What have we done??

                                               Autumn Ditch oil on canvas 30x48 inches

Some things I see stick with me a long time. At least 10 years ago I was visiting the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and at the edge was an irrigation ditch for a neighboring farm. Swarming with color and reflections I thought, I`ll paint that some day.

The world has five weeks to prepare for the second Trump Administration. This seems to me a 9/11 scale catastrophe, I`ve never been more discouraged about my country. No question Democrats got spanked and 'owned'. No one believes Haitian immigrants eat their neighbors pets and everyone knows how ridiculous it is to suggest children leave home for school in the morning one gender and return later in the day the opposite. But it does discredit Democrats by implying these fringe people and communities matter more to the party than you do. It isn`t true but it`s hard to explain. Decency once was valued more. Trump deserves prison for the insurrection on Jan, 6, 2021 but that never came to trial. So now here he comes again, god have mercy on the world, we are in big trouble.

                                                  

                                                   one of the saddest photos I`ve ever seen

                                                                             John

Twentysome years ago I asked him to get into this tree for a photo and he did it. And again last month when we walked in Tryon Creek State Park. He`s a good sport and a good man and he retires in two weeks! From his graduation from high school to now, he has spent over 40 years in healthcare. My husband soon will rest. This is the only thing I`ve wanted for years.

                                             Northwest Canyon 2 acrylic on Yupo 40x26 inches

I had an older abstract painting in storage that I didn`t want to look at so I thought I would work a collage into it. Soon another slot canyon took shape. I was cutting out interesting shapes and painting them separately for the collage. But I was getting the values wrong, repainting them and eventually I realized I should just make the thing a new painting and forget the collage.

new work;

                                         Camassia Forest 2 acrylic on Yupo 21x25 inches

                                                 Endless September oil on canvas 20x16

                                                   Aquatic watercolor collage 11x10 inches

                                               Wetlands Dusk acrylic on yupo  19x14 inches

                                           Champoeg River watercolor on Yupo 26x20 inches

 "It is not an issue of awareness at this point, but clearly power games at play. Evidently I am the first to face it with such brutal honesty"

Luigi Mangione

These are the two last sentences in his manifesto. 

Like just about everyone, the murder of the insurance executive Brian Thompson, has really got me upset. Children are missing their father and a young man has ruined his promising life. The public response has been overwhelmingly vengeful. I don`t have anything to add except this, if the social, political aspect of this is not kept alive, it will happen again. There is just a sickening amount of income/resource inequality in our country. People will choose violence as a last resort. Or to create a new order.

                                                                      Joseph W Spoor

Such short days and what long cold nights! Even though it keeps trying to kill me, I`ve got to say, I miss the guy. Our pal the sun, the first God. In the north next Saturday, let`s welcome him back.

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