farming a good life


i should have been here yesterday, but i just couldn't quite gather all my thoughts together. plus i was out of the office in franklin on friday, needed to catch up with the paper trails, post.its and social piles leftover from last week. i needed this past weekend like any plant needs water. the sun was hot, the wind cool, and the company a pleasure. i had been so exhausted, but i couldn't miss a saturday with jen, nor an opportunity to see all of her hard work, and the work of other local artists. the feelings i had while sitting with lavendar, jen and susan are unexplainable. i have been trying to think of way to eloquently express the way, as if a spirit moves between us, our words, and movements. i love how conversation came easily and the white church tent went up without a hitch. i love how kate was there in spirit and all our friends and jen's family came by to see her. can i see myself with my own work at one bridge next year? umm maybe. for now i'm most definitely more interested in farming this sort of good life.

i started reading wendell berry's, the gift of the good earth, hence my post-title, a week ago or so. boy oh boy it is has been one of the best things i've read in, wow! sometime. i had just finished the kiterunner, which received public accolades, but i wasn't well impressed. before that, dan brown's angels and demons-not that impressed. but the gift of the good earth, my word. written in the mid-late 70's, his travels from peru to papago to mexico to the amish country. what brillant imagery, what food for thought, so spirited and comfort-gentle. and we're here as he has predicted, not exactly predicted but shows by example, and expresses as stupidity, these last twenty years.

i'm not scared, just wondering about becoming a farmer. or at least farming my relationships in a different way. sometimes i think i let my emotions, fears, and insecurities rain on relationships in a way that washes away the deep dark, warm and moist topsoil-the stuff that makes relationships rich and wealthy. it so happens expensive fertilizers get in the way, when simply turning the friendships over to expose only that which needs to be cooled by the air-like a confrontation, a fresh approach, is sufficient and healthier. and certain weeds, if i knew how to look for them, might actually be advantageous, the natural way i'd be led to fertilize, instead of my self made contributions. i love what this book is making me feel and think. i love how it has tied itself into the conversations i've had with say, kate and my dear mother. and jen she sent me flowers, which i have yet to photograph because i am pleased to say i'm cleaning up my apartment's act. it's been four whole years and some things have got to go. so i am working on the revitalization of my apt life. i want a near perfect shot of the bright flower display, cross your fingers, tomorrow(?) and i should have a pic of the complete robot-red paper quilt collage. i should write more about these things but diagnosis coding is really really calling my name.

gosh i'm grateful for such a sweet weekend.

black-eyed pumpkin pie
















i haven't been around a whole lot lately because i wasn't in the office yesterday and i haven't been motivated to take a whole lot of photos. i did happen to get a couple of shots of my favorite pumpkin in the world. the gift i mentioned a couple of posts back from my snl. it's tiny and cute and i should make a pumpkin tree to hang it on. i'll be out of town tomorrow, off from the old rx this weekend. to enjoy saturday with my friend jen, while working the fest, playing with lavendar, soaking up the autumm air, please be nice! sunday is my day to relax and remember.

i have almost finished the third and final red paper quilt collage, i finally drew the best little robot in the world and i can't wait to show you all. your just going to have to wait until monday or tuesday. have a wonderful weekend. peace and love you all.

a peace of the green


late last week i finished up the second drawing, in my paper quilt collage series. i really labored the idea of drawing a fish once again. afterall it feels like all i've drawn in the last years are birds and fish and fish well, they're a bit more complicated. i ended up feeling fairly content with this little guy and the outcome.

i have had one bit of critisism toward my next drawing on the red paper quilt collage. my tentative idea is to draw a robot, but i'm stuck stuck stuck on things like round head, square head, round mouth, square mouth, neck or no neck. it's a hassle right now drawing stupid dribbly drawings. i so rarely practice before starting a drawing, i hate warming up and would much rather jump into the drawing project than deliberate the impending doom. i have thought about doing a butterfly/dragonfly or a mushroom, but i'm not as 100% behind these ideas, so...

i made it through my seven day straight. work to the brink. i still have my soul and a good attitude. nothing more or less. very happy to be on the other side of a dull moment. switching gears, and having a pile to give away is nice. i've got a pit growing in my stomach, a sort of exciting seed, saying that i might should prepare to move but that is all. no word of resigning a lease. so strange...

pastures of afterglow


yesterday or the day before, i am not so sure, i was on my way to the rx, stuck in terrible bridge traffic and desperately wishing bad drivers would disappear. in these crazy moments i have also become keenly aware of my dissatisfaction with the radio station selections in my city. they aren't distracting me as much from the day to day and so i settle in with the national public. on this particular day, possibly monday i found myself in the middle of a conversation with the infamous ryan adams. this was exciting for me because i just recently saw ryan at the tabernacle in atlanta and thought the show was great, just great! i also had no idea that things were the way they are for him. 3 albums in 7 months, my goodness the man is a songwriting machine. and all the attitude and controversy, i couldn't believe my naive (i'm not naive though) little ears. i mean who knew he was such a freakin' rebel?

beyond these minor things i must say the weather has been of the utmost-beautiful. i just went outside for the break and found a cloudless blue sky, a blue so warm and comfortable it called out to me, to seek happiness, friendship, autumn leaves, orange cream pumpkins, and the daily 3 mile hike around the hospital campus. unga bunga. my sister in law took a trip down to frazier avenue, to blueskies and brought me back a baby glass pumpkin, so cute, i died. jumping and squeeling, because i'd seen it last week and forewent the temptation to buy and thought 'oh god would bless me with even the smaller things if i might just let go of this one thing so tiny and wonderful, this time.' i really think that because i let it go, it came back to me in such a perfect little way. i also decided to go ahead a sign up for amy's incredible mailorder. i'm all set to go on the halloween garland and i'm ready to pitch the clothes, shoes and boxes i've got piled up in my apt. it's time for fall cleaning, i'm not up on the spring time ways of cleaning. and well let's see i'm bored here at work, fairly caught up and thinking i should purge charts! yikes. i'm outta here, enjoy the weather, cool nights, bugless days, imagine the brown leaf scents and back to school butterflies. i've not been in school for ten years and i still get the tiniest turn overs in my tummy in the morning. geez. and who has experience with fake eyelashes? just curious. i'm back and happier can you tell? i've gotten the best of encouragement. love and heart going out to all of you.

blur quandary, close finish, & bitter water


over the weekend i was able to get a fair amount of painting done to the posturing/pretending tree aka bitter water. i keep making these amendments to the title, fearing the worst that only a paragraph will be the chance explaination. i completely disappointed with the photo quality and won't complain about it again until after i am finished and then maybe a critique.

i am gaining on the finish line, slowly but surely, waiting for the canvas, paint and color to speak a final word of 'it is done.' i went ahead, filled in with the bronze/white twists of the tree. even though i love the tree, i'm reminded of tootsie rolls when i look at the bark. my intention was to make the painting look flat, yet in each smaller plane, a variation and shade of contrast. i have still got the bitter water to work on. i purposely poisoned the water with a red permanent maker and so the pink will continue to pinch at the seams. i'm eager to find warmth and background but feel so drawn into the stark white, simple symbols and refresh represented. this go around i decided i would try my hand at creating this level of work. as mentioned i'm inspired by some of the greats:

1. aaron kraten

2. blaine fontana

3. aaron jasinski

4. sam flores

as mentioned before my other inspiration and thoughts have come directly from the bible. never before have i experienced a thought or idea that coincided with a image or story from a bible teaching. it is such a strange feeling. i want to see my art in print and the painting really seems like it could be the first step. i am also thinking of doing a 2007 calendar. wouldn't that be a blast. here's the scripture i've taken the idea from. sometimes i feel like some bitter water. really. sorry in advance for the creepy numbers. and i have to admit my enjoyment of the king james. it's the old school vintage version of things i really think cuts.

22So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
24And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
25And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
26And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
27And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

that's all for the day. i had a good weekend, busy, bustling and bursting over with all kinds of times. picnic llama's, slip and slids, treasured conversations with carolyn. and geez a confrontation. i bought a new pair of new balance 992. and hit greenlife up for some yummy bites.