Solstice Open Studio

I am having another Open Studio and everyone's invited to come soak up some holiday cheer, cast trouble in the fire, eat, drink and be merry when I open the studio up for two days in December. The 12th and 13th from 11am until 4 pm.

A warm refuge from winter weather, a place to peruse and poke about and perhaps find the perfect gift for that particular person, the open studio will have new small worx. prints, cards and canvases, small giftie items and various painted tidbits on offer. As usual, sippable liquids, spirits and savory nibbles will be on hand to sustain those who drop by. If you're lucky, the cob oven may even be in operation, weather permitting. Hope to see you there!

Reading at Kaldi's

Published at last!

Many of you know that local poet Amy Trussell and I have been working for a few years now on a collaborative project of poetry and paintings. The Painted Tongue Flowers has finally hit the press! Deva Luna Press has published it's first book, an elegant volume of voluptuous poetry and vibrant color images.

We are launching our book on Friday, December 11th at Kaldi's Pearl Tea and Coffee from 5:30 to 6:30 pm in east Santa Rosa out on Hwy 12 in the Skyhawk Market center. Everyone's invited to come hear Amy read selections from the book and get your first copy. The 100 page book of 28 poems and full color images with be available for $15 and each will be signed by the artistas themselves.

What a lovely holiday gift!

Hope to see you there.

Green Witch

Well, I have to say my crunching and grinding and painting like a fiend for weeks on end actually bore some beautiful fruit. Yes, my Seeds and Shadows Open Studio was a surprising success, feeding me once again on so many levels. Of course, some credit falls to the gorgeous fall sunshine and my dad's cob oven fired up to full. I think he personally formed, slathered and garnished, slid in and turned so carefully over twenty pizzas all told. I had many new pieces leave to new homes, "licensed" a multitude (you know who you are), had many enlightening conversations and enjoyed the kinetic energy of a full house every hour I was open. Splendidly gratifying. I am always overcome by the appreciation directed my way when I venture to open up. Deep thanks to all!

My latest work "Green Witch" sold hot off the easel. I have lots of prints of this one which was inspired by my latest obsession with art deco/art nouveau shapes as well as my desire to just paint a witch. She is gathering her power and datura dew. Now in the private collection of Nancy Campbell, Sebastopol, CA

Seeds and Shadows Open Studio

I love and observe the Day of the Dead, building an ancestor altar each year laden with offerings and actively feeding the memories of those who have passed over. In the spirit of celebrating this seasonal crossroads, I'm opening up my studio for two days at the end of this month with a show of paintings both bright and dark. I will have lots of new small worx as well as larger pieces, plenty of prints, cards and curiosities with an el Dia de los Muertos flavor thrown in the mix. As usual, I will have sippable liquids and nibbles to sustain those who drop by. I know it'll be a buuusy couple of days with Halloween Samhain falling on the weekend but I hope to see some of you there!

Date and Time: October 31-November 1 from 11-4
Location: Beaver Street at McConnell in the JC neighborhood Santa Rosa. Look for signage.

Uncreating the Monster

The issue of corporate personhood has been a pet interest of mine for many years (see my previous blog entry Corporate Beastie). The reality of big business being granted human rights has deeply bothered me and I recognize it as a major taproot underpinning and feeding much of what ails this modern world. The potential for far reaching change if this insidious cord could be cleanly cut is staggering. So much ugly reality would wither, finally clearing ground for the truly nourishing innovation and vital repair that needs to happen on this planet.

So, I when Stephen Colbert highlights this very issue in his segment The Word (Let Freedom Ka-Ching) on his show, The Colbert Report....I take notice. And when new Justice Sonia Sotomayor makes a "provocative statement" in her first Supreme Court session to the effect that perhaps the 19th century rulings on this matter should be revisited, well, I am downright excited.

Judges "created corporations as persons, gave birth to corporations as persons," she said. "There could be an argument made that that was the court's error to start with...[imbuing] a creature of state law with human characteristics." Wow, am I dreaming? That pesky "court error" has sure wrought some havoc. I'm feeling just a little bit hopeful.

Still a long haul, no doubt. But the glimmerings are beginning.

Picture gleaned from Albo Jeavons' www.disincorporated.org.

Into Light

Dear friend and great being, Tofah Eileen, slipped into the other realm yesterday after a courageous dance with cancer. Her life love, Jay, wrote so eloquently every step of their shared experience and for that I am so grateful. His intimate stories revealed the piercing beauty of their time together and let us all feel nearer to them. For me, Eileen will be remembered as a Sufi priestess, a smiling shaman of radiant power and a laughing goddess of enlightening. She ran deep but had a brilliant cackle, like an ancient body of water that is tickled by every skipper ripple at the surface. An irresistible star, she drew so naturally a constellation of loving community around her and burned so brightly in her last days that her physicalness became incidental. She approached the crossing and literally became the Light that is her name.

You are loved and missed, Eileen.

Moving Work of Art

Ukraine's Got Talent. This is a brilliant narrative piece about Ukraine during WWII by sand artist Kseniya Simonova. She has a stunning mastery of her medium and a strong expression. Appearing on Ukraine's version of Britain's Got Talent, her dramatic performance goes far beyond a Susan Boyle talent act. She brought the audience both to tears and to their feet. Poignant and powerful.