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#Inspiration #Nonverbalcommunication #Abstractart #AbstractPainting #Creativity #Romeo #Work #Art #Painting #Dogs #Color #Time

I finally realized that painting, making art, won’t solve everything. At least, not for me anyway. It won’t bring predictable weather, it won’t solve the covid-19 pandemic, find a cure or a vaccine, open the restaurants and other activities, it won’t be a complete happiness cure. It doesn’t even give me peace of mind when I do too much. Now that everything is closed down, I have been painting too much My studio is in my house and beckons. I enjoy the work; it feels good. But

It’s Not What You Think, no. 4, 60″ x 108″, oil & collage on canvas The most frequent question I get is “what is your inspiration?” My usual answer is “painting”, or “the paintings”. This morning I had an immediate experience of that. I went into my studio as I usually do (I am a morning person, always have been) planning to put in some productive work time. But I felt lethargic, uninspired, uninterested. I sat down with a cup of tea anyway, yet thinking I might as well go up

Over the years I’ve had a few art heroes. Mark Rothko, Ellsworth Kelly, and of course, Rembrandt. I have been inspired by Diebenkorn’s early abstract paintings, but he isn’t a hero. I don’t know why he doesn’t transcend that boundary, from being great, inspiring, to being a courageous hero. I need to think about that. But now, I have a new hero. Etel Adnan. Not only is her work brave, she is extraordinary as a person. A poet, writer, painter, intelligent in her life and work,

This morning I realized why Romeo is so intent on taking his stuffed animals outside, one after the other, especially after he has been away for a bit. He’s a herder. A Portuguese Water Dog, who has been bred to herd the fish, fisherman and buoys. He is just doing his job. It took me three years to figure this out. Just shows how little we know about others. Reminds me of when I am working and trying to do something “different” and end up doing the same thing I usually do, mo

Let’s Talk, no. 2; oil & collage on canvas; 36″ x 112″ For weeks I’ve been trying to figure out what I am doing, want to do, with my painting. If it is more talkative, as someone at the Secord Gallery exhibit in September astutely commented, to whom am I talking, about what, when does it communicate, or not, and to whom. Basically I am talking to myself and just hoping it says something to you. It’s not with words. Just with paint. If you love paint as much as I do, maybe it

Let’s Talk, no. 1; 36″ x 112″; oil & collage on canvas Lately I’ve been scaring myself when I am painting. This has happened periodically before but this time I don’t want to back away from what is frightening to me. My work has undergone changes, rearrangements, and rerouting continually over the years and especially in the past few months. If I look back to the beginning of the year and try to see a direction, the current situation is near unrecognizable. Which breakthrough

On Friday evening, I will be exhibiting new work at the Secord Gallery in Halifax. Opening reception 7 – 9 pm; the title of the show is “Relativity”. Then on Sunday, I will be going to Annapolis Royal, NS, for the opening reception of my exhibit there entitled “Let’s Talk”. Having two exhibits so close together was my idea. I like the pressure and the opportunity to clear out my studio a bit. Make space to paint new works. So, if you are in the area, either or both, do stop b

Recently a friend asked me what is my muse. At first I didn’t know what to say. I did say that I just always wanted to do something like this; it wasn’t until I was twenty I knew it was painting. But I can’t stop thinking about the question, especially as I paint. And as I can’t stop painting, what keeps me going! And going and going and going. What is my muse? People are often asking me what is my inspiration. I usually say painting. One painting leads to another, spawns a d

Peggy’s Cove Area Festival of the Arts. For one thing, I am grateful to have a good reason to clean up my studio! But mostly it is so helpful to show my work to people I know, have known, will know. It was a steady stream of visitors for three days. I learn a lot of these studio visits. Everyone’s point of view is valid and unique. The last two visitors, friends in the arts community, gave me lots of food for thought. They were commenting on my use of circles and circular mar

At the Harrington Brown Gallery in Memphis, TN, March 2011 Seven years ago, in 2011, I had an exhibition at the Harrington Brown Gallery in Memphis, Tennessee. It was one of those shows where I took a major right (or left if you prefer) turn after that. Seeing my work on the walls outside my studio is always educational, sometimes upsetting, other times exciting. This particular time I could see very clearly that I had been painting myself into a corner. Every painting used t

“I Think I Might Be Dreaming, no. 5″; 48″ x 48”; oil & collage on canvas Several years ago I read that Michelangelo on his deathbed said: “It is a pity I am dying when I am just beginning to know my craft.” He was not young, had been working at his art for a long time. I have an old, worn paperback book about him and his sayings, yet I still wonder how so many pithy statements managed to be saved in print. I am grateful they were. It is all so pertinent to the mind of an arti

Last weekend, GPI Atlantic had a fundraiser event. I donated a large selection of artwork to this amazing organization. They use the Genuine Progress Index to count what matters: happiness and well-being. The GPI Youth section sets up sustainability projects with young adults. Well worth a donation. At the reception, I was fascinated by what paintings people were drawn to. Some of the work was several years old, enough so that to me, it looked dated. They are good paintings b

Romeo, my pup, likes to invent games for himself. This afternoon, after we had been playing fetch for a while, he took his ball and started dropping it between some branches of a bush. Then he would maneuver it out and drop it again, and again, and again. In the summer he would do the same thing: drop the ball between the slats of a chair on the dock, watch it fall, pick it up and drop it again, over and over and over. With never ending fascination. I could easily liken this

I certainly feel lucky when I look around me, look at my life as it unfolds its daily trek to the unknown. I have a beautiful house on a beautiful piece of land, amazing neighbors, wonderful children, friends, a great dog and have made a career doing exactly what I want to do, painting. And very important: it’s not what I have, but how I feel. I feel lucky. I was talking to a friend the other who said he didn’t believe in luck. It is just hard work that pays off. That you are

October was a busy month. Long days and short nights. It was exhilarating and exhausting. I have finally caught up on lost sleep, am settled into my regular life and back to an intense work schedule. In the early part of the month I was immersed in a week long family visit. Then, shortly after, I went to Truro, NS, for two days and the opening reception at the Visual Voice Gallery. After returning home, I turned around and went to Annapolis Royal to teach a four-day workshop.

Some days seem to have a surprise built in somehow. A friend recently mentioned how there are days when he wakes up in the morning but just wants to pull the covers up and stay there all day. Then after a cup of coffee, his energy shifts and he feels eager for whatever the day brings. It feels like a mystery, how the energy can shift so quickly. For me, getting up in the morning has always been easy. And coffee is not a good friend. If I feel slow, movement helps. But what do

Indigo Girls at Park West in Chicago, September 18, 2005. (left to right: Amy Ray and Emily Saliers) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The Indigo Girls were on “Q” the other day. They’ve been making music together for more than twenty-five years. In that business, apparently that’s a long time for a group to stay together. I guess because I work alone, that thought seems strange. I’ve been at it for twice that long and I can’t imagine stopping. That would, indeed, be breaking up with