Nuclear Visionary

The boys and I went to the American Museum of Science and Energy today to check out the exhibits. Albert Einstein's image is everywhere. What a great face. I think I'll do a painting of it eventually. He had such kind, soulful eyes. Hard to imagine what he must have thought to see the destruction of nuclear warfare. Rambling thoughts on modern day science...much better than a drawing out of the Grossology exhibit. I refuse to draw snot, so you get Albert, instead.

TRAGEDY

Oh, Great. I actually managed to drop my camera one too many times. I heard glass breaking, and I suspect there is something broken internally as well as the external damage. I can't tell, though, because I can't make it go to image taking mode. Now - I will admit I've been wanting a new camera, but I had really hoped this one would make it through until I got it.

sob, snort, gurgle, sob.

I Do Sketch, Really.

I really do - see! I've been away from my sketchbook for a couple of weeks, with travel, migraines and malaise preventing me from opening it much. But I'm back now, with this sketch of a fine rooster in my large Moleskine sketchbook. I just love roosters...I really don't know why. I'm not exactly a country-kitsch kind of girl. I like modern, clean lines...sparse furnishings...space-age technology...and roosters. Go figure.

Complete!

My last postcard is done!! 24 in all, over a year - I'll be mailing the last 6 out today or tomorrow, depending on when I feel like going to the post office!

Here's the latest one - a chimp from our local zoo. Watercolor and ink on 140 lb watercolor paper...



Also - if you want to see the other 23 (like you don't have anything better to do) click here and you can view them all in one spot!

Dreams

Have you ever stood at the edge and thought about taking that scary first step into a new thing? Did you take it or did you step back, reconsider, and stay in the safe zone?

My favorite poem growing up was "The Road Not Taken," by Robert Frost. I'm afraid I've taken the well travelled path far too many times, but every now and then that one with the grass growing up between the ruts beckons...



16"x48" acrylic on canvas

1. The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

Rarity

I'm going to warn you at the start - I'm waxing a bit sentimental today...if you're not in the mood - go visit the Malaperts or something - they are never sentimental...

Linda and I headed out to Barnes and Noble last night to sketch and chat and get into as much trouble as two semi-middle aged women can get into (I had a double chocolate cupcake...wicked wild, man). We found some unwitting victims to sketch and, as usual, completely lost track of time until Linda's DH called to see if we had been picked up by the police or something. Anyhow - it just started me thinking how fortunate it is that we met and that we actually have so many things in common - STARTING with art. I mean - I've met some artists that I would NEVER want to hang out with - but here we are, maybe 5 miles apart in residence, 9 or so years apart in age (I won't say who has the greater of those years), completely different career paths and places in life, and yet we can spend 3 hours sitting in the Barnes and Noble Bookstore coffee-shop and have it feel like maybe 30 minutes. That's rare, people - friends are hard to come by in this age of computer-generated EVERYTHING - real live flesh and blood friends, anyway. Especially those that you meet later in life.

Okay - sentimentality over with - here's the sketches:




and look what my friend Linda made for me - our family is taking a 2 week long trip out west right after Memorial Day 2007, and this is my travel journal!!!! Yay!!!

Where the Echoes Stop

Where the Echoes Stop
by Erwin Raphael McManus

I want to stand where the echoes stop.
Far past where sound has abandoned thought.
Where silence reigns over redundancy.
Where once well said is more than enough.

I want to stand where the echoes stop.
Where words must be born to be heard.
Where speech is a gift and not a curse.
Where there is more of the unique and less of the mundane.

I want to stand where the echoes stop.
Where meaning is rescued from noise…
Where conviction replaces thoughtless repetition…
Where what everyone is saying surrenders to what needs to be said.

I want to stand where the echoes stop.
Where the shouting of the masses falls silent to the whisper of the one…
Where the voice of the majority submits to the voice of reason…
Where “they” do not exist; but “we” do.

I want to stand where the echoes stop.
Where substance overthrows the superficial…
Where courage conquers compliance and conformity…
Where words do not travel farther than the person who speaks them.

I want to stand where the echoes stop.
Where I only say what I believe.
Where I only repeat what changes me.
Where empty words finally rest in peace.

I want to stand where the echoes stop.

“Be still and know that I am God…” -Psalm 46:10a