Remembering Pearl Monument

Bahrain Court Sentences Medics Who Treated Protesters

Having seen the above link in yesterday's news, I felt compelled to post this sketch from last March.

The sketch is from online images that showed conflict in the streets of Manama, Bahrain during the violent crackdown on protesters March 16. Pearl Monument was visible in the background through the smoke.


Two days later Pearl Monument was destroyed.

Bahrain's foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, told reporters in Manama that the army brought down the monument because "it was a bad memory." ( From Huffingtonpost.com - Bahrain Army Demolishes Pearl Square Monument)

... a light at the end of the tunnel

Inspired by the photography of Clark Little.

Thank you to my artist/blog friend - Paul Cumes, for exposing me to this photographers work.

Rats in the cellar

I do not post enough art here to question this for myself, but I do I wonder how much Activists In Guerilla Internet Tactics affect fellow artists. Especially artists whose work challenges mainstream ideas. Heads up for those who prefer steer clear of politics, it is from a Tea Party Training class. ... If nothing else, it's good to know the rules some play the game by.


Quotes from the above link (Activists In Guerilla Internet Tactics):
"So what do we do? We become digital activists. We identify the medium. We learn the medium. We manipulate the medium. It was the printing presses then, it's the internet now. That's where we influence the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens."


"Here's what I do. I get on Amazon, I type in Liberal books. I go through and I say 1 star, 1 star, 1 star. The flip side, you go to a conservative, Liberaterian, whatever, go to their products and give them 5 stars. Okay? So literally 80% of the books I put a star on, I don't read. So, that's how it works. Okay?"

"The American Liberty Tour, where we go to 18 cities. We hold presentations like this. ... Educational seminars."

Magnetoreception?

I have often pondered light and the workings of the human eye.

Last month I found the following link, and was intrigued:

Humans Might Have a Magnetic 'Sixth Sense'

An Exceptional Friend

"Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet." ~Colette

"A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down." ~ Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945)

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~ Anatole France

"I can imagine the anxiety Peter Pan felt when he lost his shadow." ~Angela Williams

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” ~ Martin Buber

"A heartbeat at my feet." ~ Edith Wharton

In Memory of Corgan
May 1997 - June 2011

With Hope

With continued prayers of peace and protection
for those who today are in the midst of violence.

Sisters

Charcoal drawing

Since cropping was my inspiration for this drawing, I taped the edges before making too many marks. This worked well to keep the edges clean, although I did hold my breath as I lifted the tape.

With Prayers of Peace and Hope

It is unsettling when peaceful voices in need are met with disregard.

It is deeply disturbing when leadership attempts to stop those voices with violence.

This drawing is from an AP photo dated 02-17-11, and is of a woman outside a Bahrain hospital.

The 02-17-11 news article (with the source photo of the drawing) relayed the violent pre-dawn government response to peaceful camping protesters still asleep in Pearl Square, Bahrain.

I join many others in prayers of peace and hope for all people of Bahrain.

~

With unrest in so many countries today, this entry is posted with prayers of peace, hope, and guidance for leaders who listen to their people with wisdom, understanding, compassion, and Non-Violence.

I post this entry with prayers of hope for people who desire to peacefully express concerns, and with prayers of peace and protection for those people who today are in the midst of violence.

Pause

Text source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12157346
Image sources: http://www.huffingtonpost.com, http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/index.php

~•~

"And while we don't know all the facts yet and the story is still unfolding, we know enough to know that we need more than a little soul searching." ~Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/arizona-shootings-our-mom_b_807104.html

Memories of a November GoodBye

The memory is from a day in 2004.

The gleaned, "Trust through times of change," remains.

There is more to a story than one page.

FUN

Paul Cumes is one of my favorite current artists. I am often amazed at his sense of balance and creative use of color.
I watched one of Paul's most recent YouTube uploads last Wednesday......

Skull & Flowers Oil Painting by Paul Cumes October 2010

.... and Wednesday night I dreamed of Disney's 1929 "The Skeleton Dance," except it was in color with lavender flowers falling from the sky. The skeletons were dancing to Ren & Stempie's, "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song. .....
Along with the work itself, Paul's video comment really stuck with me, "It is important to have fun when you make art."

With FUN in mind yesterday, I decided to relive this dream by refreshing my software skills in Adobe Illustrator.

I make no claim to fine are here. The image is a recreation of Disney's art, with color and flower influence from Paul, so I can't take credit for anything but exploration.
Just the same, the process was fun, which was the goal.

...Thinking about exploring flash now. For me, lavender begs to dance!

Show Me Your Light

Considering auras,

... and light shared.

Cinnabar...

... considering Matisse...

Nashville Arts Magazine October 2010

I caught my first look at this young publication, Nashville Arts Magazine, while looking for more info on "The Birth of Impressionism" exhibit coming to the Frist.
... I was impressed.
...First, by the product itself! Every facet, so well planned, even down to social networking and web presentation!
... Second, for launching a print publication during these economic times. (Last June was their first anniversary) ... I have been around start-up publications - scary, even in a good economy.

I'm wishing this group of talented people continued growth and success!! I think they're going to be around a long time!

Link to online magazine:
Nashville Arts Magazine October 2010

~~~~~~~~~~~

Morisot, Degas, Manet, Monet, Renoir and other masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay to be exhibited at the Frist. ...I'm so there!
Information begins on page 30 of the Nashville Arts Magazine.



...and in the pages of Nashville Arts Magazine, Harry Underwood, an artist whose work captured my attention.

Article begins on page 72

Routine

"Authors and uncaptured criminals are the only people free from routine."
-Eric Robert Linklater,
 Poet's Pub

Feeling like an uncaptured criminal recently.
(An extreme statement, ...may be the author wannabe in me.)

Back to daily drawing/sketching.

Scott - sketch

Rebecca 14 - sketch

Here's to routine!!

Revisiting an older Journal - Breathe - 09-02-96

You heard my voice before you were born.
You heard my voice in the womb.
It was my voice you heard say divide now,
And my voice you heard say divide again.

You heard my voice say, grow a heart now, grow eyes now,
Grow fingers and toes.
It was my voice you heard say BREATHE
When you first saw the light of this world.

You heard my voice say, Laugh when you were happy,
Cry when you were hungry, Scream out when you were afraid.

You heard my voice before the words of this world covered it like a blanket.

You hear my voice.
It is my voice you hear say I CAN.

~KRG, 09-02-96, Journey, 2000

...When you first saw the light of this world.

~

Remembering the families and friends of Bruce and Daniel,
both taken this month under different circumstances.

Change in Plans

Just Let Go - Sketch Journal

Illustration - Past Work

Works created for LifeWay Christian Resources.

From an 8 page teaching project about forgiveness.

Created for a nursery door poster.

At the time I created these, I was more focused on meeting deadlines than archiving work. These are scanned prints left over from my own work-in-process evaluation.

Works in progress

This started out as a warm up sketch from a photo,
but I kinda liked the little guy.
I plan to take this one a little further,
thus posted as Work in Process.


Progress on The Tables.
It has been a while since I created a large pastel, so I am feeling my way through, and questioning myself through the phases more than I would like.
Seeing the work on screen helps.
I see things here that are less obvious at my work table.