We’ve reached the 5th and FINAL week
of my Summer Stories Archival Sale!

Thank you so much for joining me along the way!

The five pieces described below are 20% off in my web shop, now through 11:59pm August 28th. Find them under the category “This Moment in Time”.
Use the coupon code Moments20 at checkout.
Collectors, don’t forget your special code for 30% off

 

The work discussed in this post directly addresses a facet of my practice that informs pretty much everything else – which, if you’ve been following along this summer, won’t come as a surprise. A large part of what spurs me to make art is no different than for most artists: the act of paying attention. Observing and appreciating common, often seemingly insignificant sights or moments gives me a grounded sense of connection with the world and my place in it. It’s a large part of what makes me tick.

Without intending it to be so, at least consciously, I always seem to be on the alert for the un/common things that make up the fabric of our routines. Or maybe it’s just that they are the spoonful of sugar that sweetens any regular day, so I’m inclined to notice. Regardless, finding ways to manifest and translate these discoveries through my work is a way to both hold onto them and to share them, knowing that others will also recognize the substance in their universality.

October Grasses

Our first fall in Vermont, fifteen years ago, we were so grateful to be here. That delight affected everything around us. The sky seemed unbelievably blue and the grasses along the roadside shimmered like gold in the bright sun. I hadn’t experienced autumn in Vermont since my college days, but the old exuberant feelings that accompanied the changeover from summer resurfaced with a vengeance as the temperatures dipped and the leaves turned.

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When Birds Fly South

As the days become noticeably shorter and the woods become quieter, the fields of northern Vermont turn to a beautiful mix of ochres and russet. One of the things I most appreciate about living in our rural state is being surrounded by so much open space. Looking into the distance – whether toward the mountains, or across a field that has been left wild or is well-tended by a farmer – is a luxury, one I appreciate every day. 

As every Vermonter knows, the wildflowers and grasses by the side of our roads are in a constant state of flux. One becomes accustomed to what appears when, acknowledging each change as another marker of the passing weeks and months. As I have written here often, living within the seasons is a source of constant pleasure and inspiration for me.

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How does one capture the thoughts that rattle around in our heads? Ideas form and then break apart as they flicker in and out of focus, sometimes sticking like glue, other times flittering away into nothingness. Nebulous as these moments are, they have the power to elevate with excitement or to weigh one down like concrete, reverberating long after the moment has passed. They are the epiphanies that open windows and the regrets that isolate. It’s a phenomenon we all experience and have to learn to live with, in whatever way we can.

Fractured Thought

Lingering Comment

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Chipotle With Beets

Beautiful, unexpected color combinations show up in the most unusual places – one just has to keep an eye out for them. Finishing a lunch of whatever it was I’d made the night before that included chipotle and beets, I was struck by the gorgeous magenta and saffron-colored drippings that remained on my white plate. I snapped a photo and then went straight to the studio, looking to recreate that visual “zip”.

My summer has flown! And now that we’ve reached the end of this project, in the words of our Looney Tunes friends…that’s all folks!

I hope you’ve enjoyed stepping behind the curtain with me this summer and that perhaps it’s given you a chance to consider some of the deeper layers of backstories behind your own work or the art you collect.

Final reminder:  use the coupon code  Moments20  for your 20% discount on the above pieces in my web shop. They will remain on sale through 11:59pm August 28th. Enjoy free shipping within the continental US.; these pieces are ready to hang. Thank you.

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Now it’s time to think about new projects as we head into fall.  But first, I’m off for a much-anticipated and joyful family celebration that will undoubtedly hold many moments, large and small, that will eventually filter into future work. See you soon!