The two women held up a large item partially encased in bubble wrap. “Where does this go?” they asked. I stared. It took a second to recognize the stained glass lamp – because one side of it was caved in. “It hangs above the dining table,” I said. “But … it’s broken.” I was running … read more Mark of the maker
Tag: art
Unframed
I detest frames, and they detest me. Whenever I try to frame my art, the universe pushes back, hard. This morning I wasted more than half an hour trying to convert a frame with a sawtooth hanger into one with eye screws and wire. I must do this because it is a rule of display for … read more Unframed
The Snowy Day
When I was very young, just starting to read, I got a book called The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I kept it for many years, even after I was reading long novels with no pictures. I think Mom finally got rid of it, not understanding how such a childish book could still be valuable … read more The Snowy Day
Zen and the art of office design
For many many years, I have had a divided self – torn between the practical and the spiritual, the creative and the logical. I’ve tried so many ways to work it – mostly, by giving a chunk of my time to “work” and another chunk to “art. I grew up seeing this division in the … read more Zen and the art of office design
The color of rain
I woke up at 4 a.m. And listened. What was that sound? I wasn’t sure. I hoped. I got up. And there it was. Rain. Finally. We’ve had less than 4 inches of rain in the last four months; normally we’d have gotten 16 inches. The last real rain, of more than an inch, was … read more The color of rain
Emerging star
This Degas pastel, “The Star: Dancer on the Stage,” was on the cover of an album of classical music that Mom had when I was a kid. I don’t remember what the music was, but I never forgot the painting. We are up in the rafters above the stage, looking down on the dancer just … read more Emerging star
New books
As much as I like the serendipity of writing about each day as it comes, I’m starting to bore myself. Now that I’ve written more than 500 posts, it’s time to get serious. Writing time is precious. With this volume of words, I want to be aiming toward a finished product. Books. More than a year … read more New books
Playing with 13 Rectangles
In making a fused glass version of Kandinsky’s 13 Rectangles, I intended to explore his philosophy of color while translating the painting from oil to another medium. I certainly learned about his use of values, which I didn’t expect; and a bit about blending, which isn’t possible in glass the way it is with paint. After playing with 13 … read more Playing with 13 Rectangles
Poverty amid plenty
I am taking a video inventory at the rental house, in case it burns to the ground. My voice is clinical and flat as I pan the camera around each room, peering into cupboards, narrating. Here in the kitchen, we have an electronic food scale and a manual scale, we have pots and pans brought … read more Poverty amid plenty
Emotions for sale
What emotion are you selling? the webinar host asks us. That’s the question you have to answer. Good question. Another question might be, Why do you want to sell emotion? I’m watching the second in a series of free webinars about marketing your art. The host is selling us the emotion of happiness, the artist’s … read more Emotions for sale