Tower of Power

 Tower of Power

Oil on Wood

20"X24"

Dreamscape

 Dreamscape

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

Fiction reimagined with fresh eyes. New vision. New perspective. A whole new world of possibility.

More Times Gone By

 More Times Gone By

Oil on Wood

8"X10"

January is a nostalgic time. Memories of little moments spent with friends at the appointed time a long time ago. Gone but not forgotten. 

Note to Self

Note to Self

Oil on Wood

6"X6"

Read. Write. Take notes. Facts matter.

Fact and Fiction

Fact and Fiction

Oil on Wood

20"X16"

Making it up as I go along. 

True Fiction

Separating Fact from Fiction

Oil on Wood

20"X16"

I am distracted. These times are stranger than fiction. 

Rule of Law

Rule of Law

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

rule of law

/ˌro͞ol əv ˈlô/

phrase of rule

1. the restriction of the arbitrary exercise of power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws.

We have some books on the subject if anyone is interested.

So Many Books, So Little Time

"So Many Books, So Little Time (Diptych)"

Oil on Wood

12"X6"

 Fall makes me nostalgic. Loss is everywhere I look. But books are a comfort. I should be letting them go too, but no. Each one sparks a memory of where and when it was read. Solace is found in their stories. 

'Tell Me More' and Other Favorites

'Tell Me More' and Other Favorites

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

SOLD

Just seeing this stack of books on my bedside table is comforting. Kelly Corrigan, Mary Norris, Lydia Davis, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Susan Orlean. Their words fill me up, lift me up, and stay with me, enriching my life no end.  I will remember what struck a chord and visit those pages again for a little pick-me-up when the time is right.  In the meantime, they are reminders that goodness and the creative spark are alive and well in the world, and that, too, is reassuring. 

Turning the Page

Turning the Page

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

I am back in the studio after Life intervened in a big way. 

A little solitude and a lot of sleep go a long way to restoring health, both physical, and psychological.
And being in the company of books always brings me back to where I want to be.

A selection of my paintings are available this month from Mulberry's Home, 160 41st Street, Oakland, where they are beautifully displayed amongst the store's lovely collection of home furnishings. Stop by if you are in the vicinity.

In Awe of Authors - Lydia Davis

In Awe of Authors

Oil on Wood

20"X16"

Authors paint pictures with words. And in the case of Lydia Davis, sometimes with just a sentence or two she writes a whole story that hits one right between the eyes.  

"Varieties of Disturbance," an inspired title in itself, has a fly on its white on white cover, perhaps referencing the twelve word story, "Collaboration with Fly." Or maybe it's meant to be just a fly on the wall of life, which is all any of us are in the end. Just seeing it on my bookshelf reminds me to pay attention.

Weathering the Storm with Words

Weathering the Storm with Words

Oil on Wood

20"X16"

Rain has been falling for days, and despite the advent of daylight savings time, it has been dark and cold inside and out.  Nothing like encouraging words to lift the spirit and warm the chill. 

A.A. Milne and E.B. White

A.A. Milne and E.B. White

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

In an effort to escape the news of these days, I have been seeking out books that will do for me now what I remember "Winnie the Pooh" and "Now We Are Six" doing for me in childhood. Anything by E.B. White is as relevant now as it was when it was written.  Like seeing an old friend, his words warm the soul. Thankfully, Book Passage has come to Sausalito.  Today I picked up George Saunders' "Tenth of December" because I loved his answers to the "By the Book" questions in the February 19th New York Times Book Review. 

Question. "What moves you most in a work of literature?"

Answer. "Depictions of goodness that are not fraudulent or sentimental."

Bring on "depictions of goodness" in art and literature, and then let's hope life imitates art.

E.B. White on Top

E.B. White on Top

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

 E. B. White's way with words, his wit and his wisdom are needed now more than ever. Keeping him close along with other old favorites.

Waiting to Read

Waiting to Read

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

With rain continuing to fall, my plan is to curl up with a good book or two. Reading, writing, creating are known cures for malaise, along with everything else that ails us.

Letting the Light In

Letting the Light In

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

Being in touch. With family and friends, and making contact with everyone I encounter. Embraced by my community, small kindnesses greet me at unexpected times. A faint rainbow flickered on the horizon last week during a light rain. I am holding on to hope. And beauty. And goodness.

Well Read

Well Read

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

SOLD

The fog rolled in ending our heat wave and with it the fantasy that Summer might last forever.

Fall is in the air. Well worn old books beckon.

The Joy of Cooking

The Joy of Cooking

Oil on Wood

22"X10"

"The Joy of Cooking" goes way back. It belonged to my mother's friend whose notes written in the margins flag the best recipes and more importantly bring her memory back into our lives. Well used pages are splattered with flour and eggs, little reminders of years of family gatherings and celebrations big and small. Although I dial up recipes online on occasion, it is not as deeply satisfying as the history unearthed every time I delve into one of these old books.

Once Upon A Time

Once Upon a Time

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

$850

Feeling nostalgic. 

Old Books Well Read

Old Books Well Read

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

Old books, old friends, old memories. Comforting anytime.