Artistic Meanderings

The following is short part of a poem written by Mother, Janice Scott, When I review later how I looked and sounded, what I said and did, and how I thought and felt, some parts may turn out to be unfitting. I can discard that which is unfitting, and keep that which proved fitting, and invent something new for that which I discarded. This poem titled "My Declaration of Self-Esteem" was recently found in an old box of nostalgia from my childhood, and for many reasons I keep reading it. The fascination a daughter has for learning about her mother from her voice and through the daughter's eyes has been a part of it, but also its language as use for the process of painting. Perhaps my mother was writing it as if she was working on a painting herself, or perhaps that painting IS her, or you, or me. Maybe we are all moving all of the parts of our own character around to make things fit.

A few weeks ago on a Thursday afternoon, I had my opening reception for "Reveal / Conceal: Unusual Conversations with the Landscape" at the Blue Gallery at Bowdoin College. My almost 70-year-old Dad was finishing up his harpsichord lesson in the building next door and joined me for a large part of the reception, which I was grateful for since I was sort of misplaced among the campus. I was pleased that some new friends joined me to ask about the paintings. I was especially pleased to join an old friend of mine to one of the Biology Buildings to view the Bird and Bug Collections. As you can imagine, this was an amazing gift to me, for I have been painting birds for a couple of years now - here I got to see them up close, and witness an amazing variety. I do plan a return trip to draw and paint from observation.

In the studio right now, I have started 8 paintings divided between encaustics and oil mediums, narrating my trip to England last Spring. Pictures to come.