Inspiration

Inspiration...comes from the Latin word inspirare meaning "to breathe in or upon". Ancient people believed inspiration came from the Gods and therefore the word was used to describe a state of being that came from breathing in or being breathed on by the Gods. It is astounding that one word can encompass both the ethereal and the physical human experiences of spirit and breath.

Someone asked me recently what inspires me? After thinking about it for some time, I have boiled it down to this...the chasm between the human experience of beauty and suffering. Sometimes we endure a whole range of experiences and emotions in a day and even an hour in our fast paced culture. Inner tension is created as it becomes necessary to reconcile experiences such as the joy of a fall family hike with the sorrow of watching my beloved grandmother take her last breath. This process can be uncomfortable for my psyche and ignites a fiery restlessness.

Inspiration is the space inside where these opposites can come together. Like when a wide open sky simultaneously holds both a rain cloud and the sun, a rainbow is born. That rainbow is a painting to a painter, a sculpture to a sculptor, a dance to a dancer, a poem to a poet. In this way, suffering is transformed into tangible proof of the Divine. Such is the way of artists…the feelers and watchers of the world. Proudly, I am one.

Abandoned

On display through the month of May

with Mother Artists at Work

at the Upper Arlington Concourse Gallery

3600 Tremont Rd.

Upper Arlington, OH 43221

Fire inspires...

In my dream, a fire raged through a beautiful old house, eagerly consuming the structure once called "home" by an unknown someone. My companions and I later took in the aftermath, saddened by the senseless loss. Next to the charred, skeletal remains was an unkempt, empty lot. In the center was a mound of dried grass. Curious, I brushed at the brittle, loose clippings and discovered a huge pile of money. I was ecstatic and called to my companions to witness our good fortune, declaring that there was enough money to rebuild the devastated dwelling.

Upon waking, I sleepily recalled my dream and then began my morning meditation. At the end of my meditation, I traditionally treat myself to a random page from the collection entitled Love Poems From God. As I flip, with eyes closed, my thumb senses where it needs to be. Here is where it landed. Page 326.

"Dig Here," the Angel Said by Saint John of the Cross

She caught me off gaurd when my soul said to me,

"Have we met?"

So surprised I was to hear her speak like that

I chuckled.

She began to sing a tale: "There once was a hardworking man

who used to worry so much because he could

not feed and clothe his children and

wife the way he wanted.

There was a beautiful little chapel in the village

where the man lived and one day while

he was praying, an angel

appeared.

The angel said, 'Follow me.' And he did out into an ancient forest.

'Now dig here,' the angel said. And the man felt strength in

his limbs he had not known since youth and with just

his bare hands he dug deep and found a

lost treasure, and his relationship

with the world changed."

Finding our soul's lost beauty does that-gives us

tremendous freedom

from worry.

"Dig here," the angel said-

"in your soul,

in your

soul."

When things like this happen, I am filled with wonder and find myself looking for buried treasure all around me.

A Very Merry Unbirthday To You!

Donning a Mad Hatter hat, I hosted a very merry unbirthday party in my studio today. Guests included a group of eager, squirmy and curious 3-5 year olds. It turns out they love surprises, especially when they involve sacred tea party artifacts and paint.

The tray was set with four colorful tea pots filled with neon tempera, four whimsical punch cups, a souvenir creamer dish and a floral painted sugar bowl. The creamer consisted of white paint and the sugar bowl held salt. With stir sticks and paint brushes, the group set to work pouring and mixing color. Deciding when a their creations needed a little "creamer" here and a little "sugar" there made for regular squeals of delight. Learning opportunities regarding color mixing and the sensory experiences of textures kept their mini Mad Hatter minds engaged and stimulated while their hands were busy.

Being entrusted with a fragile and fancy tea set purchased for cheap at the local thrift, made for fast friends at the unbirthday party. Instant fun makes a tea pot, or several of them, a great addition to any artist's studio.

Painting Sketchbook

I have decided to start a painting sketchbook...

small...treasures...

pieces...of torn...

canvas...inviting play...

embellishment and experimentation.

The Student and The Teacher

Teachers open the door...you enter by yourself.

-Chinese Proverb

Thanks for everything Don. Remember, every artist needs a cape.

It is time for this student to fly.

Sketchbook Peek-A- Boo

This is from a series of bird sketches I recently completed. I am actively working on one of them for a sculptural piece that will show in the Concourse Gallery space in May along with the collective genius of Mother Artists at Work. That is what happens when you bring a group of multi-talented, multi-tasking, mothers together...lots of late dinners and a great show.