Back from a long absence

“Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.  Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence.  Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” 
― Maya Angelou, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Hi everyone!
I have been away for a while now due to pursuing my master's degree.  My art supplies have not been collecting dust, however!  Many times new pieces were born out of the need to release stress...I just didn't think to post them ;-)

But now I'm back, and I will have some new things to show in the near future!  Thanks for following :-)

The Sweetest Song

The cardinal is my 96-year-old Grandma's favorite bird, so I made this to adorn her wall.  Merry Christmas, Grandma!

Such a good boy

Flyer was a happy dog.  He would chase birds and steal food off of the table.  He loved carrying one of his beloved stuffed animals in his mouth.  He donated blood for patients at the Purdue Veterinary Teaching Hospital.  He always wore a smile and wagged his tail.

Flyer was such a good boy...an old soul filled with love!

Let's play fetch

Merry Christmas to Betsy and Gus! 

"Where thou art, that is home." - Emily Dickinson

Exited to finally share my latest painting.  I had to wait a little while to post this one because it was a housewarming gift for my dear friends Paige and Darrell, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise!

The piece is named after a poem by Emily Dickinson:

Where Thou art — that — is Home —
Cashmere — or Calvary — the same —
Degree — or Shame —
I scarce esteem Location's Name —
So I may Come —

What Thou dost — is Delight —
Bondage as Play — be sweet —
Imprisonment — Content —
And Sentence — Sacrament —
Just We two — meet —

Where Thou art not — is Woe —
Tho' Bands of Spices — row —
What Thou dost not — Despair —
Tho' Gabriel — praise me — Sire —

While it is a somber read, at the poem's heart lie two very different yet powerful meanings.  First, the "Calvary" poems of Dickinson convey a deep rooted love that Dickinson held.  Secondly, it serves as a classic allegory to the Gospel:  

Luke 23:  44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.

This passage describes Jesus' return to the ultimate "home" of God's kingdom.  While many would see this as alluding to a permanent end, on the contrary, it calls attention to a beautiful homecoming.  And so as the sun sets, no matter where one is in either a physical or spiritual sense, one is forever home in God's eternal presence.

The Veterinary Technician

I started this piece a while ago when I felt like doing something different.  Rarely do I do a human form.  But I really wanted to make a piece that paid homage to my chosen profession.   And so after a few drafts I came up with a veterinary technician stooping over a canine patient.  The background is made up of pages torn out of McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, 4th Ed.  Once this piece started coming together, I knew it was destined to be donated to the the Purdue Fall Conference auction to raise money for student scholarships and programs within the College of Veterinary Medicine.  If you are attending the Medicine Mixer and Auction this week, you will have an opportunity to purchase the original!  High quality prints are also available through Fine Art America.

Sit! Stay...

I have finally completed the chair, and it will be delivered to the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette this week!  The opening reception for the "Chair-ity" show will be May 18th from 6-8 pm at the museum.  Chairs will remain on display through September 15th.

Sit! Stay...

I will be painting a chair for Chair-ity, the 2012 public art fund raiser for the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette.  I will be posting pictures here of my progress, so check back often!

Check out the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette Facebook page to see other chairs.  Sponsors are being sought for the event, so let me know if you are interested in sponsoring my chair.  And feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the event!