Wire & Paint

I am posting some of my artwork, fulfilling the main purpose for keeping this online journal. My most recent creations involve two elements - steel wire and wood, followed with oil paint. As much as I love painting, there has been this increasing desire to work in a 3-dimensional capacity, and combining these two medias seemed natural when it came to conveying the subject matter... that of Spirit. This one is titled 'Tree Spirit'.

I am fascinated with the world of things we cannot see... the other side, another dimension or plane of existence that mysteriously encompasses the world of spirit. You could say this side of the unknown is that of those who have passed - ghosts, angels, spirit guides and the not so pleasant idea of evil - demons. Whether you believe in these spirits or not, most of us can probably tell a story related to something difficult to explain in our sense of reality.

But, looking at what stands before us in this "real world" does not eliminate spirit. I believe that we are indeed spirit first, and then human being in our material body, second, although most of us go through life completely unaware of this essential part of who we are. I also see this to be true for all living things, and even for things we do not think of as living... rocks, earth, water and fire. These things, in a spiritual sense, are alive, coming to or from life, restoring and changing life and often bringing forth life. They have energy - something measurable and yet unseen, which is regularly used to describe what spirit is.

This series is an attempt to make that connection to spirit, both personally and collectively as a human being and a visual artist.

Moved

I listen to one commentator on CNN say, "this is in Japan right now... this is real, folks...". I sit in a surreal stupor, watching the reports unfold, and I ponder about the thin, blurred line between safety and chaos. A wave of tenderness passes through my body... my heart, as I know millions also watch at this same moment... mixed in disbelief, horror and a deep, collective compassion.

I pray for all those who are feeling this terrible grief and loss of all they once knew. May they find solace, as time allows for the restoration of their lives and the healing of their spirits.

Spring Garden

Chocolate mint, anyone? Just found this sweet, delectable plant at the local Farmer’s Market this morning. Knowing that mint can be a very invasive plant, I decided to keep it in a pot, along with some other choice edibles. But my big undertaking this year is my square foot garden – 4’x 8’x 6” in all. I know, it sounds small and hardly enough to grow much food for two hungry adults, but this idea of growing in a square foot is quite amazing, and I actually have confidence that this method will produce very satisfying results.

Purple basil, green basil, Brussel sprouts, red cabbage, green beans, lima beans ( a favorite from my childhood… honestly, I was the kid who ate all those veggies on her plate, the ones my two sisters would toss from their plates to mine when our parents weren’t looking! Caused a lot of spontaneous giggling), three different Italian heirloom tomato plants, three kinds of bell pepper, Asian cucumbers, pickling cucumbers (I eat these fresh… so tender) Asian radishes, red radishes, borage (for the bee-charming flowers) and one tomato that grew from a seed in my avocado tree pot! Oh, not to forget this odd climbing spinach plant. Must wait until all cold weather leaves our area before planting this vining curiosity. Can hardly wait to pick those yummy leaves as it weaves it’s way along my wire fence, supposedly sprouting new leaves in their place.

Still, with all these plants, not all of the squares are taken, and I do plan to grow strawberries, kale and a few others yet to be decided, when the season is right. Living in a semi-tropical, swampy-hot climate makes for interesting planning when it comes to gardening. And after having a rather failed attempt at container gardening last spring, (oh so disappointing) I heard a friend talking about this newer method called ‘square foot gardening’, and that no matter where you live, it is supposed to be failsafe. Hmmmm, really?

The soil is so much a part of this, but there are many other factors, like sunlight, water and nutrition. After purchasing the book, the ‘All New Square Foot Gardening’, by Mel Bartholomew, I was made aware that I could probably do this method with much less space and ultimately, much less effort. Although, never let it be underestimated the amount of work to start such a project. In one word… labor! However, I do believe that the worst is over, and the “less effort” will be more evident throughout the entirety of the many seasons to be enjoyed with this garden.

All gardens are a work in progress. My wonky wire fence is probably going to change, with some added whirly-gig or kinetic art creations atop the posts. The gate is already hitting one leaning post, as all the posts were placed deep into the ground with no concrete… really didn’t want this to be too permanent, but I am not sure why. Now I realize I did not stomp down the earth well enough around each post. Will see if I can secure them well enough without pulling them out and starting over… hope so.

I am sure that the most satisfying change will be the steady growth and harvesting of fresh vegetables, and the simple act of walking out to my garden to gather food for lunch or dinner. Will have to post a plateful of food from my garden when that time comes!