2017, ready or not

                                                        December Forest 2016 oil on panel 26x24


 My last painting of 2016.
I went for a walk the other day on Cook`s Butte and found the hill enclosed by fog. Then it started to burn off creating a transcendent moment of beauty;

I`ve seen so many beautiful sights up there! It`s usually my exercise destination because I can get an uphill work out which is good for my heart. A couple of years ago I was running  through those forests. Not now! I`m scheduled for partial knee replacement surgery in two weeks. My surgeon said I could do both  but I`ve been advised by others not too. When the pain of recovery was graphically described to me by another doctor, I thought I can`t do this at all! I`m not miserable! But the truth is my joints have aged really quickly and I will need this sooner or later. I`m groping for a better attitude.

                                                                   Christmas River


 Many many hours invested in this! At Christmas, its festive quality made me think it might someday be good. Then I got completely sick of it and it now is buried underneath 'December Forest 2016'. I hate that feeling of defeat!
So what did I learn? Orange and 'rust' are difficult together!

                                                          November Morning oil on panel 26x24


 In November I received 10 beautiful cradled panels made for me by Matt at Art Substrates. I`ve painted six of them now and may order some more. Their only downside is the weight. If you paint, try a prepared wooden panel if you haven`t. To me it seems more responsive than canvas. Transparent passages are especially fun with the layering of color.


 A few months ago I realized I was eligible for Social Security. When I checked the difference between collecting now or in three years, it wasn`t that much. I do a lot of running around in the service of my vocation, it isn`t easy to sell paintings. I thought, why not push a little less?
Yes!, sign me up!
And it`s fantastic! The money just appears in my bank account! The bad news is I may make too much to collect at my age. In fact I may have to pay some back, I`ll know when I do my taxes. Meanwhile I`ve bought some art!

                                                        Pond, Sunny Day by Robert Lafond


 I love Robert`s work! Several years ago he worked mostly in pastel and they were electric. This one I`ve wanted for years. Check out his Etsy shop, there are dozens just as good.


 He`s coming and there is no stopping it. The national seppuku is about to commence.
Should he have a good idea, I will support it.
The man himself deserves no support. You do not lie about an entire culture and say you saw thousands of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey on 9/11/2001. No one saw that because it didn`t happen. You don`t hound the president sowing doubt about his very citizenship just because of his race. To undermine him regardless of how it hurts the country. These are violations of the under appreciated 9th commandment 'Do not bear false witness against your neighbor'. The president-elect does this reflexively. That is evil.
The Republican Party is poised to exploit the average American on a scale we`ve never seen. God help us.
 Mental health experts agree that when a society suffers an upheaval, there is great purpose and meaning to be had in helping others. What I want for myself is a way to resist and be heard, to protect the rights of all of us and not be utterly depressed for four years. We will see.


 What we need is a cosmic caballero!

                                                            Galactic Rider by Alice Brasser



work for sale in my sudio

Small Abstractions-tattoos-monthly demonstration

 These are visual daydreams I make between projects or when I can`t face another tree.

In 2004, the day after the election, I awoke with true despair. How could George Bush be returned to office? The insanity was crushing. To pull myself together, I went for a run in the cold along the Springwater Corridor.  As I crossed the bridge over Johnson Creek, I looked down to see a young man in a tiny kayak paddling from bank to bank gathering up trash. He was deliberate and thorough. He was making his corner of the world better.
I don`t follow any religious tradition, I choose like Iris Dement 'to let the mystery be'. Yet I`m not an atheist either. The sight of that citizen cleaning up the creek was meant for me. To give me hope, and it did.

Speaking of spiritual matters, the Huffington Post ran an essay on Christian credibility recently that gave me insights and even gratitude for my own religious upbringing. It`s a good read with compelling ideas.

Now that the Supreme Court has decided money is speech, consider this; if individuals made contributions to the poor and disadvantaged rather than to political candidates, wouldn`t our voices be better heard? By someone who cares? Rather than purchasing a nanosecond of an offensive television commercial? The late David Kuo made this point after resigning as the director of President Bush`s Faith Based Initiative in disappointment. Makes sense to me and I became a supporter of the Oregon Food Bank.

My beautiful niece Mackenzie asked me if I would design a tattoo for her of a tulip. She wants to wear my art on her forearm and I am honored. Years ago, for just a moment, I thought I should become a tattoo artist and cash in on the wave of interest which was clearly visible. Then I thought 'do you have a tattoo?' no 'do you want a tattoo?' no, OK then. Not my culture! However I`ve sure come to appreciate the good ones and the colors available now are delicious. She chose #4 with the leaf of #2 but on the right side of the stem. Done. She`s going to be looking at it a long time.

I had recently discovered the work of Lucie Bray, an intrepid plein air painter in England, when I learned of her death.  She had a fresh take on landscape painting that was both thoughtful and spontaneous. Take a look, her seascapes are especially spirited. She would pitch a tent on the beach and paint in all weather. Until the sea took her. Her life deserves to be remembered.

The first of what I hope to be monthly demonstrations, begins this Sat. at 10 am in my studio. If the conversation is stimulating and the experience fun, I will be doing this on the second Saturday of every month. Anyone is welcome!
5373 Lakeview Blvd
Lake Oswego OR 97035
parking in my big driveway or next door at the clinic

work for sale in my studio