Lately I’ve been diving deep into big water (pun most definitely intended) as I prepare for several new shows during October.
The first show begins tomorrow (October 2) in Sonoma at Alley Gallery and I’m calling this show “Water Dance.”
At the heart of the show is a large (48”x60”) gold water piece reminiscent of many of the patterns found in the water of beaches and surf breaks around the world. I’ve named this one Salmon Creek after the beach and surf break 40 minutes from my home in Petaluma.
In my heady thoughtful moments (what my sister calls my ninth house of higher learning) I want to say that the gold is reflective of the priceless value of water and how none of us can live without it.
What I really want to say is that I think it’s just beautiful!
Another piece in the show ( a large botanical triptych) is the most recent of the botanical pieces that I’ve been playing with for most of my career. These newest creations are a deep dive into the complex color and structure of Canna leaves, plants I’ve been exploring all summer long due to an abundance of them in my backyard garden.
These two elements - the water and the botanicals - make up the dance of this show’s title. One without the other is impossible. Their ongoing interaction is what sustains both… as well as us.
With this show I’m seeking to create a beautiful reminder that our connections matter and that the beauty that comes from those connections is important.
Over the last few weeks we’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of news, information and protest about climate change and the future of the earth. I want this show to be a reminder of the life sustaining beauty that is all around us, the need to protect and sustain that beauty, and the way that beauty protects and sustains us.
Welcome to the Water Dance.