Treman Park

Treman Park, Ithaca, in early October.

Tanglewood In Autumn

Tanglewood Nature Center, Elmira, in early October.

Top Ten Reasons Why I Stipple

10. I can't draw a straight line to save my life

9. I was just trying to bang some life back into my pen, and this happened

8. It runs in the family. And not that many of us were ever institutionalized, at least for long, so it can't be that bad...

7. Chicks dig dots

6. I thought this was a drywalling class

5. It's so weird, somebody's gotta wanna buy it

4. If I screw up, the mistakes are so small nobody'll notice 'em anyway

3. It's wonderfully therapeutic and relaxing, I've become a much calmer, kinder person- Waddya mean I've still got a ways to go? HUH? WADDYA MEAN BY THAT??!!

2. Hey, I may be legally blind, but at least I qualify for disability now

1. Helen Hunt said it best, on Mad About You: I'm not nuts- I'm THOROUGH.

Aleta Wynn Yarrow

Aleta Wynn Yarrow, Guardians
Acrylic; 18" x 36"

This month, West End Gallery showcases Aleta Wynn Yarrow. At first glance, our work may not seem to have a lot in common- For starters, Aleta’s is often bold and colorful; mine, well, not so much. But our work shares, I think, some essential themes: An appreciation of nature’s beauty, of the value of quiet places, quiet times, and the importance of mysteries and dreams. Aleta’s work has always seemed to me to be both uncompromisingly personal and consistently positive, and I Dream of Ordinary Things continues to reflect these qualities, too. The show will be up through January 10. For more, visit Aleta’s website.

More on quiet places, time alone at G. C. Myers’ Redtree Times.

Lightfall

Lightfall
Charcoal, Graphite, Ink; 2008
8 1/2" x 5 1/4", 14" x 11" frame
$1200.00

This drawing will also be in the Sparkle of Christmas show at West End Gallery.

Tattoo 2

Tattoo 2
Ink; 1" x 3"
2004

Two short prose pieces, The Umbrella of the Future and Alder Run, are up at Ink Sweat and Tears.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn
Ink, Graphite, Charcoal; 5 5/16" x 2 5/16"
2004

Looking for unframed work for the show at WEG, I found a few other things I'd forgotten. Time and distance bring new perspective- Not always kind, but usually instructive. And sometimes, there are pleasant surprises, too.

Elsewhere, things are going swimmingly at Lara Pawson's new blog, Museum of Doubt. And yes, that's a Markie, and I'm honored.

New to the links list is G. C. Myers' blog Redtree Times. RT is very Gary: Thoughtful, engaging, encouraging, generous with reflection and insight into his approach to artmaking and the life of a working artist. Good stuff.

Good stuff too at Gloom Cupboard #69: New poems by Justin Hyde, Emily Smith, Alishya Almeida, Mignon Ariel King, and my drawing-and-text Lost Dream.