of this area glow!

And then there was the interesting building that appeared to have no doors and windows, jut abstract shapes.

These pastels are not finished, but have a sense of what they will be when complete.