ARTifacts

A note from the artist:

Each of the whimsical pieces in this colorful show seeks to turn trash into treasure by incorporating “found objects” and also using items that have been re-purposed for mark making.

I have interspersed these beautiful mix media pieces with personal poems I have written over the years. It has been another way besides through painting that I have found expression and healing.

Of Course

Sitting here thinking of you

The only one who might understand

The world

On the other side of the ocean

Not made up

Or fantasy

But fantastical to be sure A childhood reverie

Of adventures

And phenomenal stories

Almost too good to be true

You were there too

They must have happened

They will believe you

And I was there too

Of course

**Bloom With Abandon – acrylic, paint pen, straw wrapper, pen & ink**

Good Vibrations

Good vibrations

All around me

In sound

In sight

By day

And night

The earth

The heat

Cicadas sing

In beat

To the summer

To each other

A moment

Like no other

Good vibrations

**The Future’s Not Set – acrylic, pen & ink, conte pencil, metal washers**

Loki

Grief comes like a wave

Where every second

I confront

The reality

That you’re really

Gone

I miss you

My friend

Your patient presence

Happy in the moment

To be by my side

Watching

Protecting

Loving

Faithful

**Wings of Freedom – acrylic, butterfly wings**

There Are Times

There are times

I want to disappear

Go up in smoke

I feel you staring

Judging

We started out

On the same path

We weren’t cut

From cloths so different

You’ve changed

Guess you think you’re better

That I’ve made another mistake

I never claimed to be perfect

But

At least I’m honest

What you see

Is what you get

Then why do I hate myself

For being this way

**Summer Blooms – ac**rylic, pen & ink, pencil shavings

I See Your Light

I see your light

At the end of the road

And it warms my heart

As I cradle my secret

Like a golden ember

I see your light

At the end of my street

And it soothes my soul

As I think my quiet thoughts

Of love and loss

Of pain and hope reborn

And hope of tomorrow

And perhaps you too

Look back

And see my light Shining back at you

And it warms your heart

And soothes your soul

As well

**Stay Connected – acrylic, gold leaf, Easter gra**ss

Life Lessons

How do you live a life that is true

And how do you stay authentically you

A vessel of choice, a moment in space

A yearning ambition, a heart full of grace

A pitcher of patience, a cupful of care

A kettle of comfort, a blanket to share

A breath that is steady, a mind that is sure

A soul that in ready, the will to endure

How do you live in a world full of pain

Where nothing is perfect; there’s no one to blame

Just keep the wheel steady and keep the light on

Tell folks that you love them before they are gone

Spend each day like it is your last

Live in the present and not in the past

Chase every rainbow and catch every star

And no matter where you go

You’re sure to go far

How do you live a life that is true

And how do you stay authentically you

A vessel of choice, a moment in space

A yearning ambition, a heart full of grace

**Autumn’s Story – acrylic, paint pen, leaf**

**Flow Like a River – acrylic, paint pen, pen & ink, embroidery floss, thread**

Solitude

I do not need a verbal affirmation

From flawed human tongues and minds

Or judgement cast by pious frauds

I only wish to feel the Spirit move

To show that grace and charity abound

To pray simply and quietly in peace

Under the shadow of heavenly wings

Where there is only love

**Night Song – acrylic, conte pencil, pen & ink, spelling list, glass beads**

Do Not Fret

Do not fret love

The child sleeping in your arms

Chose you

Souls bound

With more than twine

Heart beats bound

Eternally in tune

You are mine

And I am yours

Both seen

Through the rose-colored glass

Of perfect love

Made whole

**The Wasp and the Swallow – acrylic, pen & ink, feather, paper wasp nest**

Friendship

Friendship

Like the ebb and flow

Of the tide

Sometimes apart

But at times so close

I can taste the salt in the air

As the sea comes

Rushing back

And with it the tide

Constant

And sure

As you

**Forest Serenade – acrylic, pen & ink, gold, fabric**

I Can Breathe

I can breathe

My friend

Because you make

The air lighter

Just with your presence

My lungs expand

And clear my mind

Of worrying

Dark

Clouds

Just by being near

**Desert Beauty – acrylic, metallic paint, glass beads**

Home From Travel

Home from travel

A new perspective

But not the one I had hoped

I thought it would change me

Instead

I find that I am exactly the same

And

That the narrow world

It is not enough

**Three Generations – acrylic, metallic paint, conte pencil,** sand, ash

**River of Honey – acrylic, pen & ink, paper strings**

Holding Hands

I map my life

In the wrinkles

Of the hand I hold

The hand that’s

Holding mine

The tender grip

As if clutching

A tiny sparrow

Too afraid

To fly

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