Adventure!

“Life is a great adventure!” says my 82 year old friend B. She is well-travelled, yet one of B’s greatest joys is a small courtyard outside her back door.  She tells of the wonderful flowers in bloom there, her chats with people walking by, the robin that nests in her overgrown chocolate vines.  She quotes poet Maya Angelou: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”   

     I think art helps us find that breathlessness, that sense of adventure.  Watching a hummingbird, hearing a laugh, smelling toast, touching a rose petal – all help us feel the adventure of being alive.  As an artist I try to explore that wonder for others to enjoy.  Sometimes the inspiration is a grand sunset over spectacular mountains.  More often it is nearer at hand, like a new green leaf, or the way a bird spirals up to find the sky.

     To capture these small moments I must observe them closely.  I try to find the various greens in the form of the leaf. I watch to see how the bird changes shape as it circles upward.  This sharpened observation helps etch the scene in my memory, enriching my experience of the world. Creating art lets others share that experience.

     My recent work shows some favorite scenes, some near home, some further away.  Each one holds adventure if you know where to look. You can see my work at Zanzibar Coffee Adventure until July 20, 2024.  Join me at our Reception at Zanzibar on Tuesday July 16 from 5-7pm. Enjoy wine and light hors d’oeurves along with classical guitarist Dana Starkell.  (Ask Dana about his great canoe adventure!)