Monday, November 17, 2008

Relevance and Age


What I'm thinking these days is Relevance, Relevance, Relevance. I'm in my 50's, and for the first time, the President Elect is younger than I am. I'm getting older and see that so much is geared toward the younger generation. As it should be in many ways, and yet, I feel I still have things to offer. So my question to myself today is, 'What is it I am offering? And how can I keep contributing to the world and remain relevant and open to the new? And how can I make that contribution worthwhile and not just keep on consuming more and more. And with this blog, do I have something to say or am I just going to fill space?
Here's a passage from a collection of short stories I'm reading:

"It's starting to look as if the most shameful tradition of Western civilization is our need to deny we are animals. In just a few centuries of setting ourselves apart as landlords of the Garden of Eden, exempt from the natural order and entitled to hold dominion, we have managed to behave like so-called animals anyway, and on top of it to wreck most of what took three billion years to assemble. Air, water, earth, and fire-so much of our own element so vastly contaminated, we endanger our own future. Apparently we never owned the place after all."
-Barbara Kingsolver- High Tide in Tucson

Saturday, November 15, 2008

My first post on my first blog. I set this up about a month ago and then got distracted by a 2000 mile drive home and identity theft(mine by someone who must not like their own very much). Now I am ready to start reporting. There is coffee in my cup, chili on the stove and the weather in Central Texas has finally gotten cooler. (well, in the 50's and 60's which is down right cold for us) Still no rain. Drought. But on a more positive note, we have Obama in the White House! I have not felt so happy and proud to be an American in such a long time. Eight years to be exact. I don't hide my contempt for W very well. My truck has a bumper sticker that says 'I am the AntiBush!"
I am making art pieces to sell at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar here in Austin. Fun show, runs Dec. 3-24th, more info at www.bluegenieart.com
Friends have asked, why a blog? What will you say? Do you think you have enough material? Will any one read it? Good questions, and honestly I don't know. My thinking is I will write about what I'm doing with my art in hopes someone may have a comment or suggestion. Once I get the hang of this I'll start posting photos of what I'm scratching on. My main medium is Scratchboard which is masonite with white clay with black ink. I scratch through to expose the white. Looks like a woodcut or etching. Check out my website to see what I'm talking about. www.blue-eyedponystudio.com
Like many artists I spend alot of time alone. Makes for good art, but sometimes I loose my perspective and need input from others. That's what I'm hoping for. Welcome to my world.