Wren Wonderland

The newspaper reports that there hasn't been a snowfall such as this for more than twenty years, nine inches measured at the airport...it's Virginia Beach and the most we get, up until today, is a powder sugar dusting.

These photographs were taken just as things were getting going on Saturday morning...I particularly like the snow on the Canada's back and the Mourning Dove settling in on the back porch.

There is minimum snow removal equipment so the next few days will be interesting as we need to begin to move about again...right now it's all about play.

drozda photos: snow on camillia japonica, mourning dove, canada geese in cove

Wabi Sabi e-studio

I've been imaging ways to 'move a house', that is to open up to new forms of creative exchange.

As a way to ignite this process I'll start a series of on-line e-studios this spring.






The first will be an exploration of the imperfect beauty of Wabi Sabi, an ancient Japanese aesthetic. Last year I began offering studios to explore this concept at the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia. The range of work that has emerged is dynamic and inspired.

To prepare the way to offer an e-class I'm learning how to translate a studio to an e-format... and I'm taking photographs of Wabi Sabi imagery to post on the class site. Here in the west there's no real frame of reference for the juxtapostion between nature and human that defines the Wabi Sabi world. That frees us to provide our own sense of discovery. We begin by traveling with camera in hand noticing what we notice before entering the studio to create a contemporary work.

Celebrate what inspires you today.

drozda photos: twig reflection, knife marks on cookie sheet, tree and fence rail

Art Heart

I was born the day after Valentine's day so needless to say its always been dear to my heart... so when I was invited to exhibit in the 'Red Velvet' show at Shooting Star Gallery I was excited to see what would appear...here are the two 24x20 canvases that I'll deliver today.

'Bodhicitta Heart' and 'Fire in the Lake'.

'bodhichitta heart '/ 'fire in the lake '24x20 mixed media/canvas

Conversation with Young Artists

I've been invited by my dear friend and artist (with food, writing, teaching and her own art) extraordinare Betsy DiJulio to visit the National Art Honor Society students at Princess Anne High School tomorrow where Betsy also teaches some very jazzed and amazingly thoughtful classes.

I'll pop in a jump drive so we can look at some images and influences. And I'll carry along some sketch books and a couple of large works on canvas.

There is nothing like having a chat about process and focus followed by Q&A with bright young adults who are walking toward the front of the living creative line.

It's going to be a terrific afternoon.

pictured here: ' The Call' Acrylic on canvas 60x60" 1987

Celebrate the Day

live oaks on the bay

It's been a wonderful time of working on multiple projects in the studio.

Each year I write an article that pertains to the creative energy of the coming year, posting it with my pals David and Sandra over at the wonderful Zodiac Arts.

Finished my first Art House Sketchbook Project sent off on time and completed...whew! I was wondering if that would actually happen. Included here are a trio of sketches.

Next came the completion of the new large painting for Tri-C and Ursuline College Art Therapy 'Simplicity' Symposium...four paintings shipped out via FedEx yesterday for that annual event at which I am the invited guest artist. ...thank you all for including my work once again...it always is a coming home for me.

From FedEx I drove over to the Office of the Purchasing Agent in downtown Norfolk to hand over two hefty packets containing proposals for the Norfolk Light Rail Public Art project. There is a Public Art commission call for 1-9 artists to design windscreen and pavement medallions for the stations. I went to the meeting two weeks ago and decided to throw my hat into the ring. There is a tremendous amount of preparation required in compiling all the necessary pieces and parts to satisfy the commission requirements and of course there is also stiff competition. Now we wait and see.

A new series of studios start this week at the magnificent Contemporary Art Center of Virginia. For the winter semester I'm offering Contemporary Retablo/ExVoto and Saturday in the Studio along with a day long Beginning Blogging for Artists a few weeks from now.

I am grateful each day for all that I have been given in this life and for all that can be shared from a place of creative joy and compassion for all living beings.

May you have a week of walking your path in grace and simple beauty.

Steps and Stages

I'm honored to be invited once again to be the guest artist at the Ursuline College Art Therapy and Counseling Department /Cuyahoga Community College Pre-Art Therapy Dept. Tenth Annual Exhibit, Lecture and workshop. This year the theme is Simplicity: Creating a Vision of Doing More with Less.

This is 72 x 44" unstretched canvas tapestry is in process. It can be seen in an earlier stage in the last post...included here are a few details.

Lately I've been inspired, in my work, to pare things down. Simplicity and simplifying are concepts that I have embraced, in terms of this artist's lifestyle, for many decades.

Even so I have not often applied the idea to my use of color. I suppose more than anything else I am a colorist. I am intoxicated by rich and layered hues. So I'm experimenting and simplifying the colors within this painting. First using a customary riot of color and then applying layers of glazes to 'fog' or quiet down the color range.

I enjoyed realizing that the planet Neptune, which is often thought of as 'a fog' is coming to kiss my sun for the one and only time in my life and, perhaps as a result, I find myself particularly enamoured these days by all things natural... when seen through a veil of mist...the idea of being cocooned and contained within fog simply thrills me.

There are two other canvas that will be traveling along with this one and hopefully they will be posted in the next few days...in bold contrast.

Thank you so much for any comments you may have regarding this unfolding.
Happy day.