Five Years Later

The disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is still fresh in our minds, five years after that deluge. People died, a legendary American city was vanquished, and Gulf coast natives lost their homes, property, jobs and loved ones. We are still recovering from this devastating event.

I have not forgotten it. I recently challenged myself to paint a series based on present-day disasters. One of those paintings sprang from Katrina. While painting, I remembered riding through Gulf states a few months after the hurricane, flying over the region when I left, and witnessing a ravaged New Orleans. I returned a few months ago and was pleased to see NOLA recovering, slowly but surely. Imminent Threat 3 perhaps represents my modest tribute to the families affected by Katrina.

Witness to Creativity

From July 15th through the 23rd, 2010, I've been assisting my friend, mixed media fiber artist Fran Gardner, at the Florida Museum for Women Artists. The Museum is located at 100 N. Woodlawn Avenue in De Land. The Museum has invited 7 artists to create 6 installation pieces for this show. The artists have been hard at work during this time, creating their art andinteracting with visitors to the Museum.

Fran's installation focuses on the endangered bird species affected by the Deepwater oil spill. Her art, entitled "Habitat: Witness to the Gulf oil spill," concentrates on 8 different bird species. Under her direction, I have painted the fabric panels that she has pieced. Fran then stitches into each panel with silky, luminous threads and incorporates the image and name of the bird and visitor comments. Dialog between visitors and the artists is encouraged. They too witness the progression of each panel and their installation. The finished panels are then suspended from the Museum's Margaret Lee Gallery ceiling by silver wire.

A birdbath is prepared and will ultimately hold a bird's nest and replicas of bird eggs.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by, interact with Fran and me, and provide their input.

They may even find their words concerning this project or the Deepwater oil spill documented in this art!

All work by each of the six artists must be completed by July 23, 2010. The exhibit will run through August 29th. On August 21st at 2 p.m., the Museum will host a meet-the-artist event. The 6 artists will be discussing their respective installations with those who attend.