I was just unpacking "Roots,"
formerly known as "End Of The Day." It was being returned from the
Springfield Art Museum National Watercolor USA exhibition.
There was a very nice gloss catalog for this exhibition in
the package. On the
second page there was a huge glossy photo of my work. I don't think I will
ever stop being amazed at seeing my art in print like that - little
me a tiny speck adrift in a huge ocean of artists having my work
honored like that.
And I am always amazed when the same thing happens several times.
Judge Diane Budde said this about “End of The Day” Best of
Show Manito Art League, Manitowish Waters, WI.
“One of the things I most admire about painters is the ability to develop
a unique language to express something deeply felt but not apparent.
In this work, the gestural marks work like calligraphy and refer to the
Asian tradition and sensibility in which each touch of the hand describes a
growth, a brook, and decay. These
marks perfectly pair with the subject matter, an old tree, and even though the
tree isn’t represented form one point of view with the light falling on it, I
feel its life cycle, its structure, its energy and its release into surrounding
space. I like how some of the lines
that seem to be shed branches contain little bits of energy ready to be
released. This is a very
encouraging and wise work that also displays, like a very adroit dancer, a great
sense of timing, an elegance of movement, and knowing mark-making that bravely
delves into the medium’s fluidity and freedom, and yet hits the mark right on
every time it meets the surface. “
Judge Diane Budde, MFA, University of Wisconsin Marathon County.
