Broken Art Studio

For me, a wider variety of colors used to create what I call Finian’s Pond.

The first of four new paintings done in my new studio space.

Thanks to a new litter of kittens underfoot and my already limited space, I have moved my studio to the old stone cellar. I believe because I will no longer have to worry about cleaning the kitchen table for dinner or worry about the cats getting into a freshly painted canvas, my output should increase. Thank you Izzy and Boo for your children, especially this one, the little runt, you have all motivated me to create.

One or more of my pieces can be purchased at www.Crossroadsgallery.com

Thanks Lis for the inspiration and a gentle push forward.

It’s been awhile since I added anything new to my site. I’m helping myself by helping my friend. This is my newest painting inspired by my grandmother Ann Mittleman.

This is the last piece I own in a series I created quite a few years ago. The pieces were inspired by my children and the tenderness they shared when hurting.

           Curiosity or Truly Sadness?….

I was on my way home from work the other day and as usual I’m in the habit of taking a less traveled route home if one is available. Living where there is still plenty of country back roads, it’s not difficult to find a scenic or quiet road where nature is abundant and varied. On this particular road there are swampy overgrown areas with cattails and wild flowers right up to the edge of the blacktop. Normally a perfect habitat for small birds and in particular yellow goldfinch. As I was driving very slow observing the landscape I noticed a small yellow bird in the middle of the road. He just stood there and I had to slow down to a crawl in order not to hit him. I assumed it would fly away as I got close. It was obvious he wasn’t going to move. As I got even closer I noticed another object in the road. It was another goldfinch that had been run over. Sadly it was almost unrecognizable except for a few bright yellow feathers. I was truly touched by what I witnessed and felt I needed to share the thought that although we as humans feel we are the only creatures who feel pain, I wonder if that is accurate.              

   After this moment, I don’t think so.

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Life no matter what size

the creature

 Is fragile

 Left behind to ponder, A small yellow bird lonely by it’s mate lying dead on the road

Curiosity or Sadness? 

Edging closer, it’s small delicate head sideways glancing

 left and right pecking at the feathers to answer for itself….

Am I alone

I frightened it, but only briefly

Finding a branch to perch, it cried a moving sound of loss

Still without flight for leaving would mean loneliness

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are we alone in our feelings of sadness at death?

I am not one to stand up and scream my view point to the world but I can no longer stand by silent and listen to the stupidity of the world leaders and their narrow minded viewpoints. It is not about choosing sides or about who has
more rights than who. There is more than enough blame to go around about whose at fault and who started it. Ironically the children suffer the most and it is the leaders of the world who are acting like children on a playground fighting over who broke an imagined rule to the game. Sadly it’s not a game anymore and people of all ages and nationalities are dying because of stubbornness. I understand these conflicts have been brewing for years and years and the roots of the problem are not so easy to detect but for God’s sake, any God, stop the violence against the children of the world!! I struggle to grasp the pure insanity of the politicians and officials in charge of making decisions to benefit a few and ignore the rest. Are they all so arrogant and selfish to not see they are destroying any chance of a peaceful existence for the children of the future. Time is running out for my children, your children and the children of the world. Stop The Stupidity, Stop The Ignorance, Stop The Arrogance, Stop The Insanity, Stop The Wars….

This was very early and naive attempt to create a painting like the masters of the Hudson River School. The truth being that unless I win the lottery, I would never own a real Hudson River painting. I thought I would make my own. Having grown up and lived along the Hudson at various times of my life, I used images from my memory and imagination to chose a viewpoint that I thought would capture the valley’s beauty. It reminds me of the Bear Mountain and Storm King Mountain area. I was in over my head attempting this but I had fun and I went forward and now I own a “real” Hudson River painting.