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By Peggy Stermer-Cox, 362 contributed posts
View all Peggy Stermer-Cox's posts. About the author: I begin my watercolor paintings with an idea and a drawing. I build the painting layer by layer, drawing lines and shapes, looking for rhythm and feeling. My color sense is a reflection of my childhood in New Mexico fused with colors of my home in the Northwest. My goal is to go beyond the surface to find joy, wonder and a bit of mystery. I have shown my works in galleries, juried, group and solo shows in Washington, Oregon, Montana and New Mexico. My paintings are in private collections in the west, New York and Norway.
To view examples of Peggy's work or to make contact with the artist, please visit her listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource.
Celtic: Referring to Northwest Europe where Celtic culture and language survive.
Annual Celtic Celebration.
Greetings!
It is that time again. That is, it is almost time for the Rogue Gallery and Art Center’s Celtic Celebration’s Art Show in Medford, OR. Not surprisingly, the Celtic Celebration coincides with St. Patrick’s Day. The Celtic Celebration is also a fund raising event for the gallery.
I have participated before in the celebration’s art show and thought I would do a painting once again. You see, it is fun trying to figure out how to fit a theme. Plus, I thoroughly enjoy seeing what other artists create.
Previous Entries.
Back to the previous entries, one was the first “Irish Breakfast Tea” and the other was “Irish Maiden”. Since I have continued to work with coffee and tea themed compositions, I figured I would try another tea cup version. This time, I added a milk pitcher because it is my understanding that “Irish Breakfast Tea” is often served with milk. Plus, the milk pitcher is a fun shape. One more thing, you might notice a little bit of symbolism too. Look for the shamrock and triskele. And, so we have “Irish Breakfast Tea 2”.
The Details.
The Celtic Celebration Art Show is on display currently on display through March 22nd at the Rogue Gallery and Art Center, 40 South Bartlett in downtown Medford OR. The public art reception is this Friday, March 15th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
The Celtic Celebration Event is held on Sunday, March 17, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, also at the Rogue Gallery and Art Center. It includes music, food, a singing competition and the art show. For more information about the event and tickets, please see their website, www.roguegallery.org.
In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy “Irish Breakfast Tea 2”. One more thing, yes, I do enjoy the flavor of Irish breakfast tea.
By Anna Elkins, 140 contributed posts
View all Anna Elkins's posts. About the author: art + word + spirit: A painter and poet, I play in the crossroads of art & spirit. My paintings are visual stanzas of a poem I will spend my life writing - with brush & pen. I've had the honor to create and exhibit art in the United States, Europe & Micronesia. "As with poetry, painting is either a battle or a dance. Given the choice between music & a sword, I choose music." See Anna's listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource.
Many moons ago, in a land far, far away, my life completely changed. I had been working for two years in Germany, living an art-filled but spirit-empty life. On a whim, I took the train to Switzerland to a theological commune my parents had told me about.
You could say I had my mountain-top experience on a literal mountain top. There in the Alps, my life did a complete reset, and I started on a what would become my journey of art + word + spirit.
At the time, I didn’t know how much I needed to be encouraged that there was something beyond my current circumstances—something more. (In fact, I wrote & illustrated a children’s bookinspired by that journey.)
In early June, I’ll be back in Switzerland to teach poetry. Afterward, I’m returning to that alpine village and taking a 10-day creativity retreat—my own personal pilgrimage. But this time around, I’d like to invite you to share the journey. Specifically, I’d like to share a little project of encouragement….
The Word-Painting Project
Do you ever wish a bit of encouragement would just arrive on your doorstep? Consider this an invitation to receive some!
During 10 days in June, I’ll create 10 word-paintings in watercolor & ink. Though I don’t yet know exactly what they’ll be, I know that they’ll be inspired by taking heart. (You can see a similar idea by checking out the watercolor/micropoetry pieces I created while at a writing residency last fall.)
Once I’m back home, I’ll make archival, matte, 5” x 5” postcard prints of the originals.
Sign up for the project, and I’ll sign, hand-address, & mail the postcards to you—one per week, for 10 weeks. You’ll get a tangible word of encouragement in your mailbox—your actual snail-mailbox!
Cost: $25 to addresses within the US ($30 outside the US)
You can also order the project as a gift for someone else—just send me their mailing address.
And as a fun finale: the project will conclude with a poetry reading & art reception to display the originals in San Francisco mid-August (more details on that event to come).
By Brooke Nuckles, 285 contributed posts
View all Brooke Nuckles's posts. About the author:
Are you endeavoring to become the best YOU as a young artist or musician? Mark your calendar now for June 17 – 21 and join us at
A West Coast Convergence of Young Artists & Musicians
Masterpiece Christian Fine Arts Foundation is partnering with The Story church in Ashland, OR to host ASCEND 2019, a four-day artist and musician conference in the heart of Ashland. Young artists and musicians, ages 15-30, from up and down the West Coast will engage in great vision-building, inspiration, and technical instruction by an incredible team of professionally trained and experienced artists and musicians. Participants will gather in morning and afternoon sessions in specific learning tracks, plus engage in morning and evening all group devotions and worship, inspiring featured speakers, and lunches and dinners. This will be a week packed full of inspiring connection and unforgettable community!
(above: Rhaspody in Orange by Frank Ordaz, Jim Wright by Ryan Moon, Chalk Art by Cathy Gallatin)
– STUDY TRACKS –
ENERGIZE THE INTERSECTION OF YOUR GIFTS AND YOUR FAITHENJOY THE CAMARADERIE OF OTHERS PURSUING EXCELLENCE IN THEIR CRAFT
SET YOUR SIGHT ON A NEW AND VIBRANT TRAJECTORY TO BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS
ART | MUSIC
art
| Frank Ordaz |
Oil Painting: Figurative| Ryan Moon |
Oil Painting: Portraiture
With our team of highly experienced, professional artist instructors, you’ll gain a vast range of in-depth, inspirational teaching as you’re guided through these hands-on workshops and discover a broad scope of technical skills, a brief history of the impact of Biblical art throughout history, and the impact artists can continue to have in His story of reconciling people to Himself!
music
| Steve Hopkins & Matt Combe & Jeremy Oliveria |
Worship & Songwriting| Zachary Sprunger |
Keyboard/Piano
| Michael Farley |
Intermediate & Advanced Guitar
| Jennifer Davis |
Vocals
| Jim Abdo |
Recording Studio
Our team of Spirit-filled professional musicians and songwriters are collaborating to bring a rich learning experience to each individual student, as they will venture through the foundations of music, theory, technical skills, and the importance of music in bringing the Kingdom of God!
| SCHEDULE, LODGING, DETAILS |
Activities from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Morning and evenings devotions, worship, and featured speakers. Morning and afternoon specific track interests (i.e Oil Painting: Portraiture, Keyboard/Piano, etc). All lunches and dinners provided -breakfasts not included. Ends Friday a.m. at 10:00 a.m.
COST
$260 — Early Registration before April 15
$250 — Register with a group before April 15 ($10 discount per person)
$280 — Registration after April 15
$270 — Register with a group after April 15 ($10 discount per person)
* Registration fee does not include lodging. See lodging recommendations below.
Masterpiece has reserved lodging at the Ashland Commons Hostel, just within walking distance to The Story. This accommodation is $40/night; reserve a place through the ASCEND 2019 registration form.
Alternatively, Masterpiece has also reserved a block of campsites at Emigrant Lake County Recreation Area, just a 15 minute drive from The Story. This accommodation option is $20/night per site for up to 8 guests–group sites are available. Mention group name ‘ASCEND 2019’ when reserving your place. Contact Emigrant Lake County Recreation Area to book a site (541) 774-8183. Or reserve another fine Ashland lodging establishment of your choosing.
By Brooke Nuckles, 285 contributed posts
View all Brooke Nuckles's posts. About the author:
Enjoy a 2-hour Demo Presented by Lupe Galvan, MFA This March!
Lupe Galvan Free Drawing Demonstration
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Time: 1:30pm-3:30pm
Where: Classroom at Central Art
Fee: FREE (Pre-registration required)
In this free demo, Lupe will cover how to draw a head/face and then demonstrate the use of a limited color palette on toned paper. Techniques shown will include using a measuring system and landmarks to draw a face, and how using a limited color palette can actually be beneficial in understanding color and creating color harmony.
Call 541-773-1444 to pre-register, as space is limited. Learn more about Lupe’s art and career by visiting https://www.lupegalvan.com
So, you want to be an artist…Don’t just sit there…
Do something!
Journal entry February 16, 2019
This week we were hammered by storm fronts one after another with very cold temperatures and lots of moisture creating very deep snow. The snow was so deep that we were snowed in for two days making it impossible for anyone to make it up to The Grand View Ranch for a campfire or even an evening around our cozy fireplace at the ranch house. I love to rest on my Craftsman couch in front of the fire and sip a cup of homemade cinnamon cocoa with whip cream and marshmallows. I often find myself in quiet thought reflecting on the conversations that I had with my students during the week and think about what I would like to write about to share with you.
The Fragmented Art World
Of all the ideas that came to me, it seemed like it would be most helpful to write about some of the steps that artists should know about before venturing out into the confusing and fragmented art world. Most artists have very little knowledge about how to approach galleries or produce social media, art shows, and art competitions. They may not know how to establish a collector base that they can count on to support them as they launch their art into the art marketplace. In the next few blogs, I will offer my own personal insights from my experiences being in the art world for 40 years and successfully launching my own PBS show. These conversations or Blogs that I’ll be sending have insights that I have shared with students who I coach weekly.
To be Successful Share With Others
I believe if you are serious about marketing your art, it is essential to have a coach who you can check in with every week. I hope that sharing my insights will inspire you experience the exciting journey into the professional art world. To be successful, artists should have the desire to share their art with others. It’s why people create art, after all. If a book is never read, does it even need to be written? Painting is a visual expression of the desire to share with others what you find beautiful, interesting, or of interest to you. Art is communication and in order to communicate, you must have an audience. Building this audience is in itself a business and requires some time to do. So, relax. The fear you are feeling at this moment is actually the feeling of excitement. The two emotions feel similar. Use that “excitement” feeling as you go through your journey. It will make a huge difference in how you market your art. Before we go over the steps that will transform you into a self-promoter of your art, there are some things we need to talk about.
WILL MY ART EVER BE GOOD ENOUGH?
I’m amazed how much fear most artists have when they venture out from the safety of their immediate families and studios with images of their work. Many artists are paralyzed with the thought of posting their art on social networks for the world to see. They are waiting until they create something that is “good enough,” and are constantly reinventing themselves to fit some ideals or invisible goals that they think they need to complete before they can move forward and get their art out of the studio.
These artists are stuck. They are not even making an effort to show their work because the invisible “Not Good Enough” message that screams in their heads gets louder with every improvement they make. And, every improvement they make just opens new conversations that they have so much to learn to be a great artist. GET USED TO IT! YOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH! There will always be someone better, brighter, or more talented than you. THE TRUTH IS…
The truth is even your worst efforts will be admired because as an artist, you do something of value when others are caught in the trap of quiet desperation, fearing that they are living their lives with little personal value except working and paying the bills. They are afraid to try to do something that might expose that they are frauds to the world. Sound familiar?
To make things worse, the Internet makes it more challenging when
the public is given instant power to like or dislike something – with Thumbs up, Likes. Emojis, and Comments! all out-there in the World Wide Web for the public to see. These instant reactions hit the heart of the artist, confirming what everyone has been saying to you since you where 4, “You’re not good enough to be an artist”, “You’re going to starve… get a real job… do something of value.” After all, “Art is the class you take if you want an EZ “A”.” No wonder art instills fear in anyone wanting to succeed as an artist.
WHAT IF EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVE IS NOT TRUE?
It is the nature of being human that we all want to look good, and we fear looking incompetent or ignorant. From an early age we are constantly trying to do what is good and avoiding anything that might bring negative attention that makes you look bad. Posting your work for others to see or introducing your art to a gallery can be intimidating because of the old tapes in our heads that tell us that we may not be good enough. I am amazed that many of my students have no problem posting daily what they had for dinner or sharing photos of their cats. But, if they are asked to share their art pieces for others to see, they become paralyzed and afraid of what people might think or say. I have worked with students who almost pass out from fear before hitting the “share” button to post one of their paintings.
Lets Start NOW!!!
When students step out of their “fear of sharing” response about their work and start marketing their work to as many eyes as they can find, they are amazed that the response they experience is always positive. They may start first with family members and friends and then market to complete strangers who respond to their work positively. However, before an artist is ready to approach a gallery seriously, there are steps that must be in place before making the first contact, before showing your composition, before having your first show, or approaching a collector, a buyer, or the owner of a gallery. In the next blog I will discuss all the insights artists must have before you go into the public arena and present your art to galleries and collectors. Here are the first steps that you must take before we move on to the next blog.
Get a Web Domain or URL address
Open a Facebook account
Open a Twitter account
Open an Instagram account
Open an Linked in Account
YouTube account
The Must Have
You must have all of these social media accounts and they must all be linked together
Step by Step instructions on linking up these accounts are on YouTube
Next week, you will start stepping out of your comfort zone and begin experiencing the feeling the excitement when sharing your art with the world. It is going to be exhilarating. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I will try to respond as best as I can. [email protected]
Information about coaching is located under the heading Coaching on my website www.StefanBaumann.com. If you are interested in coaching, give me a call at 415-606-9074 (my personal cell number) and we can talk more about how coaching will enhance your knowledge, capabilities, and growth as an artist.
American Pine Martin By Stefan Baumann
I have coached many students over the years. My goal as a coach is to help students discover their own style by instructing with a method that allows them to grow as they are. If you want increase your knowledge and skill to bring your art to the next level, I invite you to watch my YouTube videos, consider phone coaching with me, or attend a workshop in Mt. Shasta where we discuss art, passion and life with other artists around the campfire. All the information is on my website,www.stefanbaumann.com.
By Brooke Nuckles, 285 contributed posts
View all Brooke Nuckles's posts. About the author:
Detail of “Red-Brown Stack” by Dianne Jean Erickson
Beginning Friday, March 1, 2019
IN THE MAIN GALLERY
Adventures in Experience: Imaginative Works by Dianne Jean Erickson & Barbara Martin
March 1–April 12, 2019
left to right: Dianne Jean Erickson, Stripe Stack; Barbara Martin, Don’t Be The Bunny
Reception: Friday, February 15, 5:30-8:00 pm
Portland artists, Dianne Jean Erickson and Barbara Martin, create highly imaginative contemporary works. Erickson creates encaustic monotypes and mixed media prints. Martin uses acrylic, oil pastel and pencil in her mixed media paintings. Their work is infused with energy and expression.
4TH ANNUAL CELTIC CELEBRATION
SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 5:30-7:30 PM
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the Rogue Gallery!
The Rogue Gallery celebrates the Art of Celtic Tradition with art, food and traditional Irish music. The evening includes:
Irish food and beer
Musicians performing traditional Celtic music including “Pat O’Scannell and Friends” and the “Southern Oregon Scottish Bagpipe Band”
A singing competition to select the best rendition of the Irish classic, “Danny Boy” with the winner receiving a $100 award
An Irish themed art show with awards given to the “Best in Show” ($100.00 award) and “People’s Choice” ($50.00 award)
The Irish tradition of good cheer and laughter
At the Rogue Gallery, 40 South Bartlett, Medford, Sunday, March 17, 2019, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Be sure to purchase your tickets early. This events sells out!
We invite artists to submit a work of art for this event that is inspired by Celtic art and/or by Ireland. No charge for members to submit, non-members $10. All styles and media are welcome. A $100 prize is awarded for Best in Show and a $50 award for People’s Choice. The exhibit runs March 8–March 22, 2019. Drop off artwork March 1 & 2, 2019, pickup March 23 & 26.
For two-dimensional work, maximum dimension in either direction including frame is 40 inches. For three-dimensional work maximum dimension in any direction is 40 inches and maximum weight is 35 pounds.
Color with Ilene Gienger-Stanfield All skill levels welcome
Two Day Workshop
Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2, 9am-4pm
Color does not have to be confusing or avoided. Ilene will explain and demonstrate properties of color in oil and pastel. Artists will be equipped to create and modulate color in their artwork. The class will work from still life and photo references.
Get the MATERIALS LIST HERE>>
MEMBERS $185 NON-MEMBERS $195, MATERIALS LIST* Register Here >>
MESSAGES FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
2019 marks the 47th annual Corvallis Fall Festival; a 2-day event on September 28 and 29, 2019 that is created to serve, support and showcase the community of Corvallis and to help local arts thrive. Each year the festival fills the beautiful, tree-lined, downtown Central Park with 180 art booths, over 30,000 guests, 19 food booths, continuous live music and a vibrant Art Discovery Zone for children of all ages to engage in and create their own artwork. All artwork selected to be featured at the festival is considered original from concept through completion. Proceeds, after expenses, from the festival go toward supporting local arts and community enhancement projects chosen by the volunteer Corvallis Fall Festival Board of Directors. Corvallis Fall Festival is a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit organization.
CALLING ALL POETS, WRITERS & VISUAL ARTISTS Britt Music & Arts Festival wants to put your creativity on display in the 2019 Britt Festival Orchestra Souvenir Program. The 2019 season is built around the theme ‘The Sound of Nature’. They are looking for original poetry, short stories, or visual art that relates to music & nature for their publication. How does music reflect nature? Where do we find music? How does nature inspire the creative process with regards to music? How did smoke from various fires last summer impact the making of music? Explore these topics through your written or visual artistic expressions. LEARN MORE AND SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY
. . . .
The North Valley Art League 2019 Regional Juried Photography Show
Call to Artists
April 30 – June 1, 2019, NVAL Carter House Gallery, 48 Quartz Hill Road, Redding, California 96003
This show is open to all photographers residing in Northern California and Southern Oregon as follows: Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sacramento, El Dorado counties and all counties north to the California border, and the southern Oregon counties of Coos, Douglas, Curry, Josephine, Jackson, Klamath, Lake, Harney, and Malheur.
Images previously accepted into a NVAL Juried Photography Show are not eligible – with the exception of images accepted into a NVAL International Juried Photography Show as a Silver Selection.
All forms of photographic expression are encouraged, with the stipulation that all images must be the original work of the artist, i.e., both capture and post-processing, excluding resizing and printing.
FRAMING PROGRAM $15 to rent one of NVAL’s frames and have NVAL frame your matted print.
Work may be shipped or hand-delivered to the NVAL Carter House Gallery.
AWARDS — $1000
• First Place — $500
• Second Place — $250
• Third Place — $100
• 3 Merit Awards — $50 each
• Honorable Mentions at the discretion of the juror
• Only juror-accepted work submitted to the Carter House Gallery exhibit is eligible for awards
JUROR — We are very proud to have Roman Loranc, an internationally known fine-art and conservation photographer as the juror for the 2019 show.
ENTRY — Entry period is open now.
• Entry deadline is Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
• All entries will be online. The procedure is quite easy and is explained in the Prospectus online at the NVAL website (see below.)
• You may enter as many images as you wish
• Entry Fees — $33 to enter three images, $8 each additional
FOR FURTHER DETAILS and to ENTER
The full prospectus is here.
Or, go to the NVAL website, www.nval.org — select Shows, Photography, Regional, 2019 Regional Photography Show Prospectus.
The entry link is at the bottom of the Prospectus.
QUESTIONS — Contact show chairman, Bonnie Lampley.
The Rogue Gallery & Art Center is the Rogue Valley’s premier non-profit community art center founded in 1960 to promote and nurture the visual arts in the Rogue Valley. The Art Center showcases emerging and established artists, presents fine crafts by area artisans, and offers a broad range of visual art classes and workshops for all ages.
Rogue Gallery & Art Center is located in downtown Medford at 40 South Bartlett Street. The hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are open every third Friday until 8:00pm.
By Brooke Nuckles, 285 contributed posts
View all Brooke Nuckles's posts. About the author:
Ashland Gallery Association Art Exhibit Openings & Artist Receptions
Featuring Annual Student Art Show
First Friday Art Walk, March 1st from 5 to 8 PM
Stroll the galleries and take in the visual delights in downtown Ashland and the Historic Railroad District. Enjoy this free year-round community event, filled with a diverse array of artwork, live music, artist demonstrations, refreshments and lively conversation!
For more information about all of our exhibits and to download the March Gallery Tour map, please visit: www.ashlandgalleries.com
Please scroll down for “Spotlight Exhibits” and see attached March Gallery Tour Map and images.
Thank you for your support of the Visual Arts in our communities!
Annual Student Art Show
March First Friday will celebrate student art during the AGA Annual Student Art Show! Alongside art by local, regional and national artists, galleries and businesses will feature works by budding young student artists from the Ashland High School Art Department.
Join us for the Student Artist Receptions during the Friday Art Walk on March 1st from 5 to 8 PM. Student artists will be present to discuss their works. There will be a variety of media on display by these creative young artists including: paintings, drawings, and mixed media. Most exhibits will be on display throughout the month of March.
Pick up a Gallery Tour Map at any member gallery or download the March Map at: www.ashlandgalleries.com (under the “Events” – “First Friday” tabs)
Participating galleries and student artists:
Ashland Natural Medicine: Sofia Lindauer, Indigo Pinder Magaña Mia Rollins, Banyan Manson, Lilli Morrish, Rueban Feldman, Macy Jane Brehmer, Asana
Ashland Art Center: Talia Aazami, Charlotte Julian, Eamon R. Morris
Ashland Art Works: Meridith Granger, Sierrah Kelly, Claren Shields
Art & Soul Gallery: Mikhal Mesco, Julia Petrone, Cruz McNamara
Hanson Howard Gallery: Althea Moyer
Althea Moyer, self-portrait
Ashland Art Works
Springtime at Ashland Art Works
For our March show, we have new pieces by our member artists to celebrate the coming of spring after all of our recent snow. For the First Friday Art Walk, we’re also proud to feature three Ashland High School artists as a part of the annual AGA Student Art Show. Meredith Granger, Claren Shields, and Sierrah Kelly will be featured for the month of March.
Meredith Granger’s work is colorful and bold, utilizing pens, markers, and oils. Claren Shields traditionally utilizes pen and pencil, but has recently become passionate about exploring the use of Copic markers, acrylic paints, and charcoal. Sierrah Kelly mixes bright colors with subtle backgrounds to highlight her images. Each artist will be present on March 1st to meet you and to share their work.
Art & Soul Gallery
Featuring Ashland High School Student Artists
Mikhal Mesco’sart is taking the form of portraiture, a study in humanity, identity and culture. “There seems to be a naturally balanced harmony occurring in much of nature, and as I feel that humans are destroying some of it, I wish to capture the ‘nature’ of ‘humanity’. ”
CruzMcNamara creates art for Authentic Self Expression. “I want my work to create an emotional connection or tie with viewers, and for that connection to fuel one’s creativity and inspiration to create their own impact.”
Julia Petrone “I think what connects my art together is the theme, I draw a lot of women, whether they’re fairies or from another era. It tends to have that common theme. For mediums, I use a lot of differentkinds.” Julia is moving from digital expression to physical mediums.
These students are exhibiting works in a variety of media, styles and genres.
Please join us in supporting these emerging artists and meeting our new owner, Peter Alexander Stone!
First Friday Reception: March 1, 2019from 5 – 8 pm
Music by Beth & Craig Martin with Todd Ragland
Ashland Art Center
Plant an Artist, Watch Them Grow
Friday, March 1st the Ashland Art Center will be launching our new campaign “Plant an artist, watch them grow.” The main gallery will have a designated space for children and young adults to exhibit and sell their artwork among our other showcasing artists.
The evening of Friday, March 1st from 5-7 p.m. visual and culinary artists from both Ashland Middle School and High School will be displaying and serving in the gallery and classroom. We invite the community to come out and support our budding young artists.
The Art Center is passionate about providing a nurturing environment where our community’s youth can explore their creative skills and seek professional development early on. Our classes are affordable and meet a variety of budgets with scholarships provided for those in need.
Our Community’s youth is our future, come and add your support!
By Anna Elkins, 140 contributed posts
View all Anna Elkins's posts. About the author: art + word + spirit: A painter and poet, I play in the crossroads of art & spirit. My paintings are visual stanzas of a poem I will spend my life writing - with brush & pen. I've had the honor to create and exhibit art in the United States, Europe & Micronesia. "As with poetry, painting is either a battle or a dance. Given the choice between music & a sword, I choose music." See Anna's listing at the Southern Oregon Artists Resource.
The book stacks were winning. Not the ones in the library—the ones by my bed: neat-but-towering stacks waiting to find room on shelves filled with the kindred books I love returning to.
By the end of 2018, I had three stacks. Something had to be done: more reading! So For 2019, I’ve committed to reading more books—the tangible ones with spines and flyleaves and the scent of possibility in their binding. More reading: even when life and to-do lists brim.
A dozen books into this year, and I’m back to my bookworm self. Happy reunion! I thought I’d share some favorite lines from my favorite five reads so far. Happy reading!
When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Variations on Voice, Terry Tempest Williams: “Silence introduced in a society that worships noise is like the Moon exposing the night. Behind darkness is our fear. Within silence our voice dwells. What is required from us…is that we be still. We focus. We listen. We see and we hear. The unexpected emerges.”
The Long Home, Christian Wiman, from his poem “Elsewhere”:
He longs
to find some calm within
what he’s become, inside
the sound, a roaming
stillness.
Switch on Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, Dr. Caroline Leaf: “[W]hen our brain enters the rest circuit, we don’t actually rest; we move into a highly intelligent, self-reflective, directed state. And the more often we go there, the more we get in touch with the deep, spiritual part of who we are.”
H is for Hawk, Helen McDonald: “When you are learning how to do something, you do not have to worry about whether or not you are good at it. But when you have done something, have learned how to do it, you are not safe any more. Being an expert opens you up to judgment.” We Begin in Gladness: How Poets Progress, Craig Morgan Teicher: “Wisdom is born where observation and imagination meet, where the real and ideal touch….”
All skill levels welcome
