Paintings and a Poem

(some prose on painting)

Sometimes, when I paint,
I dance a dance of counterpoint
              where I begin with an X,
              and  counter with a Y:
As in the movement of a line
              where,
              the vertical stroke demands to be followed by one good horizontal;
              or, maybe, the horizontal begs to be slashed
                            right down the middle by a vertical;
              or, maybe, even, out of the blue,
                            an exhilarated diagonal liberates itself and shoots off the canvas.
As in a duet of complements
              where,
              the yellow gets sick of being yellow and demands a splash of purple;
              or, maybe, a blue hankers after an interruption of orange;
              or, red won’t go anywhere without green.
As in shadow and light
              where,
              the dark insists upon at least
              a spot of pure white aligned against it
              so as to become the blackness that it is.
In this way, the painting progresses in its spiraling search for balance
             Until the need for a final dangling element, the final touch
             a point without a counter 
(the balance of the entirety is threatened!)
             but, no, the magic holds
                            barely.

Older Folks

The images of older folks whom I meet on the street are among my favorites. Etched into faces and revealed in unique styles or personality are hints of diverse and often surprising personal backgrounds and accomplishments.

Urban Markings in Encaustics 2021

Increasingly I search the streets of my urban world, often seeing beauty where others may not.  Discarded objects, recycled materials, graffiti, torn flyers, rusted metal all provide a bridge between my inner world and the outer landscape of urbanization and globalization. I apprehend and appreciate the life and beauty that urbanity offers us– weathered through time, distinguished by history, and marked by human presence.

Searching For Shangri-La

This series of photographs provide a glimpse into various auspicious aspects of Tibetan culture, from the rigor of Philosophical Debate, to the daily ritual of Attending Temple, to the cleansing of the sacred Tibetan Buddhist Manuscripts.