notan, part one 9.10.2020

Earlier this year I bought a book titled Notan: The Dark-Light Principle of Design. Notan, a Japanese term, involves the concept of dark and light; black and white; positive and negative. It's a small book of 80 pages, but it's jam packed with great information. As a life-long student, I was pretty excited to discover …

art quote – Chamberlain 8.27.2020

Art is a particular madness where you are using a means of communication, which means are recognizable to other people, to say something that they hadn’t heard, or hadn’t perceived, or had repressed. Curiously, it’s only recently that I’ve noticed that I’m still making sculptures in the way that I made the poems. It’s all …

poem – Harrison 8.13.2020

Death Again by Jim Harrison Let's not get romantic or dismal about death.Indeed it's our most unique act along with birth.We must think of it as cooking breakfast,it's that ordinary. Break two eggs into a bowlor break a bowl into two eggs. Slip into a coffinafter the fluids have been drained, or better yet,slide into …

wordless and white 7.30.2020

Lilies 2020 7.16.2020

Here are photos of the glorious lilies that bloomed in my garden this year.

home ceramics studio 7.2.2020

In mid March of this year, I began my self retreat at home in hopes of avoiding the Corona virus. I haven't worked much at the community clay studio where I typically used to spend 2 or 3 afternoons each week. Midwest Clay Project (MCP) closed altogether for awhile, and now it's reopened with social …

window gallery update 6.18.2020

The Center & Miller Window Gallery is still going strong. I've changed out the gallery art weekly for 12 weeks now. Recently, my sweetheart installed an adjustable shelf, so now I can display my ceramic pieces in the gallery along with 2D work. Due to COVID, we're in self retreat, which means we try NOT …

wordless and green 6.4.2020

poem – Malloy

Epitaph by Merritt Malloy When I dieGive what’s left of me awayTo childrenAnd old men that wait to die.And if you need to cry,Cry for your brotherWalking the street beside you.And when you need me,Put your armsAround anyoneAnd give themWhat you need to give to me. I want to leave you something,Something betterThan wordsOr sounds. …

art quote – gallenter

"Art isn’t merely a luxury hobby for rich gallery patrons, it’s a fundamental part of all human cultures, which has been with us as a species since at least the beginning of recorded history. The purpose of art is to draw our attention to that which is beyond our own individual experience. Storytelling lets us …