These 3 paintings just sold to a lovely new client in Newton, Massachusetts through the Beth Urdang Gallery in Wellesley. I have to pinch myself often to remember that my first show of koi paintings was in 1995 at the Beth Urdang on Newbury Street. She continued to show my work there until moving to SOWA in the up-and-coming area in Boston a few years ago. Since then, she now has two galleries in Wellesley.
I loved working on this series, and the elongated profile, another favorite of mine. Since then I’ve scaled back a bit from the 30×80 inch and longer ones. As usual, photographs never fully capture the lusciousness of oil paint – especially the dark green lagoons in the top two images.
As soon as the client sends along an installation shot, I’ll include that image in this post. It’s always fun to see where and how my work lands. 🙂
Toys for Tots donation (distributed by the Marines)
Recently I was shopping at Zara’s on Newbury Street. One of the sales people came up to me and said, “I remember meeting you when I worked at Equinox. You told me about your annual gift donation for the children. I loved that idea and that you did it every year.” I had totally forgotten about our conversation. We often forget how we can touch people in lasting ways. Perhaps I had shared my story to inspire her to do the same some day. I would hope so.
It all began during the Iraq War. One of my friends, a fighter pilot in the Air Force on his assignment there, contacted me with a specific request. He asked for donations to help the children and impress them with the kindness of the American people. I sent him soccer balls, regulation size (which he asked for), as well as some art supplies that I tucked in of course.
After that, I gave my myself an allowance each year to play Secret Santa. Sometimes I filled my cart at BJ’s and left it all under their giving tree. Other times it was art supplies or books which I gave to various organizations. It has been so fun to pick out the items and so gratifying to share my good fortune with the little ones.
My options have changed since I moved to Boston. It’s also become easier. This year all I have to do is ride the elevator with the items pictured above and place them in a bin in our lobby. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? The wonder and awe of the season as seen through the eyes of the children. 🙂
“First, a bit of history—Tarot got its start as a card game in the 15th century. So while it may seem like reading cards is an ancient practice, the use of Tarot for divination really came into its own in the 18th century. Because the Tarot deals in archetypes (or universal symbols), the meanings of each card and the stories those meanings tell span culture, continent, and time.
You may have seen the Tarot presented as a means of telling the future—even changing it—but the cards are actually most useful for reflection and empowered decision-making. From this vantage, Tarot can only aid on your journey to fulfillment.” – source Astrology.com
I’ve had the assignment to design this deck for quite awhile – research, choosing materials, and multiple meetings with the amazing psychic on Boston’s north shore, Francine Clausen (who initiated the idea for use in her practice) all took time. Link to her site –
Ever one to accept a challenge, I was fully on board. Apparently, the typical tarot deck is much larger. Forty cards seemed right to me. Most challenging ones to do were the three Archangels: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael.
My finish line was the end of the month. Halloween appropriately. All that that remains for me to do are finishing touches on a few images and lettering. Then follows a design of the back side. Shouldn’t take long. And then drum roll…. off to the printer 🙂