Mar 152012
Sep 202011
It’s funny the way certain things take on a life of their own.
We went for a walk at the marina again — our favorite place. Actually, when we are both gone Katy’s gonna have instructions to spread our ashes together there.
But when we want to think, and when we want to chat about serious things we seem to gravitate to the water. Not that we don’t talk about serious things during the winter — when talking at the water’s edge is a bit chilly. But it’s a soothing and calming place that has always been just what we needed when we wanted to think and share ideas.
From the earliest days of our marriage — the spartan years in Chicago — we have sought out water. From our first apartment on 37th and California forward we have gone down to the lake to talk. Like the men who “go down to the sea in ships” I guess. Not necessarily for the sound of water; just for something oddly calming about the vastness of the Great Lake, and of our small place on the planet.
I wonder what will happen when we retire? We are still quite undecided about what we shall actually do — there are a lot of details that have yet to be worked out — including deciding what to do about this house — But I don’t know that we will always be as close to the water as we have been most of our life — where will we go to talk?
Mar 222011
I’m not a great fan of strenuous exercise, I know, that’s not a good thing.
But I have this strange fascination for cyclers. I caught these three in the mountains of SW France on my last trip.
Sep 152010
Was it the fact that our visit to Newport OR and the Oregon Coast occurred at the end of August that gave the visit a bluesy mood? The end of summer; a preparation for autumn; changing of seasons and changes in life.
But more than that, there is something about a life at sea that to a landlubber like me is incredibly complex and that was partly what I wanted to convey.
Oh — and by the way — if you do visit,
take a few hours and check out the Oregon Coast Aquarium
For a small town, it’s a wonderful museum with a delightful
AVIARY — yes, an avairy at an aquarium!
Jul 042010
What more holiday-like scene than people having fun at the beach?
Apr 022010
This time of year I come alive.
The first signs of spring are all I need to get the urge to get out and work in my garden, to get out to shoot more exteriors, but mostly just to revel in life.
Last year we tore out our parking lot. I live and work in a 90 yr old former schoolhouse — and we inherited along with the schoolhouse a 13 car beat up asphalt parking lot. The asphalt needed work, a lot of work, so we hired contractors to rip out the old stuff and put in a new lot — but much smaller than the original – I still have all the parking I need but I now have another 5000 sq ft of earth to play in.
After hauling in about 70 yards of topsoil we got things all leveled out (sort of) and did some planting of woody plants and flowers. And the wife and I are both eager to see how things look once they start greening up.
BUT…. last autumn we noticed that around the edges we had a lot of weeds. Not so much in the middle of the space — but always around the edges. And I’ve come to think of them as an artistic metaphor.
So much of art seems to be harassed by that which is only slightly related to the art. The interruptions that catch you just as you are on the verge of a breakthrough — and after which you can’t remember how you were going to do that post-processing technique. Dealing with galleries, dealing with customers, dealing with stubborn media or wonky tools ( It’s always the media/tools, isn’t it? It couldn’t ever ben the artist).
I’m heading South in a week and looking forward to a week away from home, away from the phone, away from anything that will get in the way of my thinking about my work — well, except for traffic, the need for sleep, and food — asking me not to think about food is like spitting into the wind.
I’ll be happy to return home a couple weeks later — but right now I don’t need any weeds around the edges…. I just wanna concentrate on my art.
And on that note, let’s close with an image without any weeds…..
Mar 312010
It’s a curious little boat, isn’t it. I found it moored in the river just outside Limoges France.
Feb 232010
A different take on Beachlife.
Feb 122010
Sometimes you’re just too tired to even raise your head
