Changing Leaves

Flowers Washed In Perfection

2012-04-23T10:51:23-04:00

After stepping into our local bakery this morning, for a early dose of sugar, I casually stepped out the door with a relaxed "You too."; returning the "Have a good day." blessings of the the girl behind the counter, as I lightheartedly dived back into life. I leisurely made my way across the street, while dreamily longing to eat my newly purchased chocolate chip cookie; and grasping the neck of my latest bottle of Sobe. The early morning rain softly pitter pattered down to rythmically add decoration to the warm embrace of my Columbia jacket. My attention fixated at my feet, as I watched the water and slush separate from the side walk with each step; my graceful 194 pound frame closing the distance between air and concrete with each strolling movement. My thoughts fluttered light heartedly as I walked "...the ecological impact of the bottle of Sobe in my hand, the memory of my family's angelic faces as I saw them off, the breath of spiritual refreshment brought on by the wet chill of today's snowy morning..." ; and then my gaze shifted up to take in the beauty of the tree that stood perfectly placed in front of me. There, bathed with that elegant beauty that only God can produce, the tree sang to my heart; its' lovely white blossoms unnaturally contrasted by its' dark bark, which was blackened by the morning rain. The overcast sun, and freshly fell but melting snow, combined with the green of the tree's new spring foliage to give the scene a hypnotic quality; seducing my mind. I wanted to stay and continue to take in the scene, but alas, I had to continue with my day. Does anyone else think it must be a crime that to live we have to sacrifice the moment? Your thoughts are welcome. Enjoy your blessings today. If you enjoy my work, and want to support it, be sure to share on Facebook or Twitter :-)

What is a muse?

2012-04-10T16:44:31-04:00

A source of inspiration. That mystical place where creativity is born. When I think of the word muse I have visions of fairy wings sparkling through a twilight sky. The sun reflecting off the soft face of the cherub, or even a silent lake in a wood far from the intrusion of man. The night I wrote this my mind was occupied not with some mind freeing fantasia, but instead some very true to the human spirit poetic words that were scattered in front of me. A poem entitled Crow Woman's Day (brilliantly performed by its' author Chrissie Rizzo at the show's opening); my inspiration for my latest piece, Introspection and the Crow's Kingdom . Muse 2012 marked the anniversary of the North Country Arts Council's rebirth of freedom for the arts in the New York's northern counties; a revisioning of a place where artist can be artist. A place where the grey of the day gives way to the color of creativity, and I love them for providing it.

The Calling of Art

2012-02-10T10:46:58-05:00

I recently sat down with Melodie Long, the pastor of our local presbyterian church . I wanted to discuss the process of becoming a lay pastor as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA); its' merits and the process of discerning a applicant's suitability and calling. I think the word "calling" is a frightening word. The word "calling", is a word that for me immediately conjures up feelings of inadequacy, and expectations of clarity in regard to God's will; and maybe it should, or maybe I'm just displaying my own immaturity in one of yet many areas of my personal faith. Is it possible that the call to vocational ministry, and that of being a working artist are similar? I think they can't help but be, especially when the artist work is tied to the individual's spirituality, such as mine is. From what I can tell, after discussing the matter with several ministers I have known over the years, the call to ministry is not typically a "ah-Ha!" moment. A calling typically manifest itself over years-even a lifetime; and although we would prefer that God would give us clear instructions to his demands, it's simply not in allignment with His typical methods. In my experience God tends to lead us through careful discernment of intuition, living out relationships, and evaluation of experience. Although frusturating, in the end, His work within us is guaranteed to create a beautiful composition out of our lives. In this manner I've found art to be similar to a calling. Art for me has never been about the realization that I was an artist; or being suddenly compelled to create art in some abstract attempt to change the world. Art just was. It was a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach; and a nawing thought in the recess of my mind. The drive to create, more often than not was a dull ache hidden by the demands of daily living. Art was always present, never wavering, and never demanding; it was always patient in waiting for it's passage into this world. All the markings of a calling. Thanks for taking the time to hear me out today. As always, be blessed. If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it; and Share it on facebook or twitter?

An Evening of Art

2011-11-30T21:08:45-05:00

Time is not really my companion, and November 5th was no exception to the rule. I cast all blame on my Mother, a strong willed woman who moves within the confines of this world at the speed of a clock that is subject to her rule only. I don't consider that to be a bad thing though, in fact I attribute some of my best characteristics to my Mom. My Mother's stubborn will, skeptical mind, and insatiable desire to be her own person on her own terms are good examples of inherited traits I picked up from her. However, on the night of the artist reception and awards ceremony for the 2011 Fine Art Show, none of those inherited traits served me well in prioritizing my day to be there when the doors opened (so to speak). My wife, always compassionate of my little known insecurities, and empathic of my cautiously deep mind, teasingly whispered to me that I was someplace else; as she casually strolled hand in hand with me, through the upper reaches of the back entrance of the Dulles State Office Building, towards the venue that awaited. Her playful attempt to snatch me away from the pre-public preparative abyss of my mind worked; I was instantly returned to the moment. When we entered the space, we found ourselves emersed into a field of wine, soft (yet energetic) piano music, and artist entrepreneurs engulfed in the activities of the north country's art world. For a rookie like me, I admittingly didn't know what to expect when I entered the room. I deeply appreciate having had the experience. That said, and all kidding aside, when I did get there (nearly 30 minutes late) I was greeted by the infectious cheerfulness of the North Country Arts Council's all volunteer staff; and a show of affectionate support from my little brother, and his girlfriend-beautiful people and better friends than any man deserves. Having been there a half hour before my wife and I arrived, my brother orientated me to my surroundings, and off we went to view the art that was on display. I grabbed a glass of wine that I didn't want, because it seemed appropriate to the culture around me, and swallowed it faster than it deserved, to avoid having to hold the glass; then casually chatted with some some friendly acquaintances who pointed the way to the piece that beat me out of first place in the drawings category. My piece TwentyThreeSix took second place, but my superior in this show was ironically an 11 year old (much deserving of her credit) girl . Proving once more to the world that art has no age limits. When all is said and done I got much more than I bargained for by entering the show; I entered seeking experience and exposure, and left with public recognition in the form of a second place award certificate, cash prize, and a much more enhanced understanding of the art environment I live and work in. Lest I forget, I also earned the privilege of exhibiting at Arts On The Square, in the 2011 Fine Art Show Winner's Exhibit! As always, have a beautiful evening! Be blessed :-) If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it by sharing it on facebook or twitter

Meeting The Great Tim Clary

2011-10-26T15:10:09-04:00

It is now 7 days before the 2011 Fine Art Show opens at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown NY; and I've been hard at work making preparations for the show. After searching for a local frame shop, and discovering Focal Point Custom Framing , I was excited to visit their physical location and have the oppurtunity to get to know their staff a little; as it turned out their website did them justice, kudo's to the person that developed it! Walking through the front door, and taking a seat in one of the chairs that sat before the counter and cash register, my first thought was "Art happens here."; and I loved it. After engaging in pleasant conversation with the staff, and being a person of fair intelligence, I requested to borrow a bit of their wisdom and expertise in framing to help me select the art and frames I would enter the show with. At about the same time I asked for their assistance, a gentleman named Tim Clary entered the space; Tim and I were introduced by the kind woman behind the counter, and soon following the exchange all three of us were working as a team milling over my portfolio and discussing giclee prints. Tim Clary is a brilliant portrait artist working out of Black River New York, and given the complete happenstance that I had recently been picking through his work on flickr , I was thrilled to meet him and hear his opinion on my work. Tim was gracious in providing his thoughts, pointing out a couple of my pieces that he enjoyed, and in providing input in regards to print making and pricing. In the midst of our 3 way conversation, our sense of time became lost in favor of conducting the business of art, one of us looked at the clock and realized that time had become the enemy. Which greatly sped up the process of finalizing decisions and arranging payment for the framing as well as digitization of the individual pieces (which would be needed to submit the art to the show, as well as to incorporate the works into the Prints on Demand gallery of this website). Point of order (I've always wanted to say that), Focal Point's staff were hugely selfless in aiding me complete the decision making process, and placing my order, by spending 30 minutes with me after hours to ensure everything was worked out before leaving the office for the day. Especially considering I had arrived at 5:10, and they were supposed to close up shop at 5:30. About a week later I recieved the digital images of my work, payed my entrance fees, and submitted my applications to the NCAC to be considered for acceptance into the show. As those of you who follow me on facebook, or twitter already know, I was soon accepted and am now excited to announce my first public showing in just about 20 years (give or take a couple I'm not quite sure). As always be blessed, and stay tuned, more details will follow :-) If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it by sharing it on facebook or twitter

Project Eco-6

2011-10-19T22:03:15-04:00

It's official, I've completed the graded portion of my wildlife management and forest conservation program with Penn Foster Career School . The last unit of study was a rather intensive look at wildlife law enforcement; it covered everything from history of wildlife law to firearms, search and seizure, and arrest. Life caused me to struggle through my studies the week prior to my exam; but I made it. My graded studies ended with a final 100% on the last exam; I'm ok with that. As a treat for all my hardwork I traveled to the Adirondack Mountains, to Panther Pond , on a short backpacking trip with family. Now back to the subject; Project Eco-6. Eco-6 is what remains of my conservation studies with Penn Foster, a six week ecological study of a field site of my choosing near my home in Sackets Harbor. I typically run a challenging schedule, and my progress through this project is not any different. Although, I got off to a slow start (week one took two weeks, as did week two), I'm beginning to get the hang of things; and loving it. I think the easiest way to break things down is chronologically in project weeks. Week 1 required some careful consideration, some local knowledge, a little hardwork; and alot of bushwacking. The week consisted of site selection, site layout, and mapping of the area. I loved every minute of it. I chose a 50'x50' area, off the beaten path, consisting of a healthy blend of vegetation and blue sky. In making my choice I ensured there was a diverse stand of trees (wild apple, coniferous, and decidious), some struggling for life and some full grown. The site is really a beautiful place; dominated by natural walking paths, high grasses, wild flowers, and a splash of thorn bushes for good measure. Perfect for my uses. Intended to concentrate on plant an animal observation, week 2 was a magical surprise. As I started out for the days work, I was greeted by high wind gust and moist air, and was expecting to not see much animal activity. However, my expected disappointment was quickly alleviated when I began my walk down the path leading to my field site. After a flurry of activity the sky was filled with circling hawks crying in the morning sun, their mystical forms calling me down the trail as I gazed up at them in wonder. The hawks left my vision temporarily, and I went about the task of collecting biotic and abiotic data; after which I selected a location central to the site, and watched for further signs of life. I was visited by three more birds of prey (one perched high in the crown of a nearby tree, an absence of leaves made him easy to observe), as well as a flock of 3 Canada Geese passing overhead; I suspect that the hawks and geese are using the area as a rest stop on their way to their wintering grounds in the south. Time will tell. It seems that fall is a beautiful time to witness avian activity in Sackets Harbor, and the sight is free to anyone who wants to look; how blessed are we. I will have more details to follow as the weeks roll by. Rest well tonight people, be blessed. If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it by sharing it on facebook or twitter

Finding My Focal Point

2011-10-12T09:06:04-04:00

With the deadlines of submittals for the NCAC Fall Art Show closing in I was still wrestling with whether or not it was time to take the plunge into public showings. Did I want to expend the required resources to frame my work (not necessary with online sales and promotion)? Did I have the time to put together something to enter (always a consideration)? Was I opposed to using older pieces, or did I want to submit a entry that was more modern? Could my work carry its' own weight when compared to the work of some other brilliant artist in the north country's art world? Or, was I just afraid to put myself and my work on display? I decided that nerves are just part of the game, after all, even the massively successful musicians of the band Switchfoot were nervous about releasing their latest album (which is amazing from the bits and pieces I've heard of it). I went on to justify the framing of my work by acting under the intention of attending later shows, and recognizing that each piece I have professionally digitized and framed is one less piece I may need to have done when its' crunch time in the future. While debating this question I also turned to the wisdom of Cheyne (my beautiful bride, as well as my quality manager); she didn't miss a beat by saying "you need to spend money to make money". Cheyne's statement is true, especially in this case. Each time you place your work on public display your basically setting up a interview with your viewers; and you don't wear $5.00 k-mart sweatpants to a interview. You want to look your best for an interview, you dress sharply, smile brightly, and make yourself inviting to the person who is doing the inteviewing. So, with a bit of (natural) apprehension about my own abilities (put to the wayside by past success, and the support of my ever supportive following), I decided to move forward and plunge into the world of live art shows. There was a problem though. My local frame shop closed its' doors, permanently, a couple of years ago, which left me without a vehicle to outfit my work. I decided it was important to me that wherever the framing was going to be completed, I had to be able to feel a connection to the staff, and location before I was willing to let them do the work. So after reviewing a short listing of "fairly" local framers, and print shops, I decided to approach Focal Point Custom Framing to inquire about cost, turn around times; and basically conduct a bit of an interview to get a feel for the staff. I was pleased, when after the phone rang briefly, I found myself pleasantly engrossed in a professional conversation with the owner; Tracy Spencer . Impressed with my experience, I moved on with my decison to look further into Focal Point by setting up a time and date to make a visit to their physical location. A conversation for another day . As always, have a blessed day. If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it by sharing it on facebook or twitter

Moving In Cycles

2011-10-05T11:01:38-04:00

It should come as no surprise to myself that in the earlier days of the 2011 fall season that I have new projects beginning to flourish and old ones coming to a close. Fall for me always seems to be a time of reflection and new beginnings; the heck with spring, autumn is my season. My wife and I were married when the leaves were changing, I began my training in taekwondo 3 years ago as the sky turned gray, and I aqcuired the DBA for my studio 3 years ago near the eve of winter. I always seem to make my greatest gains in my spiritual life, while searching for signs of life, in a world of crimson and gold flora. I love the fall. Its odd to me that as I struggle to escape death, through discipline of exercise and appetite, I can find such serenity and peace of self in a beauty that becomes the death and rebirth of the world. On October 1, last year I enrolled with Penn Foster Career School ; on a quest to earn a Career Diploma, in wildlife management and forest conservation . After a trying year of study and self growth, I'm on the verge of attaining my goal. I have one exam to complete before my dream is realized, which in turn will officially credential me as a conservationist. As exciting as it is for me to be bringing the graded portion of my studies to an end, I found it pleasantly surprising that the last module of study in my program contains an oppurtunity to get dirty. I'm stoked! This oppurtunity came in the form of a 6 week practical exercise that I'm calling Project Eco-6. Project Eco-6 is a six week ecological study of a field site of my own choosing, it's an exercise in application of knowledge attained throughout my program of study. My intent for Project Eco-6 is to localize my understanding of the different principles of wildlife management and forest conservation that I studied throughout my program, form a foundational understanding of the ecology in and around Sackets Harbor, and create a road map for future activities. Project Eco-6 kicked off last weekend. I won't go into anymore details in this post, but stay tuned, I'm going to launch a series of post that will highlight the project through its duration. In addition to Project Eco-6, through my involvement with the North Country Arts Council (Watertown, New York), I recently was made aware of their upcoming 2011 Fine Art Show . I'm pleased to say I've began making preparations for entry. As a teenager I had participated in a couple of scholastic showings (with some success), and up until now I have been engaged in a rather extensive internet marketing campaign, but this will be my first public showing in nearly 20 years. I'm both excited and nervous, but I think it will be a blast. In my opinion displaying my work online is a bit more comforting than exposing it to live public scrutiny, I expect to be received well, but there is comfort in remaining relatively anonymous on the web. I see this venture as a maturing next step for me as an artist; and I look forward to more oppurtunities in the future. As with Project Eco-6, I will keep everyone updated as I progress on this adventure. Thanks for everyone's continued support of my work, as always be blessed :-) If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it by sharing it on facebook or twitter

As Another Day Fades

2011-09-02T17:42:24-04:00

I left the office of the day job about 5 minutes ago; and now I'm sitting in the studio at my home office, contemplating the breathes of my work day and the actions that they fueled. I'm listening to my favorite band, Counting Crows, Adam Duritz serenading my thoughts; today is a pop day for me, and I don't have many of them. While on lunch I had remarked to my bride that the day felt fake; but that probably wasn't the best way to describe it, in fact I don't have the words. I am an artist; art and the bohemian is always present, like a ghost on my thoughts. Today was no different. Between bouts of concentration, my mind was wandering to Keanu Reeves career, and what it really means to create and achieve. What separates those who achieve in the creative realm, from those that shine above the rest? In other words, the Keanu's from the guy who studies Beginning Acting at the local Free Skool; but is doomed to dream? I don't have the answers, but I'm on a quest to find them. When I started seriously looking into making art a career, I started by looking at the music industry; it seemed clear that they had figured things out. Now I realize that we are all the same; actors, musicians, writers, and illustrators. We just want to breath, create, and be recognized for our effort. As I was dashing through my day, at the rate of a slow giddy up, with heavy eye lids I was mesmerized trying to find that invisible thread that ties the creative to stardom; it must be love of the journey. Just some thoughts, at the sunset of a determined creative's day. I'd love to hear yours, I'm sure they're as beautiful as you are. As always, be blessed :-) If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it by sharing it on facebook or twitter.

A Work In Progress

2011-08-26T05:31:46-04:00

It's sometimes strange when viewing my portfolio of work, and trying to figure out how to get it to the masses. I think I want what all artist want; to be recognized. It's a tough line to pull though. I, like most artist, am a little bit uncomfortable in the spotlight. It's a tragic oxymoron. I am a veteran of the U.S. Army, and in 11 years in uniform (1 of those years was spent in the United States Marine JROTC program) I gained some essential skill, being the voice in front of people, when need be. However, when it's all said and done, I'm far more comfortable when I'm not. The trouble with having the combination of personality traits that I have, a complex introvert creative who desires recognition but grows shy in attention, is that its hard to put myself on display for the world to see; and that's good for my inner peace, but it does nothing to advance my work. I had been looking through the stats on my webpage, my following on facebook, and twitter , and flickr , and I became discontent; not broken hearted just discontent. The numbers hadn't been adding up to what they should have. I began to think. Knowing what I already knew (talent does not equate to gains in a following, or to dollars; although it certainly helps), growing a following and growing monetarily happens by way of authenticity and marketing. That's why Steve Jobs was willing to pay millions to put his iPod 6 inches from your face 100 times a day. When I was looking at my own issue with visibilty I noticed it had more to do with assumption, and a unwillingness to display a part of myself that could be perceived as lacking in perfection. I already knew you wanted to see my work, what I didn't realize was that maybe you just didn't know how. So I told you how; this last Tuesday at 3:09 in the afternoon I shared my fan page with everyone on my personal facebook page. Almost immediately I witnessed growth. Following my success with expanding my facebook following, I decided that I could provide you with more value for your time by showing you what it took to create the more polished images that show up on this website. I made you a partner on my creative journey by creating the A Work In Progress album on my facebook fan page. The A Work In Progress album is simply a compiliation of images taken directly from my sketchbook. It never had really made sense to me in the past, but alot of the time it seems that people are more interested in my sketchbook than my clean completed work; now I'm thinking that people's interest in my sketchbook is related to the same sense of voyeuristic excitement they experience from reading someone's diary. A diary is all a sketchbook really is; the documented visual journey that an artist took to get to where they are. I used to be a little uncomfortable showing people my sketchbook, not so much anymore, I'm happy to satisfy that inner craving for people that enjoy my work. I posted the A Work In Progress album to my fan page on facebook last night at around 10:30 at night. I really should have been asleep, but I was too excited about my little project for that. Make sure to take a look through it, as usual, comments are welcome. If you like what you see there, don't forget to share. Thanks for your continued support. As always, be blessed. Have a beautiful day :-) If you enjoy my work, why not take a moment and support it by sharing it on facebook or twitter.