Poetry

About a year ago now, I bought a magazine of poetry. It inspired me; felt like the words were art and they spoke to the philosophy of life.

But after a year subscription I think it was more hope than reality. Good poetry inspires, uplifts, reminds, possesses me-- more than all other form of the written word... but it is much harder to find any that is readable. More often it comes up trite... the message too simple without the profound, too personal without the connection to the audience, too... boring. And it is a lot of work to get to boring!

New layers, visions of joy

Liberty Pass - Ruby Mtns Panarama

Getting up in the mountains around here is always an amazing day. It was funny because I ran into a colleague coming down the hill who had eaten lunch and was heading home to clean... and that was my plan for the day too! Hike, eat lunch, clean. It was a very successful day by any definition.

Sketching, Playing with the Sunset

sketching

Sunset

Sunsets continue to be fabulous around these parts. I took a few minutes to try to convey what they are like, including the horizon ones from earlier in the week.

Ranching

Horizon to Horizon part 2

Horizon to Horizon

Sorry to surprise you...

evening

Life is art

Last night a small group of children came riding by on little dirt bikes. The oldest was maybe 13. Completely using the dirt bikes as transportation, very safely going down the trail. They even slowed down politely to not dust me up, stopped further down on the side of the trail, and wandered off as a little troupe to go adventuring. It reminded me of all of my neighborhood friends; we wandered around in the hills near my parents house too. I was much shyer (no one who knows me will believe that) but we really just explored what there was to see.  There was a bit of magic in seeing kids who were confident,unspoiled, well behaved and full of good will.

Just the sort of thing kids ought to be at that age. I would of taken a photo, but some moments are better left to be remembered in the mind's eye.

Lamoille

First Lamoille Canyon hike this year. It is so beautiful up there.

Ok ok today's version... baroque

Not totally done... again... but better, right? Although, I think the sky is too blue. Who say that?

Baroque, cont.

I keep working on this painting- it's meant to go by inches, right? It's my Baroque piece. Some pieces just pour out of you, there isn't a second where you don't know it's going to be awesome. Others.. well you get into phases where you feel like the think the entire thing SUCKS and you keep slogging away... hoping all the time you put into it will not be in vain. So far, I rarely don't make it to the finish line with a piece. But I do know this needs a lot more editing and painting before I'm going to feel good with it.

End of weekend version:

Wires

Desert Sunsets

We've had some amazing sunsets! I mean, 180 degrees. One of the pleasures of being in the desert.

Alaska

A beautiful day. It's amazing how sunshine and growing things can lift the spirits. Looking out over the Cook Inlet, wandering around with bears, wandering around the market.

the ocean

the wave slowly going out to sea... rushing out and back for eternity