Job Box

Posted on April 9, 2015 by AM Roselli

Long ago
letters were thoughtless
compartmentalized
in walls of wood
lined in metal
alone as they were
dull

strung together
blossomed
broad thoughts
narrow concepts
soft guilt
hard passion

letters
singular
sideways upside down
gathering residue
together
prescient

wipe clean
return home
job box
alone again
’til evenings events
rally
once more
May you dream of beautiful transient letters making gorgeous journeys…

Above: Long ago, individual metal letters for traditional typesetting were kept organized in job boxes. The boxes were actually drawers that slid into a larger metal cabinet. Today, these boxes are considered antiques. I was given a plain wooden job box in exchange for a painting I did for someone. I painted the box and added my kiddies plastic toys, when they no longer had need of them. 🙂

Sparkling

Posted on April 7, 2015 by AM Roselli

breath just out of reach
in the lungs
in the soul
her heart was tired
her eyes more so

those lovely fingers
nails thin and yellow
once strung delicate white lights
on every willowy houseplant
claiming the toasted-cream living room

a mechanical bed usurping
the mahogany coffee table
those vertical houseplants
sparkling oxygen
into dying black irises

feathers and leaves usher her
to papa’s homeland
embracing over cobblestones
pattering bustling streets
inhaling baked flour

smiling at
a bouncing soccer ball
little white lights dripping
across canopies
warm bistros and red wine

her breath
whispering
I am home
I am home
I am home

those houseplants
sparkling

Robin’s Tree

May you dream of a full, beautiful life…
Tree painted about 2 years ago for Robin

The Land of Little

Posted on March 4, 2015 by AM Roselli

My Friends,

Long ago
in the land of little
a big girl smiled
she worked small movements
she moved in tight steps
she managed
to be small
in the land of little

Long ago
in the land of little
trotted a pony
the big girl smiled
life was pretty ponies
and giant dreams
stepping up
she was asked
to step down
too big
for the little pony

big enough
to hide the tears

big enough
to have
smaller dreams
in the land of little
May you dream of galloping on a prancing pony with smooth, satin grass underfoot…

Shetland Pony painted when I was little 🙂

House Painting

Posted on February 12, 2015 by AM Roselli

My Friends,
The giant husband’s father was a house painter by trade. Pops was old-school. Everything had to be perfect and not a drop of Behr’s ever spilled. When it comes to painting the walls in our home, the giant husband expects no less. He’s a perfectionist. I’m not allowed to paint interior walls solid colors. I can’t paint neatly. Though, the giant husband doesn’t mind when I use more than one color. 🙂
The carousel (with Spirit the Horse) I painted in the delicate daughter’s room and the Jungle Babies mural I painted in our nursery. I painted the remaining murals in other homes. Sorry about the image quality.
Pops’ paintbrush hangs in a special place in my studio. It reminds me of how painting can bring happiness into ones life and home.

Thank you. May you dream of being surrounded by beautiful color…

The Truth About My Art

Posted on January 21, 2015 by AM Roselli

My Friends,
When someone places an artist’s hat upon my head, I often feel unworthy. I’m not glued nightly to a canvas. I’m not angst-ridden at 3 am. I don’t take myself very seriously.

The truth about my art…
There isn’t a prestigious fine art degree, but there is greatly advanced naiveté.
There haven’t been decades of rendering, but there have been years of creative struggle.
There isn’t an artist hiding in my house, but there is one hiding in my brain.
There isn’t a grand studio filled with en plein air studies and sable brushes in old coffee cans.
There is a room off the kitchen built with a hammer and nails,
by a creative husband for his emotional wife.

Self/acrylic

I hope this painting (featured once before) keeps my blog’s PG13 rating – as I consider these subjects nude, but not naked 🙂
Thank you. May you dream of wearing many hats and loving them all.

Self is one of my larger acrylic pieces – 4 ft x 4 ft. Painted in 1997 (if memory serves)

Character

Posted on January 19, 2015 by AM Roselli

My Friends,

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.”
Thank you. May you have a dream too…
Blue Horses painted for a selfless friend and healer

Let’s Live with Open Eyes and Open Land

Posted on January 12, 2015 by AM Roselli

My Friends,
“…No human being can live without healthy land, clean water, and the diversity of life that thrives on this planet. Taking care of what takes care of us makes practical sense, and maybe more than that for me, morally and spiritually, it’s just the right thing to do.” – Virginia Kennedy

I greatly admire ‘open land’ champion and advocate, Virginia Kennedy. In NY, as Otsego Land Trust’s Executive Director, Ms. Kennedy has dedicated herself to saving our rapidly disappearing green vistas. “Otsego Land Trust has been named to the Land Trust Alliance National Land Trust Excellence Program, one of 70 land trusts from over 1900 organizations nationwide to be selected…Executive Director, Virginia Kennedy, has also been invited to join the Leadership Program...”

Besides serving as a passionate environmental steward, Ms. Kennedy and her husband Kevin have raised three children who’ve blossomed into magnificent adults. Daniel, Joseph and Marygrace are my wonderful nephews and niece. And yes, Ms. Kennedy is my brilliant sister. Though Virginia is only one year older, she’s about one hundred years wiser. She’s a role model to emulate in every way (except maybe her singing voice 😉 ).

The environment weighs on the scales of humanity. It’s up to us to keep it balanced.

Daniel detail

Joey detail

Marygrace detail

Thank you. May you dream all the world is healthy as are its children.

Planet Balance created yesterday. Platinum children: Dan, Joey, Marygrace painted several years ago upon my mother’s request (I’ll never forget painting 10 sets of teeth for Nana).

A Girl Named Galeen

Posted on November 9, 2014 by AM Roselli

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…

Fallen Stone, Painted Rocks

Posted on September 11, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
For Americans, September 11th has become a day of remembrance. On this day we remember the fallen, the injured, the loss, the lessons, the heartbreak, the world…

On that pristine, cloudless day in 2001, the New York skyline was blackened. Americans were shocked by tragedy. What happened afterward was nothing short of spectacular. The indomitable American spirit rose up like a phoenix. We grieved long, then we rebuilt the fallen stone.

After 9/11 many of us looked for ways to help out. I painted hundreds of beach pebbles then planted myself in front of the local grocery store. I collected over $1,200 selling rocks for $1, but many teary-eyed people donated much more. We look back and still weep.

The money was given to FDNY Rescue 1 – they’d lost half their company, eleven men.
The portrait below is of FDNY Rescue 1, Firefighter Gary Geidel (44 years of age), who was lost on 9/11/2001. I painted this for his mother.

There are many parts of the world that can’t look back, their lands are still war zones. I pray for worldwide peace. It is very, very difficult…but not impossible.

Thank you. May you too, dream of world wide peace…

A Tall Order

Posted on August 23, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
The big son wants to be giant like his 6’7″ dad. At the big son’s physical, the doctor offered, “You’ll definitely reach six at least.” The big son was waiting for her to say, “and seven inches.” She didn’t. When we arrived back home the big son bemoaned, “I want to be as tall as dad, so I can talk to him – eye to eye.” I supportingly said, “Hey, you may get there. But for now, just use a ladder like everybody else does.”

I have two nephews – brothers – who are 14 months apart. They are amazing kids: bright, handsome, kind, athletic. I jokingly refer to my sister Virginia’s, three children as the platinum kids. They’re nearly perfect in every way. All three received huge scholarships. The 2 boys have since graduated and are finding much success. I’m quite sure their beautiful sister will do the same. The interesting thing is my eldest nephew is 5′ 10″, while his younger brother is 6′ 3″.

Years ago, my mom requested a portrait of her darling grandchildren. The images below are details from the 6′ x 8′ oil painting. I’ve not yet recovered from painting so many teeth.
This is platinum nephew, number one –

This is platinum nephew, number two –