Imperfect and Real, Like my Life

While painting the dining room today, I emptied out the hutch in order to be able to move it, and enjoyed seeing the contents and their palette, my life palette, in a modern geometric abstraction, (inspiration for an abstract painting).

Although I'm pretty much a minimalist, I find it is very interesting to see the vibrant hues, the depth and richness that I would choose for my oil paintings, splayed out on the dining room table, abstracted. Initially I was attracted to the hues that were selected by the artisans and manufacturers that formed them. Currently, I found myself caught up in the shapes and patterns and saw my past through another lens.

The green pitcher above was purchased in a small town near Avignon, Fr., just after eating too much pasta bolognese that made me feel sluggish, causing me to peddle my bike with great effort. We were there just after 9/11, a surreal time for all of us, and I remember that I felt so wicked to be out enjoying such a luxurious escape bicycling around Provence for a good week. The pitcher now has a chip in it, imperfect and real, like my life. I love my life, I love being an artist. I deal with being imperfect.

The vessels originated from Spain, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Portland, Oregon, and Venice, and are artworks of color and memories of travel and discovery. Locally, hand crafted objects were collected from Healdsburg and St Helena.

As an artist, I relish seeing parts of life from a different perspective, from up above in this case. I see vessels and containers, holders of food, sustenance and flowers, all from happy times. I am so very grateful for these small bench marks of my life experience and envision them carrying on in the same way.

​I think I will to paint the hutch next.