Wednesday's Wall Mask

King of Cups or King Neptune measures 10" x 17" acrylic, beads, glitter, cheesecloth, clay, wire and fabric. He hangs with about eight other pieces of art over my bathtub in a salon style. It's quite a mood with candles lit and steamy bath water. The walls are a light tinted rose and they glow in candlelight.

Several years ago three of us picked a tarot card and each made a mask. It was great fun researching the card and the connecting mythology. It's not that I have so many walls (my home is small) but I change the art...always moving things out and around and I have a little shed outside where I keep art and seasonal clothes.

We are leaving next week for a vacation so I've been out of the studio doing ordinary life...stop at the drug store, vitamin store, grocery store and cleaners. Last minute shopping for travel essentials...we are driving so there is no end to the amount of essentials! Pablo says he is a spatial relations expert and I am giving him a challenge. Packing my Styrofoam 4ft noodle for swimming (I can't swim without it)and beach towels for the pool and bags of books should be interesting!

Two Directions

Clay, silver and acrylic paint, approx. 5" x 7". This month is the celebration of poetry and on that note here is a favorite of mine...pure and simple by Billy Collins:

In the Evening

The heads of roses begin to droop.

The bee who has been hauling his gold

all day finds a hexagon in which to rest.

In the sky, traces of clouds.

the last few darting birds.

watercolors on the horizon.

The white cat sits facing a wall.

The horse in the field is asleep on its feet.

I light a candle on the wood table.

I take another sip of wine.

I pick up an onion and a knife.

And the past and the future?

Nothing but an only child with two different masks.

Today is a surprisingly hot day for Springtime at the beach. Our neighborhood pool is opened and if this heat continues, I will take my first swim of the year tomorrow.

On my reading list is "Drawing Closer to Nature" by Peter London, a very thoughtful book on art making but not a casual read.