-
The Emotion of Passing
Mono no aware is a Japanese term reflecting the poignant awareness of the impermanence of people, objects and seasons. It is the savoring of cherry blossoms, knowing those delicate blooms will pass in a matter of days. It is the awe and sadness of autumn trees, knowing their leaves will soon to fall to the earth. It is the realization that this might be the last time – The last bowl of soup you share with your aging mother, the last time your baby will suckle at your breast. That emotion inspired my process in a series of paintings. Beauty in Brokenness [tryptich of 3 pots of flowers – 24×24 each]…
-
Meaningful Marks
When I was 4 years old, I was browsing my mothers’ magazines. She was in the kitchen preparing food. I wanted to know what the words captioning the pictures meant. To my unschooled eye they looked like Greek letters – intriguing but indecipherable. I found an interesting word – longer than most of the words on the page. I marked it with my finger, ran to the kitchen to ask my mother, “What does this mean?” Preoccupied with her task, she impassively read, “Machine. That word is machine.” Returning to my reading chair, I held my finger tight on the word so as not to lose my place. “Machine, Machine,”…
-
No Regret
“No Regret” is among my first attempts to create meaningful art. I was 55 years old when I began to draw and paint. It was my means of processing the grief and regret I felt at losing my brother, Charles Haines. He was in his prime… a beloved father of 5; an artist, classically trained. When we were but kids, he told me that I had an artist’s eye. I decided to finally believe him. I saw a photograph of an old woman looking out a window. Her spirit reminded me of the scripture-loving women in my life – my mom, Alice, my husband’s grandma, Martha and my own, Alice…
-
Fully Present, Women.
I am drawn to painting and photographing those mundane moments fully present, unencumbered. Lost in thought.Savoring Simplicity. Here, Now.
-
Still, Still with Thee
I was inspired by a hauntingly beautiful poem, penned by Abolitionist, Harriet Beecher Stowe – but the painting is a tribute to Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery, but chose to go back and lead others out. Still, Still with theeWhen purple morning breaketh;When the bird waketh;and the darkness flee. Fairer than morning.Lovelier than the daylight,Dawns the sweet consciousness.I am with thee. The painting evolved… Below is one of the earlier stages of the painting still on the easel… It didn’t reflect the austerity of the travelers, or at least as I imagined it. If you have a chance, watch the movie Harriet, about Ms. Tubman. So very moving.
-
Cici
Do you have a friend who spurs you on to love, good works and creativity? Cherish them. Cici was mine. She was a gifted photographer. When she visited from Charleston, we would go on, what we called, “extreme posing excursions” We would stage crazy pictures and laugh til we cried. I lost Cici a few years ago. She passed away from a rare and mysterious disease called Progressive supranuclear palsy. PSP is a degenerative disease that kills the brain leading to loss of balance, slowing of movements and difficulty moving the eyes. It came on suddenly. She mentioned having trouble moving her left hand. I noticed her gait was slightly…
-
Millie’s Curiosity
My Millie is a born philosopher. She is only 4, but her reflections on life astound me at times. Pointing to the woods behind her home she calmly told me, “Yaya. I heard a growl in the woods.” I asked, “Did that scare you?” Her calm response, “No. But it made me curious.” My thought… No doubt, the imaginary animals in the woods behind her house would be just as curious about her… That interaction inspired this whimsical diptych.
