Abstracts
Which Came First? 16X20
Acrylic on canvas, framed (S)
Reflection 20X16
Acrylic on canvas
Selected for Art Fluent virtual exhibit, Connection and the Campbell Museums exhibit, Reflection.
Elements of a Red Jacket 16X16
Acrylic on canvas
Lifeline 18X23
Acrylic and graphite on canvas
Birdwatch 11X14
Acrylic on canvas (S)
Iris 11X7.5
Mixed Media on board (S)
Planets in Motion 16X20 Acrylic on canvas
Moon Measure 16X20
Acrylic on canvas
Have We a Spare?12X16 Acrylic on canvas, framed Selected for ArtFluent Online Exhibit, Boundless
Planets in Motion 2 12X16
Acrylic on canvas
When I asked among my language arts-oriented friends (writers, teachers of English/ESL and public speakers) to describe their feelings about punctuation marks, how they related to language, and to choose their most and least favorites, I got strong opinions and good stories.
This series incorporates selected text from various contributors, categorized by favorites. Their comments inspired me to interpret the importance of punctuation which, said one, “supports the words and syntax used to convey a person’s thoughts and feelings.”
“Words without punctuation are like soup, all tumbling, swirling, and some settling to the bottom. Punctuation holds up some words. Makes them pop. Brings order. Cadence.”
Another said that punctuation makes sense of words as a whole, much like cosmic principles make sense of the universe.
Punctuation Parse: A Polyptych*
36X36Acrylic and colored pencil on canvas (S)
Text on Panels
#1 The Period - A dot ends the sentence. The period is an ending that allows for new beginnings. It’s a good thing someone invented the symbol, period. It gives us the courage to walk away when the message has concluded. It equals a full stop. Certainty. Period.
#2 The Comma - I do love the comma. It is like a little gift to the reader. A comma is the shortest pause. It is a yield sign. When in doubt, leave it out. (Or when in double leave it out?) The comma saves lives: “Eat, Grandma.” “Eat Grandma.” A comma takes a breath and brings order.
#3 The Semicolon - A teacher I know assigned students to be experts on various punctuation marks and when a question arose about it, the expert was consulted. One student was so thrilled to be able to be the semicolon expert that months later when the teacher saw the student on campus, he showed her the semicolon he had tattooed on his arm.**
#4 The Question Mark - If I had to choose one punctuation mark, it would be the question mark. Although not necessary, really, because words and the order of words used usually make it obvious it is a question: “How are you doing.” Asking questions tells the other person you care about her/him. I really like the look of the question mark.*A diptych consists of two painted panels, a triptych has three panels, and a polyptych has four or more panels.**Subsequent to painting this piece, I learned the semicolon tattoo signifies also the hope to move beyond struggles with severe depression and suicidal thoughts. Project Semicolon, founded in 2013 (after this student's story) exists to both educate and to raise awareness about suicide and its prevention by encouraging a tattoo of a semicolon to indicate solidarity among those who struggle with suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide.
East Foothills Deconstructed Winter 30X40 Acrylic on panel (S)
East Foothills Deconstructed Spring 30X40 Acrylic on panel (S)
East Foothills Deconstructed – The lines covering both the hills and the sky are the collection and intensification of the colors one sees in each. The colors of the seasonal sunsets, clouds and atmosphere are seen in the sky; the colors of the plants, grasses, rocks and soils are seen in the hill. The lines also resemble spirit sticks, found in some indigenous cultures, and represent the elements of the earth and overarching spirits.
Excavation 12X24
Acrylic on canvas, framed
Crux 18X24 Acrylic on canvas (S)
Five Dots 8X8 Acrylic on canvas (S)
Quiet Purple 12X12 Acrylic on canvas
RedBlue Colorblind 24X24 (framed) Acrylic on canvas
Pour Blue 10X21 Acrylic on board
Pour Green 8X12 Acrylic on board
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Pour Red 11X16 Acrylic on board (S)
Pour Yellow 9X15 Acrylic on board
One Day 16X20 Mixed Media on canvas (S)
For 30 straight days, mostly in August, my home in San Jose had Bay Area Air Quality Management District Spare-the-Air days, indicating poor and sometimes very poor air quality. While the house was safe, in contrast to so many others, our lungs were not. Smokestorms, as they are now being called, contain smoke and soot, among the most dangerous types of air pollution. A Stanford University study concluded more than 1,200 “excess deaths” during the year among Californians over 65 could be attributed to air pollution. Many have experienced the cumulative effect of smoke, reporting a flare-up in asthma and emphysema.
In the grip of very smoky days, most people I know stayed indoors with the windows closed. On a particular day in late August, it was like dusk at noon and nearly dark by 6:00 P.M. when the sun was to set around 7:30. The yard was covered in soot and ash, casting a gray pall on the plants and outdoor furniture. It resembled a horror film.
Of course, we were lucky. I know many who were evacuated because of fire danger, a friend who now lives in a scorched moonscape, and a friend whose home burned to the ground. Friends in the Midwest and East Coast complained of haze from the distant Western states smoke. Altogether over 5 million acres of the state burned.
This painting is a distillation of the days in August when one could see, smell, and literally feel the air.
(September 2020)
Not August Air 24X24
Acrylic on canvas
This mixed media piece depicts the appalling treatment of asylum-seekers and immigrants at the U.S. Southern border with Mexico. The text from South of the Border came from 1939 sheet music found at a yard sale and both echoed and propelled the images with the theme of broken promises. I am dismayed by this behavior towards other human beings.
South of the ...
36X12 Mixed media on canvas
While living through the grim and grueling time of pandemic lock-down, I looked out the window a lot. The stay-at-home order for nonessential workers and seniors and health-compromised who could make only necessary forays outside grieved normalcy and endured the lassitude of looking out.
Those who went to work risked danger every day. For them, “looking out,” meant something entirely different, as they were looking out for and taking care of the rest of us, even while looking out less for themselves.
I looked out in remembrance of those who died of the virus and was (and am) heartbroken for the bereaved who were unable to spend last moments with their loved one. I looked out in sorrow for those who have no window from which to look out.
Looking Out 18X24 Acrylic on canvas (S)
Fragment 10X8
Acrylic and copper on canvas
City Limits 8X10
Mixed media on canvas
There are many connections among living things: a commonality of both needs and satisfactions, a dependence upon self and others, and loss in the face of disaster and disease. No Borders represents a desire to be aware of self-imposed restrictions in the world.
