Jasper the Mad Jester & Universal Clown makes sculpt no. 8 for me. What a clay quest I’ve been on – each character brings their own set of unique challenges. Learning as I go – each trip takes my mind away from the real world. Jasper is 12″ tall from boot to tip of hat.
Jasper dances and sprinkles stars through many universes. When in our galaxy, he enjoys dangling the moon and placing a gold ‘disco’ boot upon the earth to quietly remind – the joke is on us – as we sometimes think we’re quite grand – we control nothing at all – the universe will always have the upper hand.
I hope you’re managing through this mess we’re in… am:)
outside my daughter’s window, the woodpecker hammering the aluminum gutter knows nothing other—than what he knows
this incensed bird will wake my teen who already sleeps fitfully beneath the creatures who suffocate her dreams: they claw earth; pollute water; rape land; tear friendships; rend families; decimate futures they alter climates they type in ALL CAPS
the woodpecker continues his assault on the gutter outside my daughter’s window if this red-headed madcap mirrored humanity at all, he might desist but he doesn’t know anything other—than what he knows
the hammering bird hunts for his brand of love; his brand of sustenance; his right to expand his territory; his need to collect like-minded-birds who would adore his amplified walloping
so, I must continue thinking of ways to deter him—or at the very least send him elsewhere but how unkind would that be—he’s only a bird after all the inane walloping is coming from elsewhere
(Prisma pencil pecker created about ten years ago)
I hope you’re all managing okay. I take in every headline without breathing
Beside the bright berries of the mountain ash, the bird’s eyes are dull. His heart — races. Will this be the creature I save? Into its parched mouth, I administer a drop of water. The frail ribs expand up and down like a bullfrog’s throat. The dull eyes go glassy. The breast stops flying.
My small sweating hands wrap the limp bird in tissue. I dig out a hole and bury the tiny thing beside the tree. Tears fall. The ground turns moist. I mutter a child’s prayer for things I don’t understand. The morning sun shifts. The ground has nearly dried.
Should I stand beside this grave for the remainder of my life—
Long ago, I began what I affectionately titled my ‘kitchen-sinking file’ an ever-growing repository to hold my murdered darlings — the words I couldn’t jettison into the infinite, all-powerful, sometimes destructive, and often just downright crappy void of invisible voices
For this first short reconstructed piece, I wanted an environmental theme — Though the merged thoughts are depressing, this was an enjoyable exercise to do. I hope to create a few more of these pieces in the future.
Reconstruction 1:
NATURE VS US we seem to be fighting against her only one of us can emerge victorious
I. while we busy ourselves engraving our legacies into granite the concrete angel arms waiting for our bones fade away beneath the ebb and flow of our disbelief
II. DELETED as we delete the things we detest
III. beyond the horizon, where the hot lands submerge he rolls his great mane to rest upon the blackened grass south of the Sahara      the great space around him vanishing as he sleeps
IV. slipping and whipping down the burning slide saddled to a cement slab in sun dried: Any Town, Earth County ZipZapped000
V. obfuscators of earth’s guardianship whose clasped hands grip limitless wealth      (go ahead, toss those deposit boxes and time capsules into the rising sea)
…and they tossed their wishing well coins
VI. sometimes our beasts go silent sometimes our beasts escape most often they starve to death despite their accumulated knowledge
VII. long ago, a pregnant virgin cradled my childhood faith
VIII. I must remember skating on Papa’s ice pond, and I must always pray for spring
——————————————————————————————- captured footnote: X——-X entry: byte.non–f (fire drive destroyed 2025/alt recovery file cap 219) 5Z 7K 24X: date doc// October of the 6th route//2030 ——- archive:context txtvolume79033cvx130..:///Rational science had been crushed beneath the Mad Believers (4fT99)//and those by their side squatted on the world… during this period, fear and hate thrived and love un-lived Entry200060002324//eventually The Mad Belief (ipsumibidMXCII1112) was forgotten ///recollected during nature’s self-purge/mankind no longer present… ———- end entry…datapoint…X recording 54567 —–someone screaming on the floating island collect years, savaged roots, where are you all???end transmis /’’’tend the children well/’’’’’ they begged, sow seeds, plant saplings you there – apologize for unsalvageable soil. unusable water earth’s clock solar-powered no backup no backward angels’ concrete dissolved
Hi there, How I wish there was more love flooding the world rather than tidal waves. Nonetheless, I’ve anchored the drywall in warm hues. (Blue DragonUmp latex satin too depressing) Here’s a brush of autumn color for your chilled porch.
artwork created a few years back, updated recently (snake & squirrel created with Prisma & watercolor marker, snake background created with Canva/fun program:))
I have five extraordinary siblings out there in the world. For the last several years, my sister Grace has been photographing and collecting the journeys and the stories of other artists in the fine art world through her Pandora’s BoxX Project.
Grace’s artwork can be found in private collections in the US and Europe. Beyond her artistic talent, is an exceptionally dedicated and driven woman whose passion and commitment to the fine art world are nothing short of admirable.
Ah, we female birds
so plain and dull
sitting upon our nests
obliged to keep our eggs warm
and what do you do
fly off with your freshly preened
brilliant red plumage
to seduce another dull female
while we colorless squatters
do not complain
understanding the urge to wander
is in your nature
so we dust-feathered, will teach troops of earnest chicks
and you will be crowned master of ceremony
for a parade of dull females I was just light-hearting the prose up a bit – no offense to many a good man. 🙂
Red-crested woodpecker done with watercolor marker and Prisma pencil a few weeks ago
Dear Friends,
Over the last few days, I’ve seen two excellent conscience-bearing movies. Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn is based on a true story. It’s a convincing cinematic portrayal of a young college-educated man who forgoes the trappings of society and our manmade shackles. His search for a ‘purer’ existence ultimately brings him to Alaska where he must attempt survival. The other film, The Eleventh Hour, directed by Leonardo DiCaprio lays out mankind’s future if global warming isn’t taken seriously. Both films left me thinking about how I live my life. They left me pondering my children’s futures if we can’t reign in our want, and stop treating nature as a thing to be bartered and sold.
Yesterday my post included a silly Christmas tree. For reference I’d snapped a photo of the delicate daughter crossing her arms. While on a sub break today, I was perusing my photos and stopped at my daughter’s image. I drew her sweet face during lunch. I pray the bright future reflected in her caramel eyes, is the bright future she will have on a beautiful healthy planet… Thank you. May you dream of pure air and crystal water. Delicate Daughter sketched today. Little Miss Green Apple below done with Prisma pencils several months ago.
Dear Friends,
I so enjoy creating irksome monsters with glowing eyes and bizarre creatures with gnashing teeth. Where this little girl comes from, I’m not quite sure. I think she dwells beneath the soft underbelly of my heart. You best be careful digging beneath your heart. Squishy stuff settles there and if to much oozes out, you’ll feel empty inside.
Besides changing hair length – like night and day alternating sides – Galeen loves surfacing now and again. Since she thinks she’s kind of cute, Galeen would like to present her ‘living’ scrapbook.
Dunce
Hair Hiding
Star Gazer
Statically
Autumn Leaves
Thank you. May you dream of wishing stars floating in the soft underbelly of your heart.
As you may have noticed, Galeen likes experimenting with how she appears – she may cover herself with paint, pencil, collage or marker! She’s never quite sure what scented soap to use and loves trying them all…
I have five extraordinary siblings out there in the world. For the last several years, my sister Grace has been photographing and collecting the journeys and the stories of other artists in the fine art world through her 
anntogether 