Blog
11/29/2021 5:10:41 PM
My friend Barbara Madison Ripps retired after a long career as an elementary school teacher. She now makes beautiful, complex food boxes and platters (called charcuterie) as a hobby*. I so admired her desire to keep learning and creating that I asked her if I could do a silk painting of her work. My finished piece will be part of a new web page of silk paintings that illustrate life-long learning and growth.
One of Barbara’s beautiful platters. Silk painting doesn't lend itself to complex subjects, so...
...the first thing I did is decide what parts to paint, and then...
...I noodled around with color...
...and worked on light and shadow.
I will post the completed piece when it's done, and will be selling prints.
*Contact me if you live in New York's Capital District and are interested in learning more about Barbara's fabulous creations.
11/1/2021 2:54:35 PM
I noticed the guy who butted in line behind me when I was waiting for a train at the end of a long day. A few minutes later, I wasn’t surprised when he crashed into my back with his suitcase. But I was surprised when he told me that I needed to “take a breath” because I’d glanced back at him to see who had bumped into me. I desperately wanted to tell him where he could put his misplaced hostility.
Of course I didn’t. All of that free-floating anger that’s in the air these days (and in America, it’s combined with the availability of guns) has multiplied to the point that sometimes—only sometimes—I’m scared to speak my mind. So instead of reflecting his anger back at him, I did what he’d told me to do. I took a breath.
Emotions are catching, and it was hard to control myself from giving it right back to Mr. Butt-in-Guy. At least to some degree, I can control how people react to me by controlling my demeanor. I’d rather not live in a world that’s filled with anger and hostility, so I try to not give it out. Even though I didn’t have the satisfaction of telling that guy what I thought of his behavior, I’m probably right in assuming that his world is far more angry and hostile than is mine.
11/1/2021 2:51:05 PM
A friend recently asked me where I buy the tiles for my relief sculptures. The answer is that I don’t buy them; I cut them from sheets of stained glass.
Sheets of stained glass
A few of my cutting tools
Some agitation in an ice cream maker smooths the rough edges so I don't cut myself
Tiles all ready to be glued onto the armature
