Following the Moon: Renewing the Heart

paper mache skin on half-size guitar 

I send all best to you as we wind down this mysterious time of the natural year when deep internal realinment takes place preparing us for the approaching 90 days of spring.

I've invested this moon in renewing my heart. I've been sitting in the quiet of my studio creating a tribute to my dear friend and mentor Ann Dearsley Vernon.
The video shows Ann's art created in the 12 months following a cutting edge medical treatment, the insertion of an LVAD. The procedure gave Ann a new lease on life...her vitality and passion soared and her paintings flowed like the newly revitalized blood in her veins.

On December 12 at 2am Ann suffered a massive stroke. Since that time she has been unable to communicate clearly and her time is spent in physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions. Every aspect of her recovery is made more complicated and affected by the LVAD that literally keeps her on the planet.

Honoring the family's request for holding back and not flooding her with visitors I sat and wondered what I could do so that my love for her was being directed in a healthy way. When the idea came: create a tribute...every step fell into place.

Along came the call for artists to create an 'instrument of art' for the 6th annual Sea Level Festival's . Both Ann and I have been active with Tidewater Arts Outreach since it began in 2004. TAO is the organization that hosts the SeaLevel Festival and so I accepted the half size guitar offered to me and went into the studio.

A work of art using someone elses images, in this case Ann Vernon's paintings as transfers, became my new experience as I moved forward to create a tribute to her life well lived.

 

  begin to lay in color and texture

 

 

 add repeat transfers of Ann's painting of her memory of collapsing in her garden

 

one side of the guitar holds a transfer of her painting 'Word Salad'...

  the opposite side panel with Ann and her painting 'My Mechanical Heart'...

 

 

We're in the Full Moon phase of the Renewal/Purity moon cycle. A lovely time to take a deep breath and renew the love of your heart.

As we move into the last weeks of the winter 'Mystery' quadrant of this year's Natural Wheel I dream of best health to your heart and for our world.

Enjoy your Luna See
d

ALLI Awards

This little guy is part of an exhibit at The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum in the DeWitt Wallace where I had a special experience this afternoon...

I was nominated for a 2009 ALLI Award. This is an excerpt from the Newport News, Daily Press:

Sponsored by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads, the annual awards recognize professionals, volunteers, businesses and media representatives for their contributions to the region's arts and culture.

The list of arts professionals nominated includes Diana Davenport, an artist and community arts supporter; John Dixon, director of the Academy of Music in Norfolk; arts educator Donna Drozda, who works with Tidewater Arts Outreach; arts educator Patty Edwards; Vincent Epps, who works with the Southeastern Virginia Arts Association (SEVAA) Summer Arts Workshop; Martha Frances Fortson for her work on behalf of the Portsmouth Museum Foundation; William J. Hennessey, director and president of the Chrysler Museum of Art; Edwin Jacob, director of theater arts at Tidewater Community College; The Hermitage Foundation Museum Director Melanie Leigh Mathewes; associate artistic director Patrick Mullins for his educational outreach programs at Virginia Stage Company; Richard A. Singletary, owner of the Singletary Gallery and African Art Museums; and Mal Vincent, movie and theater writer and critic for The Virginian- Pilot.

There was a lovely ceremony and reception in Williamsburg at the DeWitt Wallace Museum and though I didn't win, I also didn't lose, as being in such marvelous company was the best part of the recognition of being a nominee.

Tree-O

One of my favorite ways to be involved in the community is through organizations that correlate art with healing.

Being able to move my hand on paper literally saved my life following violent trauma oh so many years ago.

Since its inception in 2004 I've been a volunteer and sit on the Board of Advisors for Tidewater Arts Outreach/TAO. In a few days we'll hold a festival where fabulous music and some visual art come together to raise funds for what's to come.

My contribution is 'Tree-O' always fun to work with 'threes'.

TAO on TV

Yesterday's Tidewater Arts Outreach volunteer event was a wonderful opportunity to experience music and visual art coming together to uplift kids in a cancer ward...two television news teams came to provide coverage. Here's the link to one:

http://www.wavy.com/ Scroll down a bit in the “Video on Demand” section and click on the story “Art and Music Lifting Spirits at CHKD.”