OPEN HEARTS - New Additions

Since I have been making the Open Hearts over the years, they have evolved into a special creative outlet for me... Each one is like a special prayer mandala.  I have been practicing meditation for the past decade or so.  Sometimes when trying to clear the mind, it is helpful to have something to rest one's attention on. 

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Seasons of the Soul Slideshow

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Seasons of the Soul Slideshow

Seasons of the Soul

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SEASONS OF THE SOUL SLIDESHOW



It has been over 20 years since Seasons of the Soul was initially published as an open edition hand signed lithograph.  Since then thousands have been purchased.  Many of those were bought with the intention of giving them as gifts.  I found that many who bought them worked in the helping and healing fields, such as psychotherapists and counselors, ministers, massage therapists, hypnotherapists, life coaches, etc...  And they got them to hang in their offices.  And people saw them there and some of them would contact me to purchase a print from time to time.  And those people had their own stories to tell about how they discovered and connected with this artwork.  And it is those stories that keep me going when I get discouraged.

The individual figures for the Seasons of the Soul originated as doodles in a sketchbook over a difficult period of time in my twenties.  Then some time passed.  About a year or so later I happened to pick up that particular sketchbook and flipped through it and noticed the figures and thought, wow, it is almost like they are telling a story...  So I drew them again and arranged them in a line and there it was, a visual story told with stick figure symbols.  I was amazed.  Where did this come from?  It obviously came from my subconscious but it is like it existed on some level in its entirety before I could even become aware of it.  And then it dawned on me, it was incomplete.  Something was definitely missing, but what?  At the time I had ten figures and the last one in the series was the "harmony" figure (although, at this time there were no subtitles for the figures).  What could it be?  And how was I going to find it?  I knew that it wasn't just going to be a matter of thinking something up, it had to come to me from the same place the other figures came...  Weeks went by and I still had no clue what the next figure would be.  Somehow I sensed that I would know it when I saw it.  And then it happened!  I saw it and it was only for a split second but that was enough.  I was watching the old television series, Fame, and Debbie Allen was dancing and then for an instant, in mid-stride she struck a pose that froze in my mind and became what I later labeled as "movin' out", the eleventh and last figure of the series.

New Additions to the Ongoing Series

I have added a few more new Open Hearts, an ongoing series of numbered originals that I started making as a response to the tragic events of 9/11.  If you would like to see them in person, they are on display at The Depot in Hillsborough where my work is hanging in an ongoing display.  I will be feature artist for the Last Fridays Art Walk in Hillsborough on Friday, May 31st.

Open Hearts

This Open Heart was derived from a little watercolor I did for my Dad who has always been an outdoorsman and taught me the importance of environmental conservation.

Open Hearts

Here are some more additions to the mixed media series.  Two of these, #221, and #222, were special request orders for gifts.

Morning Light

This time of year the rising sun shines directly in my kitchen window.  There is something really magical about the morning light.

The Series Continues

The "Open Hearts" series continues to be a popular and meaningful gift idea for people so I want to make sure I have plenty available for the upcoming holiday season.  I also can create special "Hearts" with a meaningful theme or subject when requested.

Open Hearts

"Open Hearts" is a series of numbered original mixed media works.    The ragged edge squares are approximately 6"x 6" and mounted on a black mat background.  The finished framed "Hearts" are approximately 9"x 9".

TinyTown Family Map

This is a watercolor mixed media piece I was commissioned to do a few years ago.  The client  requested that I create a "TinyTown" type illustrated map with the homes of his parents and siblings.  Other special meaningful details were included.  Prints were made from the original for each family member.  Recently I was contacted by someone who had seen one of the prints and is interested in having one done for her family.

OPEN HEARTS: The Series Continues

In the wake of the tragedy of 9/11, I found myself desperate to find something meaningful to work on... When I first envisioned the Open Hearts as a numbered series, I intended to make them as a tribute to all those who died that day. One thing I remember so vividly is the repetition of numbers of people who died... Thousands of people... and the numbers kept changing as more information came in. Each one was a unique individual. So I decided that each of the Hearts that I made would be different. And my original intention was to make a series that numbered the same as the number who died... I think it was almost 3,000 people.

I made Hearts throughout the next couple of years... I found that they were very meaningful for people. I think making all those Open Hearts changed me in some ways. It also helped me to remember to keep an open heart.

In the past year, I have picked up where I left off with the series. I may never make it to the actual number of people who were lost to us that day... I think the important thing is they are part of who I am and they mean a lot to people.

Seasons of the Soul T-Shirts!

I took the figures from the linear format of the print and rearranged them to fit on a t-shirt. My first printing of the shirts is done on black with white ink. The t-shirts are $20 plus shipping would make a great gift idea for the holidays! They are available in S, M, L, and XL. Larger sizes up to 5X are available for a few dollars more.

The hand signed lithograph is still available. Many people have contacted me over the years to let me know how personally meaningful this artwork has been for them.

EarthSpirit

This is the first of a new series of drawings I am working on. The inspiration comes from my deep love and concern for Nature and our Mother Earth. I plan to have t-shirts and pull-overs available in the next few weeks. I am also working on a new design for a "Seasons of the Soul" t-shirt based on my popular art print!

The Fetch

The Fetch is an independent form, a soul aspect that accompanies one through life, though, more often never seen or noticed until death, at which time it will guide them to the afterlife. Its purpose is to assist the person it is attached when journeying to other realms. It can and often is passed along ancestral lines.

It appears to the mind's eye in a variety of forms...as an animal, bird, or other living being, or the opposite sex, or even as a purely geometric shape. The Rune, Ehwaz, symbolizes twin war horses and is closely connected to the fetch, being the "horse" that carries an individual on the journey between worlds.

Butterfly

I have found a website that I can publish some of my art on t-shirts and other items. This is one of the images I plan to offer.

Streams of Life; North Carolina's 40,000 miles of creeks and rivers

As a native of North Carolina and one who feels we have an obligations as human beings to protect the environment for future generations, I am extremely concerned about the irreversible damage that can occur to the underground aquifers that will be polluted with toxic chemicals if our elected officials sell us out to the interest of corporate greed by allowing "fracking" to take place in our state.

I worked for over a year on a painting that I hoped would help people see our beautiful state as part of a living organism. It is now available as a signed print.

I grew up playing in a creek beside my childhood home in Jackson county and that same stream has been played in by generations of children stretching back before written history. Don't future generations deserve an environment that is safe?

OPEN HEARTS

Open Hearts is a series of numbered original works that I began as a response to the tragedy of 9/11. As the tenth anniversary approaches, I am busy creating more Open Hearts for the series. Here are some recent additions.