New meets Ancient

This is one of my favorite pictures and it led to one of the most thoughful gifts I have received....from Chelta.

It was only a few years ago when I found this amongst my father's trunk full of slides and photos. I had never seen it before. When I was told the little dude was me I was so glad that I had some momento of Iraq. We lived there in late 60's and were eventually evacuated due to the 6 day war. But before that happened, my parents, who had a penchant for all things cultural, had the good sense to take some excursions and family field trip while there. This was one of those. I do not know the name of the place, but it was just a really cool place that they stopped one afternoon and with the setting moon and snapped this shot of these ruins.

I have always liked the juxtaposition of the "new" (me) against the "old" (ruins)..... There is something about the innocence and naivete of the small child being in the forefront of the dramatic backdrop of ruins. Surely battles have been fought here, hordes of people have passed through these walls each with their own story written by each passing footprint. Time has eroded the structure, but it hasn't diminished the majesty and noble "personality" it still maintains. Sometimes Americans make reference to "old" things in this country....They don't really know what old is.....and then there is "ancient". To me this feels....."ancient".

I can't tell you how delighted I was when Chelta surprised me with a valentines gift of a wonderful 18" x 24"enlarged photo with crystal clear colors. She had taken that slide from my Dad which was cracked and old, then had it digitally recreated and retouched. It hangs in my home as a constant reminder of some of the cool places we were able to experience.

McKenna's Museum of Whimsical Art...

This is just a small tribute to McKenna.....I love your work....Keep it up!!


Spring



Polka Dots

Mountains

Fireworks


Dots


Dots on Squares


3 Ducks

A Window to Her Soul

I was looking through some of my kids files tonight....mostly just curious what they were up to....browsing around and I opened up my daughter's (McKenna 12yrs) folder where she keeps her artwork.... I was so surprised at what I found. Years ago when she was little I showed her how to use MS Paint to draw basic shapes and lines etc... I really hadn't paid much attention since. She isn't the showy type anyway, so that made my late night discovery all the sweeter.... The one posted here is called "Bunny". Funny...huh? Most of her artwork is labeled very matter of factly -- exactly what it is...nothing more. In this case I am not sure why the ears are 'hovering' disconnected above Bunny's head or why her front paws are so tiny. It almost seems as if Bunny just got spooked, but the poker face doesn't quite sell that all the way. Although Bunny's eyes are also disproportionate to the size of his/her head, they still manage to pierce through with the shade of blue she chose.....The wonderful placement of the whiskers and mouth.....a subtle wry skewness really comes through. I appreciate the contrast of the roundness of the circle shapes of the Bunny with the very angular, hard straight lines of the green background. I just love the Picasso-esque modern abstract portrayal of such an unassuming creature.

I thought I would share this because anyone who knows McKenna knows she would NEVER prance her art around, not even to family. She is fiercly private and has a 24x7 guard posted at her well of emotion, only giving glimpses here and there on her terms.

You know how you come across a new song that takes your breath away and you can't stop listening to it? Or discover a new unsuspecting favorite movie that sings to your soul and marks you in a special unforgettable way? Well....for me this is very much like that. It helps to know the artist doesn't it? I do know that I felt a deeper level of appreciation for Michaelangelo's work after I read "The Agony and Ecstasy" because I knew him better and began to "see" him more through his art aside from the art itself. Therefore, I don't expect anyone to "feel" anything from this piece other than a whimsical bunny figure....which is just fine. For me this is one of those special "finds".....Often, when asked, she is unable to completely articulate the feelings and emotions she experiences. Art is a way for her to do that......

If this were only really about a Bunny...but it isn't. It is more about stumbling across a small clue about who she is and what she feels. I thank God in Heaven for the ability to create, so that this Dad can glimpse through the window of art, and peek into her soul......... McKenna, you will probably never understand the power of this "moment" for me. Thank you so much..........I cannot recall ever feeling so intimate about art until now.....or closer to you.

Kewl New Vibes.......

....Just came across a great new band: Thriving Ivory. Someone really nice clued me on them....Great new sound, the lead singer has a very unique vocal quality. Check out their new video "Angels on the Moon" I put a few new songs on the playlist....