Into Mali
48" x 48" Oil Bar over Acrylic on canvas. Private Collection and on display long term at Pacific Grind Coffee at the south end of Lincoln City
48" x 48" Oil Bar over Acrylic on canvas. Private Collection and on display long term at Pacific Grind Coffee at the south end of Lincoln City
This latest effort comes from overhearing some portions of an extended conversation last autumn. I chose to see both as positive, but the first spate of comments weren't meant as positive.
Therein lies a challenge that I wrote about. This recent endeavor is a result of always believing myself to be a teacher, and my continued love of images (photographs and paintings in my case). I have made a lot of images over my life, but the paintings are more a concern.
When I first started out, I grew to love abstraction, but not so much at the beginning. I too, had an expectation of my painting prowess, but over time I accepted and then appreciated a lot more of what working in an abstract way offered me.
As usual, this didn't start with pronouncement that I was intending to do X.
I began with images and an idea, based on two conversations. One, overhearing the above and two, a person who is astute in their efforts to embrace art. One more negative and the other, much more flattering. So I embarked on this effort.
I intend to share with you some images and writing challenges that I have faced. In intend on embellishing this as we go. I don't know where I intend to go, or how far I might go, but I have a substantial effort so far.
Stay tuned for my efforts, and I will pick up the pace as we go along.
Therein lies a challenge that I wrote about. This recent endeavor is a result of always believing myself to be a teacher, and my continued love of images (photographs and paintings in my case). I have made a lot of images over my life, but the paintings are more a concern.
When I first started out, I grew to love abstraction, but not so much at the beginning. I too, had an expectation of my painting prowess, but over time I accepted and then appreciated a lot more of what working in an abstract way offered me.
As usual, this didn't start with pronouncement that I was intending to do X.
I began with images and an idea, based on two conversations. One, overhearing the above and two, a person who is astute in their efforts to embrace art. One more negative and the other, much more flattering. So I embarked on this effort.
I intend to share with you some images and writing challenges that I have faced. In intend on embellishing this as we go. I don't know where I intend to go, or how far I might go, but I have a substantial effort so far.
Stay tuned for my efforts, and I will pick up the pace as we go along.
I will add to my post about writing, but just this morning (July 6), I endeavored to try and organize (!) my written word. When I make more sense out of it, I will share the next installment. But be warned, I am approaching this writing like being in the studio anew. In the past when I would make a painting, I realized that I didn't want to be hung up in the minutia, so if I didn't have a specific idea, I would just START. Writing about photographs and paintings are similar in that whatever strikes me at the moment works for me. So be aware that jumping around is my intention!
Kelly has worked in the past with Cast Glass, and she asked me to photograph this for her upcoming class at Sitka, but the main reason I have included this is that I recently made this picture--probably about February of this year.
Summer 2013 in Greenway Park.
So, perhaps you want to know about my stroke. So do I! But I think the time has come for me to share some about it, and perhaps somebody will learn something in the long-run. I don't think of any of this as noble, but more matter-of-factly, this is what I know about the effect and the process. For reasons of simplicity, I will try to keep this short, but if you have questions, I will try to answer them...and feel free to ask away.
I was working-out at the gym (Fitness 101) in Lincoln City on June 20, 2011. When I was about halfway through my work-out I, I didn't feel so good, a bit of nausea at this time, but not anything bad at this point. I sat down for a bit and I was thinking, I don't want to be sick in front of people, but nothing REALLY DRAMATIC. So I hid in the bathroom (in the stall away from the public. I kept thinking I would feel better at any point, so I hid in the stall in the bathroom. It was probably mid-afternoon so the bathroom isn't very busy at this time, and a few people used it. I was there about an hour and a half, but I was hidden, and not many people used the facility. I remember thinking maybe if I got to my car, I would go home and sleep it off. It's probably a good thing that I couldn't creep home and be like a GUY. Sylki (the owner of the gym) caught me, and had me wait right there while she called 911. She quite simply SAVED MY LIFE at this time, and over the course of the next several weeks a lot of people had that distinction as well. I had lucid moments followed by absolute darkness, but I have really wonderful things to say about Wendy (my sister), Alison (my niece), and Kelly and Faith. They were two of my closest friends in Lincoln CIty, and they were with me in my darker hours as I struggled to understand what was happening to me. They escorted me to Life-flight and kept me company as I faded-out. The Doctors and Nurses were great with me, but I didn't have any objections at this point, so I don't think I gave them too much trouble! As I have reflected on recently, I wish I could have known that I would be okay/alive and shared this with my family and friends. But I think I have benefitted from all of their loving thoughts and prayers at this time. So Kelly and Faith sent me off to Portland on a helicopter, and I think my sister and brother-in-law were there, but except for moments of lucidity, I barely remember a thing. The Doctors said this was by design. I remember waking-up in the helicopter, and something came to mind like, I should be enjoying this ride...but I quickly went back to sleep.
I was in the hospital (OHSU) and I remember the Doctors coming in and telling me something, but I really relied on my sister at this time, and over the next 27 days in intensive care I would rely on a lot more people. Something about 4 hours of brain surgery wasn't a grand thought! I can't imagine what those closest to me went through, but I remain GRATEFUL that they were with me. There were the practical considerations, but when I was told about the tubes in my head, I winced. I was there, but it's good I WASN'T there in spirit!
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight
I was working-out at the gym (Fitness 101) in Lincoln City on June 20, 2011. When I was about halfway through my work-out I, I didn't feel so good, a bit of nausea at this time, but not anything bad at this point. I sat down for a bit and I was thinking, I don't want to be sick in front of people, but nothing REALLY DRAMATIC. So I hid in the bathroom (in the stall away from the public. I kept thinking I would feel better at any point, so I hid in the stall in the bathroom. It was probably mid-afternoon so the bathroom isn't very busy at this time, and a few people used it. I was there about an hour and a half, but I was hidden, and not many people used the facility. I remember thinking maybe if I got to my car, I would go home and sleep it off. It's probably a good thing that I couldn't creep home and be like a GUY. Sylki (the owner of the gym) caught me, and had me wait right there while she called 911. She quite simply SAVED MY LIFE at this time, and over the course of the next several weeks a lot of people had that distinction as well. I had lucid moments followed by absolute darkness, but I have really wonderful things to say about Wendy (my sister), Alison (my niece), and Kelly and Faith. They were two of my closest friends in Lincoln CIty, and they were with me in my darker hours as I struggled to understand what was happening to me. They escorted me to Life-flight and kept me company as I faded-out. The Doctors and Nurses were great with me, but I didn't have any objections at this point, so I don't think I gave them too much trouble! As I have reflected on recently, I wish I could have known that I would be okay/alive and shared this with my family and friends. But I think I have benefitted from all of their loving thoughts and prayers at this time. So Kelly and Faith sent me off to Portland on a helicopter, and I think my sister and brother-in-law were there, but except for moments of lucidity, I barely remember a thing. The Doctors said this was by design. I remember waking-up in the helicopter, and something came to mind like, I should be enjoying this ride...but I quickly went back to sleep.
I was in the hospital (OHSU) and I remember the Doctors coming in and telling me something, but I really relied on my sister at this time, and over the next 27 days in intensive care I would rely on a lot more people. Something about 4 hours of brain surgery wasn't a grand thought! I can't imagine what those closest to me went through, but I remain GRATEFUL that they were with me. There were the practical considerations, but when I was told about the tubes in my head, I winced. I was there, but it's good I WASN'T there in spirit!
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight
