nowhere but here

A ruin in the wilderness

the tall grasses bending

a chirp and a rumbling train far away —

I have nowhere to be

but here.

the underbelly

the underbelly
watersoluble graphite on paper, 18x24", 2013

Like a magpie, I collect

unlikely treasures —

the electric tower against the sky

the unpainted building

the abandoned railway station.

silent, empty and wild

On the silent mountain

the snow

embracing the wind.

It's been snowing incessantly since yesterday. Outside, the snow is piling up into interesting shapes and the wind is blowing the powdery snow in every direction. The snow has created a hush, a dampening of sound. This makes me think of snow capped mountains, where there is no one. Only the wind blows, and the snow gives this invisible wind a dimension. I am thinking of the emptiness and wilderness. I am thinking of the vastness that puts one's life into perspective. There will always be (I hope) places like that - silent, empty and wild. 

mesa

mesa
mixed media on paper, 18x24", 2013

remembering fierceness

On the brink of life 

the path was clear -

dusty feet, the orange sun,
paint,

the sound of the flute 

and cutting chai.

My mind has been wandering. Apart from looking back at the great year that was 2015, I've been thinking about the past 15 years.

It was in 2001 that I decided what I wanted to do with my life. I decided, or rather realised, that I wanted to be an artist. I was a student then, studying Economics. I liked the subject, but painting held my attention without me trying. Something changed that year. I remember the fierceness of that realisation. It gave my life meaning - a form that was truly me. The fierceness has since evolved into a calmer way of life. But it's good to revisit that fierceness to remember why you do what you do.
Happy 2016... May the force be with you!