fire

casar peony

This 49" x 36" piece on recycled felt paper may be hung in any orientation. Painted from life, work started when a peony from Casar, North Carolina was delivered to me one day after Mother's Day. The image was finished using photographic reference.

(sufa15) casar peony, 49" x 36", water-based media on paper, 2015

(sufa15) casar peony, 49" x 36", water-based media on paper, 2015

photo:  keith morgan of another monday for w projects

photo:  keith morgan of another monday for w projects

(available through Spalding Nix Fine Art)

mlk jr day 2015

Every year, I draw a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr.  I try to do this with one or both of my children and we talk about his dreams and then ours.  

Today, I feel as I often do, that maybe I shouldn't dare or try to dream because I am not educated enough about politics, or how the world works.  I am too idealistic.  My ideals carry no weight. Maybe I am too liberal or too conservative so I don't deserve to work toward making my dreams come true.  Maybe my dreams will be judged because I have or am too much or too little.   But that's not quite right, and I wouldn't want any child in the world to feel this way.

Regardless, as with every single day since I-can't-remember-when, I have this thought whether recalling King's legacy or not: 

My stone of hope for this nation and especially for red hills Georgians is that we might rise up (seriously! RISE UP!) and fix these durn schools.

I might go on about the things and events Americans will "rise up" for and I'd hazard that's not right either. If the schools don't work very, very well, I can not see a future of freedom for children or for us. And that is a heartache that haunts my dream.

kds + hambone, prismacolor and graphite, this morning

seven years

I've posted 2,055 times over these seven years starting on November 1st, 2006. That's crazy - like life.  It's been a full gallop of ups and downs - haha (haha as George Saunders would write).  Thank goodness for the full entertainment and engagement of looking at world, thinking about it and, of course, making stuff.  I'm so content to work and live on this little farm for another seven. No seventh inning stretch. No itch.

The writer (artist) should never be ashamed of staring. There is nothing that does not require his attention. - Flannery O'Connor

Much gratitude to those that inspire, teach, lead, challenge and spur me on a daily basis (with some of you working it on a minute to minute basis).