rewards greater than awards
Cycles of Light: Art in the Changing Seasons
It was 10° F yesterday but I managed to drive north for an art opening at Arts Center East in Vernon, CT. My submission After the Paramedics Left brought me an Honorable Mention from the show’s jury!
For those honored, the jury took the time to write out what was special about the piece. On mine, it read:
This incredibly whimsical work absolutely caught my eye! The artist’s use of color played throughout the piece was incredibly well thought out. The fact that many people don’t even realize that white is the culmination of all colors is a sad reality that this artist brought to life.
From the characters on the slope to red sled being the drop-dead focal point, I enjoyed spending time with this painting of winter fun. Kudos!
I had a great time talking to another award winning artist, Elizabeth Losacco Massa, and we noticed on the elevator up to the concurrent photography exhibit that one of my paintings is featured on the flyer. That’s a first for the galleries I’ve been in so far!
My favorite works were from Jolie Heyman and Jane Penfield. Winners can be
Check out better pictures of the works and the winners at Arts Center East Cycles of Light.
More honorable than the award were the interactions with the other artists and guests at the opening. When people share how they favor your work, it is always a source of joy. Yet one interaction stands out, and will leave a lasting impression.
the reward
A man came up to me, white haired and warmly dressed for the weather. His body was facing mine yet his neck turned to the painting, eyes locked on the work. He patted my shoulder and said to me, the painting, himself:
“I’m seventy-three years old and I—I still remember the feeling—“ he stopped talking and his eyes began to moisten.
I stood there for a moment and watched in silence as the water rose in his eyes—Is he about to—? Did my art make him—? Have I—?
Another painter came up, began to congratulate me. The moment ended. There’s a small part of me, the born-and-raised Texan, fatherless, toxic-ly masculine that I caught like fleas through years of physical assault as a teen, that felt relief. I seize up, can’t compute that level of vulnerability intermingled with testosterone. I associate intense masculine emotions with anger and fear begins to vibrate within me.
After the opening, my car was depleted of energy from the trip combined with the morning’s drive to and from LaGaurdia to drop off a friend before the snow storm hit. (Long day.) I was business as usual as I spent a couple of hours leisurely exploring Manchester while my car charged and most of my drive home. Yet, twenty minutes from my door, I was relaxed enough to recall the moment: the moisture in his eyes, the wave of nostalgia that hit him like bricks, the yearning for youth forever lost. Acknowledgment that it can’t be relived.
A little over the speed limit on I-95, classic rock pouring from my speakers, my tears began to flow.
realized dream
Steely Dan asked me if I’m reelin’ in my years, and it occurred to me:
This is what I’ve wanted.
I want people to feel something through my work. To remember the glory of togetherness outside, fun and thrills that are communal with peers, prior generations and nature alike. Offline, the world continues to be full of little moments that you knew better than to scroll past. Life is happening right here, right now, in real life. It’s precious, ephemeral and it matters more when it’s shared.
Much like Rockwell before me, I want to create paintings of an America that both exists and doesn’t exist at the same time, the idealized version of life that we deny can live in tandem with the fear and uncertainty that oppressors try to shove down our throats. They want us fearful and submissive, they weave a story that has the power to keep us that way.
I want to tell other stories of what is happening right now, that joy and freedom are still very much alive and worth fighting for.
What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?
Writing prompt
All time can be leisure time if you’re appropriately managing your nervous system. When you’re maintaining boundaries around media and relationships, not taking on more than you can handle, maintaining healthy habits, positive self talk, and managing pain, you realize that much of what we stress about is manufactured.
In my leisure time I like to work on my art & my business, take care of my body, improve my environment, explore new ones, read books, garden, create community, and try to figure out how to save the world.
What do you think?