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This painting was started back in 2015 after our summer tour of Ireland and Scotland.  I put it away for awhile because other things came up.  You know how that goes.  Recently I committed 9 paintings to the Hospice of the Chesapeake and the theme was Reflections.  A painting with boats and water had to be included so I dug it out and finished it.  This painting was done from a photo I took in Cobh (pronounced Cove) in County Cork, Ireland.  I know now why so many people of Irish descent say they came from County Cork, this was the main departure point of people coming to North America during and after the potato famine.  My husband's family was among them, they were from County Kerry.  I wish I had a picture of the memorial to these people that stands on the water's edge, but instead I captured these colorful fishing boats that were lying in wait for their next assignment.

The word is posterity not prosperity.  And therein lies the difference when referring to the future of our Earth.  E. Allen Stewart III, PE, an 

Environmental Engineer (retired) living on the west coast of Florida has created a statement, a website and a blog promoting the idea that this command is written into the constitution. It is up to We The People to preserve this country for posterity and not to break it to the limits of destruction for the purpose of monetary gain.  

Please go to his website to learn how you can live daily with a reverence towards this beautiful planet on which we live.

www.PASOP.org

The Clapham House is a beautiful Queen Anne style home in Annapolis Maryland owned by Kathy and Mike Metzger.   Thank you for allowing me to display in your home.  I will return with new work! 

After my solo show in January at the Holley Gallery in Annapolis, I took the complete collection to Clapham House to display for 6 months. Clapham House is a beautiful 19th century mansion owned by The Clapham Institute and Kathy and Mike Metzger.  I am so appreciative to their hospitality and love of displaying the work of artists, as well as the promotion of many good business around the world.  Today I will take down this collection and it will be entered in separate shows and homes.

Time for a new project.

Thank you everyone who came out on an icy and cold Sunday to see my solo show at The Holley Gallery through The Maryland Federation of Art.   We entertained 60+ people and sold 5 paintings.  I don't feel that it is all about the sales though.  I love that people came, studied and strived to understand the message of the content.  Still, I am very happy to have people hanging my art in their homes.  My husband, Steve and my daughter, Erin, were incomparable in their assistance with food, shlepping, set up and clean up.  It was a little mini party of family, neighbors, friends and wise women.  A special shout out is due to Donna for the cupcakes, Erin for the cookies and finger sandwiches, Nicole for the help with installation and of course the wonderful staff and volunteers of MFA who promote and encourage me. 

Hey y'all-

What do we expect from public reaction when we display our art (and I am speaking to performers also when they put themselves in front of an audience?)  Someone once told me that if someone stares at your painting for longer than 10 seconds there is an interest.  I know that I have glazed by paintings at exhibits and if the artist is there I linger on the pieces a little longer.  I don't want to hurt any feelings.  

Then I go to see the masters in large museum galleries and I have to look at every brushstroke, then step away to the proper 8 feet viewing area then come close again and read the placard that goes with the piece.  All the while I am keeping my hands behind my back so the security guard can relax a bit.  "Step away from the Rubens!" a loud voice booms out of nowhere and then know you have lingered too long.  You might leave your scent behind or a stray hair or a piece of epidermal cell.  So you move on.  This is why I only go to art galleries alone or with someone as equally interested. 

Is that how an artist might describe success?

I am thrilled to announce that the paintings are finished wrapped in pop paper, pieces are at the framer's and except for my beautiful display at The Green Phoenix 2 three years ago, I am ready for my first one woman show.   This show has gone through several titles but the concept has always been the same, "Where do we get our inspirations from?"  Since earliest childhood I have loved organic shapes and I have chosen four of those shapes to represent: curves, spirals, whorls, and vortices.  

All of my images are taken from nature, either from my own photos, the photos of friends, my imagination and a few images I bought the royalties for ( I have never photographed water forming a vortex, see image.)   I am striving to reconcile art to science to a Creator with several quotes by scientists, mathematicians, physicists and philosophers.  For example:

Mathematics is one of the essential emanations of the human spirit,

a thing to be valued in and for itself,

like art or poetry.

Oswald Veblen...American Mathematician and Scientist

My Christian friends may think I'm being being to bold to combine science and the formation of the universe with God, while some of my atheist friends will wonder why I brought God into it at all.  I believe they co exist and hope that my art opens up a dialogue.

Early in January 2016, I started thinking about the things that people doodle and what shapes they are drawn to.  I know all of you think these things too, right?  Well, I started off with this thought and then connected it with the movement of the Earth, what impresses us as a youngster, what puts us in a zen type state, and is this all connected to something bigger than ourselves like Quantum Physics or God.  From there I started connecting math to a spiritual attitude and collecting quotes from all sorts of mathematicians, scientists, and a few theologians and artists.  I'll give you an example of a quote from Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, "An equation means nothing to me unless it expresses a thought of God."  Realizing that few people felt that math, art, music, science and God were not mutually exclusive, I wanted to convey this visually.  Since my background is in Visual Communication, I thought I could do this some justice.  I picked four shapes that I am drawn to:  curves, spirals, whorls, and vortices.  I wanted to create these images from nature only, nothing manmade (except the art of course.)  And that is how this year long project began.  You will find the paintings under the heading "Design inspired by Nature."  I have a gallery who is going to exhibit January 5th - January 19th.  I will be looking for more spaces to exhibit after that and if anything sells, I will continue to build upon my inventory.  I'm pleased to say that most everyone I speak to about this understands me!  Yay.  More later. MO   

Some artists, musicians, singers and so forth are self taught.  We actually all stared out that way.  As a five year old coloring in the lines (or not) or winning a first little award in elementary school for our painting, something tells you that this is the thing to do; pursue this talent we have discovered.  A Physicist doesn't become a rocket scientist without a formal education, however, somebody can become an artist without the degree or the training.  Alicia Keyes makes beautiful music with her piano but it is always impressive to learn that she was classically trained. Kat Edmondson, one of my favorite Jazz chanteuses, had no formal training but became a success anyway on her own.  It makes no difference.

Or does it?  Color theory, composition, and good craftsmanship comes from the doing and the learning.  Some of it can be innate, but nothing compares to a good master leading the way.  So if you are an artist in ernest, take a class, paint plein air, do lots of figure drawing, read the trade magazines, watch demonstrations, peruse galleries, carry a sketch book and maybe further your art education with higher learning.

 Or not.   

Every year for two consecutive weekends in September, the main attraction in Annapolis are the boat shows.  The first weekend is the powerboat.  It is so fun to see what can be done with small spaces for living, although I would never want the  expense of owning one, they sure are fun to visit.  This breed of sailor loves a good party and getting somewhere fast.  The following weekend are the sailboats.  They take work, they create calm and quiet and the people who own these are a more rugged lot.  In honor of the boat shows coming up, I have done a series of sails created from my own point of view and for sale at the Green Phoenix 2.  ...Maybe I should do a series of boat engines?