Take Five The Dave Brubeck Quartet

Dave Brubeck turned 90 this year on December 6, 2010.  I  thought I would post this video as a remembrance of times past.  The years go by so quickly.   I wonder was it all a dream?  Dreams have been my inspiration for making paintings and jazz is so like what I have been trying to do recently in painting.  A lot of improvisation and pattern.

Happy Belated Birthday Mr. Brubeck.

Cats, Dogs, People

My whole life is about art and people and animals.  I make no  distinction between them as one being higher or superior to the other.  In my opinion human beings have made a terrible mess of things.  I have been paying more attention to animals in recent years.  I understand that dogs are smart, emotional and if the dog accepts that you are it's person the dog will do anything for you.  Even die for you.  They are loyal and loving to the end.  Cats on the other hand would expect those attributes from you.  I know.  I have had dogs and cats.  I have one cat now and I am her willing slave.

I pay attention to the sounds outside.  For example I just now heard an owl hoot.  A few years ago I would not have noticed.  Age and living in the country makes one more aware of those things.  I am sure it was an owl that left the clump of rabbit fur next to the path, half buried in the snow.  There were no dog or cat or other carnivore tracks.  It must have been a nocturnal bird.  An owl.

When I hear blue jays screech in alarm, I get alarmed and look for the red-tailed hawk.  Now I am not a nature photographer or painter but I am influenced by all of these creatures.  I could go on and on about the deer and raccoon and the red cardinal but I began this because I was thinking about how much I have learned from cats and dogs.  My dog would have been embarrassed if she threw up on the floor and would have tried to clean it up for me.  My cat threw up a fur ball and she knew I would take care of it for her.

I am working on several paintings, almost finished.  I wanted to post one or two new ones but I'm not quite done. So I hope you will forgive me for posting instead photographs of some old friends.

The House on the Hill

the house on the hill

bristling with fools and buffoons

berserks run amuk 
 

Jumping over the Moon

 

Mixed media on paper

Hey diddle diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon,

The little dog laughed to see such fun,

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

-Old English Nursery Rhyme-

 

Songs and Shells

 

Singer and Cello, pastel on paper

Shell on Blue Glass, pastel on paper

This has been a musical week.  I have been to a concert in London, Ontario and another in Port Huron, Michigan, another in Port Sanilac, Michigan and after that one went to dinner at a coffee house with a musical trio for entertainment.

The shell pastel is to remind me where all my friends have gone.  It's March 1st and still winter here so I don't blame them for leaving.  They are going to Florida or other warm places like Malta.  Most of them come back with a cold or something.  Strangely I have no desire to travel these days.  Maybe it's not strange.  Flying is not what it used to be, unless you're a bird.

For Haiku Bones

Fraught

She's wild in nature
Heedless it's fraught with danger
My little house cat

Hearts of Many Colors

  It's still February the month of St. Valentine and the Age of Aquarius and  I have hearts and heart symbolism on my mind.  The following are images of a watercolor painting I did about two years ago and a lithograph by me approximately twenty years ago.  I don't know why I every so often return to the heart motif.  Well I do know why I did today.  It's still February but beyond that.  The heart is a universal symbol for love and was believed to have mystical properties.  In ancient Egypt the heart portion of the soul was balanced against a feather to reveal the truth.  Therefore,  I feel I must be truthful and tell you it's really about something that happened to me many years ago. When I was in the first or second grade I went to an extra class after school one day.  In that class we were taught that there were hearts of many colors but the only pure heart was a white heart.  That stuck with me.  I did not  believe it but I always thought it was a funny thing.  Another thing about the heart is that my mother and her two sisters died from heart failure or heart attack.  So I do listen to mine.

The teacher of that class would have said a green heart is not a pure heart but I like it because it's environmentally friendly.

i carry your heart with me by E. E. Cummings

 

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) 

St. Clair River in February

 

Curving, crawling, cutting

Like jagged knives gutting

a fish fillet

Rock, sand and clay

A small dark bug

Creeping through the cracks

Northward chugs

The tug struggling

Slowly 

Making tracks

Over the

 broken glassy

pack

 

Love Song

Here it is Valentine's Day and I thought of one of my favorite poets.  So instead of writing something of my own I will post his love song.

The heart is a small watercolor I whipped off in celebration of the day.  The heart is a kind of a cliche' but I thought, that's alright for it is Valentine's Day after all. 

The poetry is not sentimental or cliche'.  It is, in my opinion, artful.  I suggest reading it aloud then decide what is being expressed.  Is it  humor, sadness, eroticism or what?

Love Song

I lie here thinking of you:--- the stain of love is upon the world! Yellow, yellow, yellow it eats into the leaves, smears with saffron the horned branches that lean heavily against a smooth purple sky!   There is no light only a honey-thick stain that drips from leaf to leaf and limb to limb spoiling the colors of the whole world-  you far off there under the wine-red selvage of the west! -William Carlos Williams-

Painting to Dante's Divine Comedy

Big snow today but not as big as we expected.  About six inches or so.  It was invigorating to go out and use the snow blower and snow shovel.  My face turned pink and my nose red.  Truffle the cat went to the door thinking she might get out on the deck but turned right around when a blast of wind smacked her in the face.  

I worked in the studio all day doing some watercolors and some collage.  I have several oil paintings sitting on the floor waiting to be finished.  Just a few touches would do it but I didn't feel like getting into that today.  While working out there I have been listening to a teaching CD about Dante's Divine Comedy.  I did not think I would ever read it but a friend gave me the set of CD's so this was my chance to learn about it.  Dante lived from 1265 to 1321.  He wrote The Divine Comedy the last few years of his life while in exile from his home town of Florence.  The epic poem is written in three parts:  Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise.  The theme is about what happens to man's spirit after death but there is much symbolism like in the Bible which was one of his sources.  In his poem Dante was able to combine Christian sources with Pagan, Science, Literature, Philosophy and real people with fictional ones in his journey as a Pilgrim going to all three places.  The first place he visits is Hell which is composed of concentric circles going lower and lower.  Sinners who are not sorry for their sins go to Hell for eternity.  Lucifer is at the bottom frozen in ice (not in flames.).    After that he visits Purgatory.  That is where people go who have sinned but are repentant.  They will eventually get to Paradise.  The last place Dante's pilgrim visits is Paradise.  Dante arrives in Paradise with Beatrice and he asks Apollo and the Muses for his Divine Task.  The first Heaven is the sphere of the Moon.  There are Ten Heavens.  In the Tenth Heaven Dante sees Mary and asks her to intercede so he may gaze on God.  She does and in an instant he understands everything.  

Winter Wonders

 

Her eyes curious

The doe stopped and looked at me

In silent wonder 

 

Looking up to see

I was so dazzled I gasped

A purple sunset 

Air, Wind, and Breath

  

Inhaling the air

I felt like a big balloon

Then I held my breath

 

A clear windless day

Someone lights a cigarette

Blows smoke in my face

Oxygen, Hydrogen and Other Gases

The vapor of life

We breath what the plants exhale

Hail, hail the forests

 

Choking is caused by 

Obstruction in the wind pipe

Fixed with slap on back 

I'm having a good time taking photos and messing with them in Photo shop then posting them with my haikus.  I don't know what a good haiku is.  Therefore I have no idea if what I write is the worst ever or a wonder for the ages.  I kind of doubt the latter.  Anyway, who cares, just so long as it's fun.  I plan to continue doing this for a while.

Seasons

 

I could see my breath

Like a freshwater fresco

In the fractured frost 

  

Once I ran so fast

My feet never touched the ground

Breathlessly, I flew

 

Winter Deer

• Shadows from the woods
• Uncannily silent deer
• Appearing like ghosts

Moon and Mars

                                                                       Wolf Moon

Last night the moon was the brightest and closest to the earth it's been for a long time.  I don't know exactly how long it's been but I know that many sky-watchers have been pretty excited about seeing that big beautiful moon and big orange Mars hanging around her edges absorbing some of the glow.  All the moon excitement, from the Blue Moon on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to the Wolf Moon of last night has me inspired to paint moon paintings.  The pictures are paintings I've recently done.  Of course I painted them before last night and I will paint more and now that I know Mars  was a part of the picture he will be included.  In mythology Mars is the god of war.  I am wondering what's going on there?  Is it an omen?  If so, is it a good one or bad one?

 

Blood Moon

I hope it's not a bad omen. We have had enough bad stuff going on with the recession, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, political polarization in the U.S.A.the earthquake in Haiti and on and on.  That's why I painted the Blood Moon I guess.  Although I really didn't know why I just did it because that's what I was feeling at the time.    All this moon talk has been working on my emotions probably the reason for the dreams I've been having about men with animal heads,  The man with the lion head was not frightening.  He was  relaxed and seemed wise but the man with the bull head was kind of intimidating.  This is what the moon does to me.

                                                    Fish Moon

This painting I called Fish Moon just because there are some fish shapes floating around it.  Native Americans have a whole list of names for the various moons at different times.  I am confident that there is a Wolf Moon in the winter.  Fish Moon,  not so sure about that one.  I have heard of Beaver Moon, Milk Moon, and I believe there is a Rose Moon.  The thing to do, obviously is to Google it and find out.  When I find out there will be a whole list of new titles for my moon paintings to come.  The following are three moon photos I took last night.

                    

Moving Moon

                                             Cracked Moon

                                                                  Wrapped Moon                            

                                          

Animals I Have Known

 

Tiglath and his toy lion

  I have had, living with me, at various times,  cats, dogs, horses, snakes, rabbits, birds, turtles, fish and some uninvited ones.  I love them all and get very excited when I spot an animal in the wild.  If I'm lucky I get a picture.  The pictures I've posted today are manipulated photos I've taken of my  animal friends some no longer with us.  The cat in the first picture lived with us for fourteen years before he died at home.  He was one of the best friends ever.  He is buried on my property under a tree he liked to try to climb.  Unfortunately he couldn't climb very high because he was born with a very short tail and had  a tendency to gain weight.  He liked to bat that yellow stuffed lion around and then nap with it.

 

 Tulip showing off her leg

Tulip was Tiglath's litter mate but they were not related.  I found them together as kittens in a local pet shop and could not bear to separate them.  The shopkeeper  did not want to sell Tiglath because of his stunted tail but I insisted so she said I could have Tulip for $25 and she would throw Tiglath in if I promised to take very good care of him.  She was afraid he would be humiliated somehow because of that short tail.  I never tried to understand it.  I took them both and they were such playful kittens.  They climbed into my big jade plant and totally demolished it and tried to use my expensive navajo rug as velcro.  It was hanging on a wall on the stairway.  So tempting them to run, jump, stick.  Eventually Tulip grew out of it and became a very dignified cat lady.  

  

Woody the visiting woodchuck

The picture of the woodchuck has not been altered in anyway because I just like it so much as is.  The little guy appeared on my deck almost every day last summer.  He was very shy and I just barely snapped this as he sat up and looked around before he ran under the house somewhere.  I was warned he would make my house fall down but everything is OK and Woody, I am guessing, would be hibernating in a den somewhere nearby.  I'm not sure if he was kicked out from under the deck by another animal but I did smell skunk very strongly for a time in late fall.

  

Young Doe

 All summer I watched two does with twin fawns.  One set slightly younger.  This doe came up close to my studio and I took several pictures through the window.  The deer are such graceful, gentle creatures.  When frightened they turn up their white tails and run for the woods.  Once I was close enough to hear them make a high squeaky sound.  I guess it's a warning to the others.  It was the first I knew they made any sound at all.  They stand and watch when they see me and don't run unless I walk toward them.  If I walk slowly and avert my eyes sometimes they will stand and watch until they see me go inside and they think they are safe. 

 

Monarch just hatched

Lots of things happen on, under and around my deck.  I have a milkweed plant that comes up every year and I leave it because monarch butterflies and other things like to eat it.  I just happened to go outside when this monarch had completed its pupation and its wings were still damp an droopy.  I watched in fascination as it opened its wings toward the sun with a slight fanning motion as if it knew what it was supposed to do and was waiting for just the right moment and then it came and the wind carried the lovely creature into the sky.

  

Crow in the woods

Crows and blue jays are related or so I have read.  I believe it because they act like members of two families that have some long lasting dispute.  They are very loud and let everyone around know what they think.  I was told they eat each others children but did not believe it until one day when I was visiting my son in Florida I went for a walk and to my horror I saw a crow swoop and grab a baby jay by the leg and fly off with it.  A large group of jays flew after it screaming in alarm.  It is a sight I will never forget.  I tell myself that is nature.  Unfortunate for whoever turns out to be dinner.  Maybe they saved the day for the baby jay.  

  

 Blue Jay looking for fallen fruit

The blue jay picture is a straight, untouched photo.  I saw him through my studio window in a small crab apple tree.  I wanted to get him in the tree but he kept jumping up and down.  This was the best I could do.  It's a fairly good view of his back.   I love blue jays.  They are the most beautiful color with sleek feathers and a little crest on the top of their head.  I can forgive them the loud screeching because they are like flashes of blue light darting in and out of the trees.  

  

Doe looking for fawn

The doe was looking back to see where the twins were.  They were not far away.  This picture was taken last summer.  The deer are still around.  The fawns are grown.  There will probably be new ones in the spring.  I saw about six deer when I walked to my studio today and they did turn tail and run into the woods but when I was inside they were right back in the open grazing.  There has not been much snow this winter so they are still able to get at the grass.  It's very cold but they grow a winter coat and they have hooves so don't need to wear warm boots like us. 

  

Art Museums

Going to art museums is one of my favorite things to do.  Whether it's a short trip or across the country.  We always have visiting an art museum on the itinerary.  These images are of a recent visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts.  People walking up stairs entering the Great Hall.  It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by the architect Paul Cret in 1927.  There were two wings attached in the 1960's and 1970's and a major renovation started in 1999 was completed in 2007.  

 

The African galleries are one of my favorites.  Pictured are two of my friends looking at a beaded mask and throne.  One of the new features is a video showing the masqueraders wearing costumes and dancing the ritual dances so one gets a feeling for how these objects were used.

The reason I like going to art museums is that they are like islands of beauty and tranquility in noisy and often hectic cities.  There one can go for a walk, see fascinating objects made by really good artists and there is almost always  a gift shop with unique things for sale as well as a nice place for a snack or a drink.  

My absolute favorite thing to see is modern and contemporary art.  I am just blown away when I see some of the ideas people come up with in the arts right now.  There are so many new media that are used in innovative and clever ways.  I walk through all the galleries but I spend most of my time looking at contemporary art.  I wish the Detroit Institute of Arts would re-establish a gallery of rotating new art made by artists today especially locally.

These girls caught my eye in the contemporary crafts gallery.  They were trying to get a picture of a gorgeous woven wall hanging.  It's sometimes difficult to get a good clear photo because flash is not allowed and the light is not always very good as was the case here.  

 

Rivera Court is the heart of the museum.  Murals were painted on all the walls in 1932 by Mexican artist Diego Rivera for whom the court is named.  The day I took this picture I saw people sitting in chairs arranged facing the south wall.  The sun was streaming the overhead windows.  A great picture taking space.  The people were waiting for a story-teller.

 

The man in the vest is the story-teller and the person in yellow is doing signing for the deaf.  I did not stay long enough to hear what the story was because I was anxious to look at more art.

These are some of my favorite pieces of contemporary art.  I was sorry the light was not strong enough to get a clear picture but I like the photo anyway.  I don't think we always need every little detail.  This brings to mind the new high definition TV that I don't blame actors for reacting against because who wants everybody to see every little wrinkle and blemish?  Actually, as an artist myself I think oftentimes the art looks better in a photo than in real life.

 

Winter Morning Light

 Today I have had some successes.  I was able to figure out how to post a link to my website and I took a couple of nice photos this morning.  I left home about 8 A.M. and saw the crescent moon just as the sky was getting to be that nice deep blue then I drove to St. Clair, a small river town about 15 minutes away.  There were sun dogs up and down the river.  The light was that soft winter early morning light that photographers love.  I'm sure you can see that one of the three pictures I posted is a painting I just finished.  







 This is my website:    http://www.lorettamarkell.com/