Across the River There’s A Place Not Far From Here
The city series….
The bridge that takes us there
it’s there just beyond my reach
a bridge to cross
yesterday I am here
in a present moment
happiness
tomorrow I am there
in a dream to share
ambiguity
across the river
on either side
it’s just the same
nowhere
now
here….
a place not far from myself
Urban Contemplation: 09 – Music in the Streets – Painting in the Air
The city series….
The sounds of the streets and the color of music
color takes a form
finding it
only takes
a moment
to listen
hearing the blue
seeing the red
feeling the glow
of fair music
painting in the air
….
sounds flow like palettes
of greens and yellows
just sitting
by you
feeling mellow
listening
smiling
and hearing colors…
and knowing
it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood
Urban Contemplation: 08 – Art Work Ahead
The city series….
Art work ahead on the city streets
Finding the way through the narrow streets
searching for the deeper sentiment
of thought
of ideas
drifting block by block
glancing right
turning left
hoping to find
colors that speak
forms that convey
it’s a beautiful day
a wonderful life
finding art everywhere
inside and out
where there is work ahead
on the city streets
Weekly Photo Challenge: Windows
Windows at Highwire Gallery – Island, Water, Bridge exhibit 1993….
What illumination, the light shinning through; creating the perfect ambience for the found art installation.
The windows at highwire gallery - the second street art building
Weekly Movie-Making Moments In Film: Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Nerds of the World Unite….
What a great film and one of the best original comedies to come along in quite some time. I’ve always loved films about high school angst, going back to those great John Hughes films of the 80’s. Not everyone can relate to a film like Napoleon Dynamite; many have found its charm to be wanting and distasteful. However, I can identify with its peculiar awkwardness, that I too shared with others in high school. And just like Napoleon, art was often my escape. It can be said that Napoleon’s nerdy demeanor is always just a moment away from giving you the side-splitting laugh you always dreamed of 🙂 – Walter Smith
http://youtu.be/H2Kh7umdOrk – Napoleon Dynamite Trailer
http://youtu.be/kr7djGY1fhA – Napoleon Dynamite Dance Scene
Synopsis: The directorial debut of filmmaker Jared Hess, who also co-wrote the screenplay, Napoleon Dynamite is a quirky, offbeat comedy set in the small Idaho town of Preston. Jon Heder stars in the titular role, a carrot-topped oddball with a decidedly eccentric family that includes his llama-loving, dune-buggy enthusiast grandmother. The story centers on the local high school’s race for class president. Using some nontraditional means, Napoleon is determined to help his pal Pedro (Efrem Ramirez) run a winning campaign and defeat popular girl Summer (Haylie Duff). Also starring The Drew Carey Show’s Diedrich Bader, Napoleon Dynamite premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. …
Dancing to the song Forever Young
The Promise – Lyrics to the song, The Promise by When In Rome. The ending theme to Napoleon Dynamite. Enjoy the musical flashback to the 80’s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMZL9pd4Q8M
The Silence in Transformation
Towards the transformation that your Mind can see….
The act or process of transforming somebody or something.
Transformation 01
Transformation 02
One powerful way to evoke compassion, and to transform is to think of others as exactly the same as you.
“All human beings are the same—made of human flesh, bones, and blood. We all want happiness and want to avoid suffering. Further, we have an equal right to be happy. In other words, it is important to realize our sameness as human beings.” – Dalai Lama
Transformation 03
Transformation 04
when the View is constant
the flow of Rigpa unfailing
and the merging of the two luminosities continuous and spontaneous
all possible delusion is liberated at its very root
and your entire perception arises, without a break, as Rigpa – Sogyal Rinpoche
Transformation 05
Transformation 06
Do not make the mistake of imagining that the nature of mind is exclusive only to our minds. It is in fact the nature of everything. It can never be said too often that to realize the nature of mind is to realize the nature of all things. – Sogyal Rinpoche
Transformation 07
Transformation 08
Moving through the transformation that the Heart can feel….
Transformation 09: Heart
Finding My Way Back Home
Finding My Way Back Home….
the road I know
has left me behind
so I go
through the rain
that pours like shadows
driving to find my way back home
Gotta find my way back home
The New Colonialism
Searching for the freedom beyond the new colonialism….
The New Colonialism
There is the old colonialism and the new. In years past Empires were made by invading “primitive” third world or developing countries. In a brutal process of conquest, nations achieved their goals of domination via enslavement, government control and wars.
Today colonialism still exist, however it can be argued that it takes on another form—insidious in nature but with the same result i.e. the raping and pillaging of a countries wealth and resources while eliminating its ability to be self-sufficient.
Today’s colonialism is financial in nature and is developed as a means to rule the wealth of others. In the past 30 years here in America we have seen the shift from a manufacturing based economy to a financial one. The deregulation, the explosion of the commodities markets, and the Wall Street mentality of greed have all played a part in a global construct to create a new society of those who have and those who have not. The 1% and 99ers are what we are left with.
In the old form of colonialism it was understood that control came by the means of dominating the wealth, trade, language and freedom of the people. This principal in general has not changed, but today the emphasis is on domination through the control of wealth—through a corrupt identity we have come to know as Capitalism. This type of capitalism is based on a false economy; a paper economy.
True capitalism is when the people of different nations, societies, communities understand the importance of fair trade; where respect, common interest and gain are the goals. We see it everywhere, for example in America and developing countries with our community gardens and farmer markets; where the language and freedom of trade is a positive end shared by all.
The protests we see here in America and around the globe is a testimony to the people’s vision of a true form of capitalism. It is a struggle against economic tyranny of the most devastating kind.
What do you think? Is the path to solidarity in recognizing our common need? Can we, who are the true majority, find our common goal and live on this planet with harmony and love; and for that matter unselfishly?
Portrait of a Friend
memories of a friend
holds my life in place…
A friend for life and in the afterlife
My Cats: Little Baby and Thai-G – Inspiration for Art
God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things. – Pablo Picasso
Little Baby and Thai-G in the studio
“One must love a cat on its own terms.”- Paul Gray
From “The Encyclopedia Britannica”. All cats are members of the family Felidea. Interestingly enough, the cat family split from the other mammals at least 40,000,000 years ago, making them one of the oldest mammalian families. All cats share certain characteristics that are unique to the cat family. Cats are pure carnivores. They need a high level of protein in their diets – around 30% – and lack the digestive equipment to do well on a diet of grains, fruits or vegetables. In fact, if you were to design a creature to live from hunting mammals you would have trouble doing better than the design of the cat. If you know cats at all, you know that they have powerful jaws, long, sharp teeth, and claws that draw back into their paws when not in use. Cats hear extremely well. Their eyes are adapted for vision in dim light for hunting just before dawn and just after dusk, the prime hunting periods.
My Cats: Little Baby and Thai-G
“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is
infinitely superior.” – Hippolyte Taine
Little Baby and Thai-G chillin
“In a cat’s eye, all things belong to cats.” – English proverb
There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” – Albert Schweitzer
I’m only a cat,
and I stay in my place…
Up there on your chair,
on your bed or your face!
I’m only a cat,
and I don’t finick much…
I’m happy with cream
and anchovies and such!
I’m only a cat,
and we’ll get along fine…
As long as you know
I’m not yours… you’re all mine!
Author Unknown
Yet Another Change … A New Look 02
After some thought, and a critique from a fellow artist, who I respect highly, I came to the conclusion that I would move the look of my art blog, via the background design, to its most simplistic. Therefore, more attention is given to the writing and imagery without the possible background distraction. I seem to always like a lot of things happening in my art and its presentation, and have to at times remind myself to find the ambient space that allows for more contemplation.
Below is the art I selected for this change. The piece is from my Silence Series, and is entitled Silence 04.
Silence 04
Weekly Photo Challenge: Opportunity 03
Over the years, I have been awarded several artist’s fellowships for interdisciplinary pursuits. In 2004, I was awarded my second artist residency. It was with the South Carolina State Parks’ artist residency program. It was an opportunity that I truly looked forward to participating in. I was commissioned to showcase the lovely character of Barnwell State Park, located in the midlands of SC, in exchange for a week’s stay in one of their cabins. Barnwell is a natural resource park, quiet and remote, while featuring a beautiful lake for fishing and canoeing. The solitude of the landscape was fantastic and it provided great inspiration for the project.
In the photo I am standing with one of two images I completed for the project. The finished work is included in the South Carolina State Park Artist Collection.
Barnwell State Park, South Carolina
Weekly Photo Challenge: Opportunity 02
I took this photo during a 1993 lecture and art exhibit of my latest work at Atlantic Community College in Mays Landing, NJ. The lecture was a demonstration of various digital processing elements for the creation of digital art and video art. It was a great opportunity to talk with the students and introduce them to digital art. In 1993 digital art was just beginning to grow as a valid artist medium to many, and I was happy to share my knowledge, take questions, and inspire these would-be artists.
In the photo a Commodore Amiga 1000 computer, Super Gen video mixer, and a Panasonic camera for scanning photographs. Yes, times have changed, and now artists have access to more sophisticated hardware and software.
Artist lecture at Atlantic Community College 1993
Weekly Photo Challenge: Opportunity
This photo goes back to 1990 and the Highwire Gallery’s visit to Deventer, Holland. It was part of an exchange with the artist group of Deventer. We were exhibiting new work in their gallery and staying the summer. While cruising through the small, quaint, artist town, I happened to come across a small shop that had a poster of our exhibit in the window. The poster is just to the left of the woman standing in the doorway. Throughout the town, residents and shop owners, displayed posters announcing the upcoming exhibit. Going to the Netherlands via this exchange of artists and ideas, was a fantastic opportunity, and one I will never forget.
The poster in the window, Deventer Holland
Urban Contemplation 07: On Either Side of that Door It’s the Same
The city series….
Towards the open door….
caught in between
feeling things folding inward
there i stand
seeing things unknown
a future with no past
a past with no ending…
caught in between
magic and lost
a guiding light
a promised home
and there i stand…
with my intangible destiny
at the crossroad of life
before…
the uncertain door….
Featured video for this post … the artist “A Dancing Beggar” and the song “Returning” from the CD “Follow the Dark as if it Were Light”.
On either side of that door it's the same
The ambiguities of life are like the opening of a door. We never know for sure what we will discover on the other side.
But one thing is certain… on either side of that door it’s the same…there’s memory and hope.
What are your thoughts? When you arrive at that “uncertain door” what is your reaction? What is your hope?
Urban Contemplation: 06 – Dreams that Never Breach the Walls of Sleep
The city series….
Dreams that never breach the walls of sleep….
Urban decay a place of broken dreams
The dreams that search for the freedom from sleep….
Weekly Photo Challenge: Possibility 02
The Weekly Photo Challenge: Possibility is again, a fascinating question from an artist’s point of view. In my previous post I reflected on the various possibilities innate to the “work in progress” as the image moves towards a final piece. In this post I am examining the different choices or possibilities one has to consider when deciding which piece conveys as an end result, the best concept and design.
To Illustrate this I have chosen a post created earlier in the year entitled: “The Narrow Way: Choosing a Path”.
Below are four examples of the final piece. Each image explores a different visual sensibility. In coming to a conclusion of which image I would use for the post, I took in consideration the design, what part of the image I wanted to emphasize, and what image intuitively drew me to it.
To find out what image became the final piece for the post, click on the link below and enjoy “The Narrow Way: Choosing a Path”.
The narrow way: choosing a path
The narrow way: choosing a path
The narrow way: choosing a path
The narrow way: choosing a path
What do you think? What image resonates best with you? How do you finalize the possibility found in a diverse choice?
It Only Takes a Moment to Leave this Place
Contemplating the very thing that exist outside the corner of my eye….
There is no need to become free, for we are free already
It Only Takes a Moment to Find the Center
It only takes a moment to know that you always Exist….
Find the center of Awareness….
"Seeing nothing" is also an experience in which we can know we are present
It Only Takes a Moment
It only takes a moment to go beyond the noise…
Your experiences happen in you ... not in the world
Weekly Photo Challenge: Sunset 02
A creative moment on a bench during a slow sunset over time. It is a beautiful evening at Lake Greenwood in South Carolina. The shadows are long as the sun sets through the trees.
Sun setting at Lake Greenwood, SC
Weekly Photo Challenge: Sunset
Meditation while witnessing a beautiful sunrise at Kure Beach in North Carolina. (If you don’t have a sunset shot, a sunrise is the next best thing).
Sunrise at Kure Beach, North Carolina
Urban Contemplation 05
The city series….
The Door (Recovery Remix 2011)
Transformation: finding new places to find oneself
The door that leads from the city
n e w d i g i t a l s c a p e s 