Time to Reflect...

Probably the most meditative and reflective time I spend is working in and enjoying my gardens. Although the work is often exhausting, it is a wonderful feeling of tiredness spent in growing, maintaining and nurturing plants. Often I watch the shadows around the plants and trees come full circle, as I mill around the garden and enjoy visits from bumbleebees, butterflies, chipmunks and birds.

1st Piece are Black Eyed Susans: "Susan"

2nd Piece is a sunflower entitled: "the Many Faces Of The Garden"

3rd Piece is Sundrops and Zebra grasses entitled "Summer Breeze"

4th piece is a Tiger Lily covered in morning dew entitled: "Tiger Lily in First Light"

War Widow

"What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world."

~Robert E. Lee, letter to his wife, 1864

After coaching and playing soccer with players who are refugees from Burma, Somalia and Bosnia, I was inspired to create this piece entitled "War Widow". The refugees faces mask the horror of war they left behind physically, yet the horror lives on forever and ever in their thoughts and dreams. Wars are often romanticized and understated, and most in the US are distanced and insulated from the tragedies of war, unlike these refugees.

Grand Canyon Trees

I am fascinated and inspired by the beautiful trees that seemingly stand as sentinels along the edges, banks and cliffs of the Grand Canyon. I have visited the Canyon twice in the last 10 years and hope to hike down to the bottom my next outing to explore more closely natures beautiful testaments to endurance, patience and tenacity.