MEN’S WORK

This is the title of my recent show at the Art Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The exhibit runs through July and up to August 12 and features 37 of my new paintings and work from two other artists, Bill Capshaw and Chico Osten. The opening reception on July 7th was a pretty exciting deal. I’d say there were 80 to 100 people there- lots of friends,family, and fellow Morgan Countians. I was really glad to see so many turn out to take a look and share some delicious refreshments. When it was my turn to welcome guests I shared two of my poems and dedicated this show to my mom and dad who taught me how to live and thrive here in this Appalachian community. This love and respect for the ordinary people, the “Salt of the Earth”, forms the core of my artistic work. By the way, there’s a comment book in the gallery and I just can’t wait to read the words left there. SO- Friends, near and far, old and new, those yet-to-be-made, do stop by  the Oak Ridge Art Center when you can.

Read Full Post »

Good news

I heard word back in the last couple of weeks that I will be having a couple of shows in summer 2011. The good people at the Knoxville Arts & Culture Alliance were kind enough to take me back as a member and now they have decided to hang a show highlighting my work and the work of another artist in June 2011.  Exciting news! Here’s a link to the most recent arts alliance notification http://artsmagazine.info/calendar.php?view=detail&id=201004182220425467 for the members show that includes one of my paintings called The Lollipop, shown on the front page of the website

The second show will be hung at the Unitarian Church in Knoxville and will begin in July 2011.

As for my recent work, I can only say that there is too much gardening and weeding in spring and early summer for my liking. Still I keep my hand on the brush or pen, depending upon the day. In this post, I’ve included one of the first paintings from the Salt of the Earth series, a local girl with piercing blue eyes, and another poem written recently that I call The Bird Candle.

The Bird Candle

The evening sky settles as a fine blue dust on the surface of the lake.

A small boy holds to the boathouse rail

and looks out where an osprey pair hang

in the void of white light

hunting along the darkening shore.

The boy’s face is slightly pink with a fever.

“Where do the birds go at night?” he asks quietly.

“to their nests,  to their beds,”

says the child’s mother

who is pulled away,

yet again,

from the page

where she has been concentrating her words.

“They go to their beds at evening

which is where we must bend ourselves,”

she says again as she reaches toward his dodging hand.

He pulls back and then leans

into her leg and takes her hand.

“I’m not tired,” he says

and turns to watch one of the ospreys

take a fish at dusk.

Silver

out of the lake

bird and fish rise

to flicker for a moment in the top of the tallest pine.

Read Full Post »