Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year and Happy Chinese New Year!  Whew!

We are heading to be with family in the Northwest for Christmas. Mom and Dad are doing fine and the house will be FULL...at least 30 there...we'll see who shows up. We are very thankful to still have Mom and Dad both. And to have them in such good shape is icing on the cake...which they don't eat much of...cake that is...or icing. Anyway...it will be fun.

See y'all in the new year!

Soon to be our Christmas card

another Multnomah mermaid...

Spiritual Mother

Add caption

some hats are very important

it's fall!

and finally today it's
going to cool down
into the 60's...I love
the 60's!

Dad's favorite Bible verse

Does she make it to color?

Architecture of my heart...should she get colored?
There's an unfinished drawing on my desk of
architecture of my heart as hat.

The building she's holding is the Vista House. It sits on a beautiful cliff above the Columbia River in Oregon.
It's just a few minutes drive from where I grew up. It's gorgeous. That's Multnomah Falls behind her, and
swimming around are the Chinook.

Family Reunion 2011

It was the best ever family reunion...of the best ever family. I love every one of y'all. We had as much fun as we could pack into a weekend. Planning the next one already. Love love love!

my lovely husband

I'm having fun with my iphone camera...and Marvin was having fun at cousin Joyce's birthday party.

Nobody's gonna snatch my kids...

Multnomah Mermaid

I try being serious and before I know it I'm drawing a mermaid with the Vista House on her head. I believe every body of water should have it's own mermaid, so I'll be assigning this one to Multnomah Falls...and maybe to my friend Jan who raises lavender.

Unity

My church (clearcreek.org) is doing a summer series on the book of Ephesians.
And, bless their hearts, they are trying to feature the work of some of the church's
visual artists. So, this is the piece I will be submitting for their use. It's different for
me in some ways, and in others not. I've always used symbolism in my work...
granted not usually in such simple forms as this. But the idea came, stayed and
got itself on a canvas. The collage areas are from the same old Bible that belonged
to my precious mother-in-law. Old and worn and stained up pretty well...kind of
like a lot of us. And now being renewed. Like a lot of us. I'm happy with it. Hope
it works in the context it's intended for.

girls with wings

Angels? maybe. I found an old Bible
with no cover and some serious stains.
I like it. Some of the pages became wings.

back home

We were able to make the tight connections and arrived in LosAngeles an hour and a half before Cheyenne's "Homegoing" celebration. It was beautiful. Traditional in many ways and extraordinary in so many others. The services were held at the only Black Lutheran church I've ever heard of (I'm thinking Garrison Keillor needs to know about this place). It's a church full of wonderful people who had supported the family throughout Cheyenne's illness. The youth choir sang and were beautiful. They even called for help on one song...invited adult choir members to join them...so Marvin and I did, along with about 25 others. It felt so good to sing in a choir again. "How Excellent" was the perfect choice and we belted our tenor part with all the fervor in us. The church was packed and well-wishers were standing outside. Family wore purple, Cheyenne's favorite color. Rev. Lobdell gave a truthful and powerful eulogy. He told about Cheyenne's demand that her Daddy, and all those around her, "pray out loud" so she could hear their prayers.  The procession to the cemetery was over 100 cars. Friends and family held a lovely service at the grave site and stayed until the casket was lowered into the ground, the hole filled and sod covered. Then a repast at the Jamaican club where Charlie and his musician friends perform. There was food and music and dancing and talking and a celebration of the life of Cheyenne. All through the day Cheyenne's powerful directing personality was present. "Cheyenne would have wanted it this way" was declared repeatedly. Now Tenika, Charlie, Altha, Ben, Chelsea, Caemora, Chad and the rest of the family, settle in to life without Cheyenne. We know her pain is gone and she is safe in the arms of Jesus. Tears will still be shed.

We will miss our sweet Cheyenne

We couldn't love you more.

taco soup

Art for Easter

Friendswood Community
Church is once again
staging their experience
of Good Friday.

The themes are suffering
and renewal. I'm doing a
piece for each. They do a
wonderful job of featuring
the work of artists.

Everyone is invited.


My apologies for the
quality of the photos...
I will have them scanned
after the "show".

spring

to my friends in Tennessee...
I miss the redbuds and dogwoods.

Monique

I was lucky enough to connect with a beautiful young woman a few months ago. She was just a toddler when I first met her and we became friends as she grew up. We loved to paint and draw together. I left her in Seattle when she was still a little girl. She's a beautiful woman now. This is a painting I did of her when she was about five. What a beauty she is...inside and out. Thanks for sending me a photo Monique...and thanks for keeping that painting.

an angel among us

Our precious niece, Cheyenne, is fighting for her life.
The cancer that took her leg is filling her lungs.
We are in constant prayer. She is a delight. We love her so.

how images seal themselves

I was thinking that I should say something about the repeated
use of the dove/flower image in my work. My recent painting
for Easter is only the latest in a long repetitious line that started
at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Seattle. Mt. Zion's sanctuary
is beautiful in reds and purples, huge unfinished log pillars and
a magnificent fabric banner at it's center. Admittedly, until writing
today, I had never read the intended symbolism of the designer,
Larry Metcalf, Professor of Art at Seattle Pacific University.
I love the banner and spent many many hours admiring it. And,
the image of a dove with the trumpet flowers began pouring itself
into my doodles and drawings. It turns out the flowers are
described by Metcalf to be hyssop, symbolizing penitence and
humility...totally different than my interpretation of blessing and
abundance...the heavens pouring itself into our (my) lives and
the resultant puddles of blessing that should flow to others.

You can read about
the sanctuary design
of Mount Zion at
www.mountzion.net.

It is a thoughtfully
beautiful place.

I'm thankful for the
years I spent sitting
in it's beauty.

I'm still not a baptist.

renewal

We spent the last week in Dallas...
Marvin at a conference, me in the
hotel room working and painting.
This piece is about Renewal.

still working with the watercolor pencils...not as frustrating now...still a long way to go.

no title yet

today's work, still using the watercolor pencils,
this time pastels and line work with a sharpie.

trying some new techniques

My learning style is so impatient. I'm trying to figure
out how to use my watercolor pencils...and don't
even think about going to the net to see if there are
suggestions...just wade in and see what happens.
I'll keep working on it.

Happy New Year!

We are looking forward to a New Year...as always.
I'm sure there will be surprises! And it's time to hit
the canvas and do more painting.
Always a good resolution.