Monday, September 19, 2011

Haikus and Art


Currently entered in the Exeter Townhall Gallery for the next three weeks. It's a combination of poetry and art. A poem written for each piece of art or a painting made for a poem.
I write Haikus (Americanized version, three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables) for some of my paintings. Haikus are short and unpretentious (like me). Occasionally I write the Haiku and then paint a subject evoked by my Haiku.
This painting was done a number of years ago when I was in a darker place.
"Adrift"
"Adrift on a dark,
Dark sea I dream of what never
Was and never will be."
This painting has won four awards in Juried shows ranging from Honorable Mentions, to a first place in Pastels. I've shown this for many years now but have never been able to sell it.













Another autobiographical Haiku and painting: "Into the Sunset", as an old (really old) retired Air Force Pilot, I feel this is quite appropriate.
"Into the Sunset"
"The sunset beckons.
I fly the valley of clouds
Tracking the beacon home."
This one also won awards but one judge criticized the repetitious cloud shapes in the lower half of the painting. I guess she couldn't see the hand of God reaching out to receive me. This painting sold the first time I put it up for sale. The patrons are the judges who really count.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Londonderry Art Fair

My Monet's Pond was one of the paintings sold at the Londonderry Art Fair last weekend. Even though I did let a gentleman haggle me down about 50% on two paintings, it turned out to be a good Saturday. I just wanted to get the first sale of the day out of the way. (My artist friends always give me a hard time when I do this. In fact they give me a hard time on my pricing in general. They should be higher??????)