A collector turned friend in Portland sent me a link to an article from The Guardian recently, and I found it intriguing and counted myself lucky that through my artwork I am connected with so many people across the country that get me!
Lairig – ‘a pass in the mountains (Gaelic)
My Thanksgiving tradition, that I want to share with you, is to read a letter written by my grandfather, Dr WW (Buck) Jones, to my grandmother, Adena, when he was a chaplain in the service during WWII. I am thankful for them.
Reverend WW (Buck) and Adena Jones
Thanksgiving Day 1945
For some reason on this Thanksgiving day my thoughts have picked up that little phrase someone wrote us when we were married. “May there be just enough clouds to make the sunset beautiful.” Of course it would be quite a shallow view of life if we thanked God only for the bright and pleasant things. For this would be such a dreadful place in which to live without the clouds and the rain. Continue reading
Good news: The weather was perfect last weekend for the Old Town Art Fair in Chicago. I had a beautiful corner spot in a charming neighborhood, the sun was shining and the crowds were enormous.
Bad news: Because of the aforementioned crowds I didn’t have time to see much of the garden tour that I told you about last week. As is often the case at a really busy show, I was only able to see what was in the route between my booth and the bathroom. Luckily that did include one lovely little garden that I can share with you.
Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed
With the recent passing of Lou Reed and the eloquent farewell that Laurie Anderson wrote to her husband, I have been thinking a lot about the last time I saw Laurie perform and how much she has to teach us. (As I must admit, Laurie has had a much bigger impact on me than Lou Reed ever did.) Continue reading
This week while I was in Milwaukee I was gifted this book by our good friend, sculptor Mark Winter. He probably thought I could use a few pointers.
A Complete Illustrated Hand-Book on the Modern Practices of Photography In All Its Various Branches
by T Stith Baldwin
Published in Chicago, Illinois 1903 Continue reading
Grandmommie & DaddyBuck
I posted this letter last year but it is my annual tradition to read this letter first thing on Thanksgiving morning, and really once a year isn’t enough. So I hope you enjoy it once again!
It was written on Thanksgiving Day, 1945 by my Grandfather Rev. Dr. W.W. Jones to my Grandmother, Adena White Jones, while he was away in the army. They were newlyweds and they were expecting their first child – my father. I am thankful!
Thanksgiving Day, 1945
…All the reams of paper couldn’t contain the mercies that I’m thankful for today, for they pass my imagination in a never-ending parade. The rain of yesterday, the bright sunshine of today: the little ponds of ice I saw outside this morning, a shelter warm as toast: memories, rich and mellow, embroidered with hearty friendship and camaraderie; enemies – and the joy of being able not to hate them; cool water from a spring on a long, hot hike; good food that makes one comfortable inside; flitting glimpses out of the past that now seems so far away, so much apart of another world that one gives pause to think – could it be so and could that have been me?
Continue reading
What the heck is a Pecha Kucha?
A Pecha Kucha is a presentation format used to combat “death by powerpoint”, and is a format many creative professionals are using to present their work. It is designed to be 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each, with self advancing slides so you can’t blather on and on. Continue reading
Guanajuato Cemetery
My fun looks a lot like my work and my work looks a whole lot like my fun. They both look like a lot of travel with a camera up to my face, and time in the studio experimenting with materials and techniques. However, they often feel distinctly different to me, like the difference between a sketch book and a canvas. Or maybe between listening and talking. Continue reading
