Of Snakes and Art

"Muse of Fire"

When I send an Angel Snake to someone, I write "This is the Angel Snake _______. She will inspire you to create something beautiful. That is her work."
It is my sincere hope that folks who receive an Angel Snake will look at it until they "create something beautiful." After that, I hope they create something else beautiful.
In my years in education, I always wanted to see my students create something wonderful--a story, a drawing, a performance, something. It is the highest order of thinking and being.

When we create something beautiful/elegant, we participate with God in making the universe a better place. We extend our spiritual selves; we are closest to God, fulfilling our purpose.

Earth Hour

In honor of Earth Hour, turn off all your lights between 8:30 and 9:30 PM this evening.  Go to http://www.earthhour.org

Pink Flowers -- A Bunch

These lovely flowers all bunched together give me an idea for a pattern to decorate an egg. Or a doodle to adorn the edge of my letter to a friend.

Praying in Color

A few weeks before my recent surgery, a dear friend gave me a copy of Sybil MacBeth's book, Praying in Color, published by Paraclete Press.

An epiphany for me for sure.  Over the years I have often considered some of my art to be prayers; way back I even started a series of "Prayer Rugs"--designs for rugs on which to pray for certain things.  I still have several, but they were carefully drawn and executed, taking many hours to complete.  They would probably not serve for a serious prayer life for most people. 

Sybil MacBeth has cut through the technical difficulties I, the artist, created for myself.  Her book is not about art, but about prayer.   Click here to read her words and those of others praising the virtues of the idea.

I can only say that at a time when I very much needed an anchor for my prayer life, this technique gave me one.   I owe Sybil and Paraclete Press a debt of gratitude for bringing us this book.

Creator Spiritus

On my walk this morning I spent some time praying about The Creator and my job as an artist to participate in the work of creation.  As I passed the construction site of a new building at Menard Park on the seawall, I was taken aback by the words etched in the facade, "Creation Center."  That is a good thing to have in a city.  Of course, then I realized that a ladder obscured the "RE."  Oh, well!

Then I thought that I needed to designate my home as a "Creation Center" so I drew a prayer of invocation at my front steps to welcome me home after the surgery this Thursday. 

Since I dearly love The Odyssey, I had to include the opening lines, "Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story. . . ."

My husband Ron will be adding updates to this blog while I am at M.D. Anderson having my first rib removed.  I will be back with comments as soon as possible.

Choral Treasure

In the last month or two, I have taken to listening to religious choral music while I paint.  It induces a meditative state that I find calming and focusing.  Live365 is a subscription-based streaming radio station.  They have many, many options for music without advertising. 

I listen to the "Choral Treasure" station.  You can try it out for free if you want to hear what I hear.  There are just a few ads interspersed.

Morning Prayer and Snakes

While I had already been painting snakes for some time, I was struggling with the question of whether I should devote myself 100% to snakes and let the other ideas go. I had committed to a solo show three months away so there was some urgency to resolving the issue. I had thought and prayed and discussed; still the notion of such a strange narrow focus left me unsure.

That early July morning in 2006 while visiting my sister in Russellville, Arkansas, my husband Ron and I decided to explore the local walking trail at Bona Dea Park. Before the walk we sat in the gazebo at the trail head and read morning prayer as food for our meditation and conversation during the 3 1/2 miles through the swampy bottom land below the Lake Dardenelle Dam. It fell to me to read the scriptures. The old testament lesson assigned for that day was the story of Moses raising the bronze snake on the pole in the wilderness. Considering it a sign, I could hardly read. Well, there was food for conversation!

We completed the liturgy and set off down the trail, a nice broad washed gravel trail. About a half mile in, I saw what looked like a stick lying across the path. As we got closer, I realized it was a copperhead, about 20 inches long. It lay so straight and still that I thought it was dead. As it raised its small head to look at us, I was assured it was not. We kept our distance and picked up pebbles to throw to encourage it to move on. Unfazed it continued to lie there and look at us. Two more walkers approached us from behind and we motioned for them to stop. No amount of prodding with either stones or sticks could get the critter to budge. Finally we had to walk into the bushes at the side of the trail to get around it. After we had gone about 50 feet, I turned and saw that resolute serpent make an about face and head into the underbrush.

There was not much to say after that. Snakes it would be.

A few miles on we watched a large momma turtle laying her eggs in a damp hole she had scraped in the sand beside a slow-moving stream.

John E. Fellers

John loved to travel.

On Tuesday afternoon, he took his last trip down the center aisle of St. Paul’s Church to the columbarium beneath the narthex where he was finally laid to rest. My husband Ron was honored to carry his ashes.

Wednesday afternoon, we participated in the memorial service of choral evensong at St. Paul’s. After the reception, we left Houston and headed north.

Today we have driven the rolling hills of Texas, eaten a great lunch at Central Market in Fort Worth, and browsed Border’s Books, all the time looking through John’s eyes.

At the memorial service and after, several people spoke of finishing books he had started or intended to write.

We are taking this road trip and remembering. He loved good food, so we drove a little out of the way to have a first rate lunch and then savoured the salmon and the moment just a little longer. For him.

The Dinner Party

Before and during the time of The Dinner Party's exhibition in Houston, my art consisted primarily of ecclesiastical embroidery. Untrained, unschooled, and from a very sheltered environment, I believed that all the artistic talent I had was executing other people’s designs in meticulous stitches. I would never have called myself an artist back then. Stretching the point, I might have called myself a fiber artist, but then they were somehow not real artists after all. Or they would have worked on stretched, gessoed canvas.

In 1979 and 1980, I was very involved with the Houston Embroiderer’s Guild. In fact, I was in charge of the logistics of the Guild Show that year.

A couple of my clergy stoles were exhibited at the University of St. Thomas along with some of Judy’s early plates.

I have scanned in the brochure of the events surrounding the exhibition of The Dinner Party in Houston. It was a big deal.

Anyone reading this who remembers things from the time is invited to leave comments.

Judy Chicago

Go to the website for Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party. Take the time to read some of the history and view some of the images.

Attending that exhibition in 1980 and being involved in some of the connected events was the real beginning of my art career.

And, why I paint snakes.