November 19, 2008

Thought Bubbles
2008
acrylic on organic cotton canvas
38" x 38"

Each time I finish a painting I bring the piece to the local photo studio, have it photographed and recorded on both tiff file and slides. I use the slides for submission for juried shows and the tiff for any computer entered shows, website, blog, as well as the basis for any printed materials of this image.

The painting "Thought Bubbles" was a series of random events, dreams or silly thoughts that I had while I was painting it (August-September 2008). Behind the disks I tried to create layers of "fabric" patterns such as a quilt or Matisse painting.

Peace Always

Sharon

November 18, 2008

Vince Redhouse
Photo by Rick Brandt

As often as possible I bring my dog to my closest neighbor's house for a doggie play date, releasing some of the excess energy my Border Collie mix has in her system. These times remind me of play dates for my daughter when she was young and the play date's parent and I would gab about serious, or silly topics until the kids started to argue signifying the end of the "date".

Much the same with my dog Sophie and my neighbor's dog Bella.Today the dogs were having a good go at it and playing hard while Ben The neighbor) and I discussed Thanksgiving. I was stating that while I enjoyed the feast feeling of the holiday it seemed to be contrary in practice to the life I aspire to live. My friend reminded me that Thanksgiving was a traditional feast replicating the original Thanksgiving when Native Americans brought food to the immigrants and had a feast. I asked the question "What if it wasn't meant to be consumed at once?"

Maybe the food was to be prepared and preserved for the long winter, venison and birds to dry and salt, corn that would still be viable in February, Apples that lasts until March?

Just a thought.

Peace Always

Sharon Lee

November 16, 2008

Photo by Sharon Lee

My daughter has been fortunate enough to be invited to join in a new dance company with a director who is connected and highly motivated. The choreography is interesting and complex, the costumes always seem to be the right amount of clothes and colors.

We only got to see a partial program as this was their first professional run through to see what the company is looking like three months down the road. Having a child in the arts is fabulous while a the same time frustrating and a bit scary.

Dance is beautiful and a lovely expression of emotions, politics, culture, etc. At the same time making a living in the arts, any aspect of the arts can be challenging and frustrating. I've always encouraged my daughter to follow her dream but now that she's older I don't ignore the impracticality of living life in the arts but discuss things as real as possible.

Peace Always

Sharon

November 14, 2008

Tonight my intention was to go to a talk at Penn State by Urvashi Vaid, Author of Virtual Equality: The Mainstreaming of Gay and Lesbian Liberationand influential LGBT activist. Unfortunately my car's gas meter read "E" and funds are low so I had to forgo this opportunity

.Just ten days after the disappointment of the prop 8 proposal to ban gay marriages, I hoped to gain from this discourse some direction as to what to do concerning achieving civil rights for all. It is a real shame that the same election that voted in a candidate that supports civil rights would take some away. I understand that "gayness" is an uncomfortable fact of life for many people. The interpretation of religious doctrine can be slanted for or against to suit religious leaders. While I sympathize with those who for "religious reasons" do not approve, what about logic? Logically a collective body of people (the population of the United States) will only be able to focus on a few issues at a time.

With an economic crisis and the unhealthiness of our planet, and our young adults in the military in harm's way, why waste energies keeping civil rights away from anyone. It may not have been the original intention of the United States but as she matures into the most diverse country on our planet can we expect to live any other way? Whether you support the gay lifestyle it is important to always support civil rights.

Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself. ~Robert Ingersoll

Peace Always

Sharon

November 13, 2008

As my body, including my eyes age I question the impact this has and will have in the further on my artwork. Claude Monet best known for his wonderful depictions of water lilies suffered from cataracts in his later years and as a result the colors of his work changed and his work became more and more abstract.

After struggling with vision for many months I purchased my first pair of bifocals bringing focus and details back. As the year has progressed my glasses have become scratched once again taking away the sharp focus I had when they were new. Soon I will be replacing the lenses and start anew with fresh sharp focus.

Peace Always

Sharon

November 11, 2008

Most of my life I have been trying to wrap myself around understanding poetry. My first book was a second edition "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Prior to my ownership both my mother and her father had scribbled with crayon and wore the pages thin.

Today thanks to the magic of podcasts I heard a simple wonderful poem entitled "November" by Thomas Hood, written in 1844

No sun - no moon!

No morn - no noon

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day.

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease.

No comfortable feel in any member

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bee.

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds!

November!

Peace Always

Sharon

November 10, 2008

I just finished and self framed the piece, "Nativity (Side View)". The frame was cut down and re-glued from a frame that was given to me years ago. The Nativity Show that this will be in is part of the Bellefonte Victorian Christmas Show and house tour.

Do you think it'll fit in???

Peace Always

Sharon Lee