The Things She Carried - Datebook

The Things She Carried - Datebook

Oil on Masonite

7"X5"

A light rain is falling. Feels like Winter has arrived. Friends are coming over to share the salmon that my stock broker neighbor caught yesterday when hurricane Sandy caused the markets to close. People perished and property was washed away. Life goes on. Every day a little celebration of Life.

The Things We Save - My Mother's Last Purse - The Things She Carried

The Things She Carried

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

This was my mother's last traveling purse. And since she died away from home, this is the one that contains all the things she carried that day. Still there. Tucked away. After over 10 years. 

The Things We Save - My Mother's Last Purse

My Mother's Last Purse

Oil on Wood

10"X10"

Yesterday afternoon, I came upon my mother's last purse stashed away in a closet. I wept. Again. Encountering this relic of her life, I felt her presence and her absence as deeply as the day she died, over 10 years ago.  She was always looking for the perfect purse to carry life's necessities. It still contains her comb, a little kleenex, her wallet, id card, coin purse, and keys. I can't part with it. This morning, my friend, Pam, suggested it be the start of a new series, "My Mother's Last Purse." Good idea.  Maybe I'll line the walls with daily paintings of my mother's purse. Or maybe I'll paint its contents. We'll see where this goes.

Here and There

Here and There

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

Rosie and I had just walked the road on Friday. It was still summer in Sonoma then. Birds, rabbits, and deer amongst the trees. Since then buckets of rain have fallen and the sky has been a continual cloud show. I am here. But also still there. In the cove. On the island. Surrounded by water. 

Island Time

Island Time

Oil on Wood

12"X12"

My biggest fan insisted I post paintings again, so here goes. I am still reliving my time in the Cove. Calm and cool, a step away from the rest of the World.
Someone posed the question, "How do you know when a painting is finished?" My answer is, "I try to stop before I over-think it." Which is why I like to work small and fast. But the real answer is that nothing is ever finished. I've been painting over old paintings all month. This quote hangs on my wall, "Don't ever assume you've finished anything." Painting, like all art, and Life, for that matter, is a process. Non-linear. Messy. Mysterious. And never-ending.

In a New Light

In a New Light

Oil on Wood

10"X8"

Wishful thinking. To be able see the light. In a new way. Everywhere. Every day. 

Passing Storm

Passing Storm

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

Sea of Calm

"Sea of Calm"

Oil on Wood

6"X8"

For Jessica Keane, my amazing and dedicated doctor, the voice of reason and calm. She managed my medical care from 3,000 miles away and talked me

down more than once. Doctors do what they do so we can survive another day to do what we do. I am grateful beyond measure.