Man in Red Cap

"Homeless, 
homeless, 
moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake...
strong wind, 
strong wind destroy our home, 
Many dead, 
tonight it could be you...
and we are homeless, 
we are homeless, 
sleeping on a midnight lake...
somebody sing hello, hello, hello...
somebody cry why, why, why?

~adaptation of lyrics by Joseph Sabalala and Paul Simon

I'm thinking about the homeless as I pack up some blankets today to take to a friend who will give them out tomorrow at the local soup kitchen just as I was when I did this painting of a homeless man lucky enough to have a red cap.  

I know of no place in the world that does not have homeless people.  What would it be like to be homeless, living on the streets?  Actually I was close to it for a while - I lived in a van for a while and it wasn't because I was traveling or on some exotic adventure.  I've lived high and I've lived pretty low and lived some in between too.  Living under those extremes gave me a different viewpoint than the average Joe.  Being homeless isn't just what it was like to be homeless, although that in itself is a real eye-opener as to what you have to do each day just to survive.  Another part of it is all the stuff that happened before you lived there - how you ended up without someplace safe to live. I thank God every day for the people that were kind to me, for the ones that found me and gently, respectfully, helped me find my way out of that abyss.

Oils on stretched canvas. 11 x 14 inches. 2008.

Just some sketches I did of birds that I saw in a natural history museum.

Pencil on Drawing Paper. 5 x 7 inches. 1969.

Drawing on Paper. 5 x7 inches. 1969.

Pencil on Drawing Paper. 5 x 7 inches. 1969.

Pencil on Drawing Paper 5 x 7 inches. 1969.

Pencil on Drawing Paper. 8 x 10 inches. 1969.

Dog in Park

I met this sweet old dog the other day at the park.  She, like most older dogs, was greying and pretty docile. I love old dogs.  They've seen it all.  They've worked out the kinks.  They just are what they are, without artifice or guile. We are blessed with a couple of older dogs.  I am learning a lot from them about how to become a better person ~ a more gentle, loving and compassionate person.  Our old dogs are always happy to see us, always full of gratitude and love.  I want to be an old dog.
Oil on canvas. 8 x 10 inches. 2015.

Tender Love

We are all put on this planet for some reason.  I like to think one of the reasons we are here is to just to be there for each other ~ to love each other as best we can.  

This is a portrait of a grandmother I know who was there to comfort and help her grandson feel safe and secure as he waited to have a serious operation.  Of course, he was far too young to realize the gravity of his situation, but you can see in his eyes that he sensed that something was wrong. No one knew if the operation would help him or if he would even survive.  So this grandmother did what grandmothers do best.  She simply gave him all her love and care, all her prayers, and all her best hopes and dreams for him. Fortunately, the operation was successful and this sweet little boy is doing well.  There is no doubt in my mind that love was as much a part of his recovery as the skill of the surgeon and nurses that cared for him.

Oils on canvas. 11 x 14 inches. 2015.

"Life beats down and crushes the soul.
Art reminds you that you have one."
~ Stella Adler

Big Sister

When I painted this portrait of Aurora and her baby brother, I was thinking about what a beautiful moment it is when one first becomes a big sister. Not everybody gets to be a big sister. I didn't ever have that opportunity, being the youngest in our family and all.  I'm sure Aurora at that time had no idea how having a baby brother would impact her life.  This was a first in her life ~ the first time laying eyes on and holding a baby~ her very own baby brother ~ a very special little person that would be an important somebody in her life for the rest of her life.  
Oils on Canvas. 16 x 20 inches. 2010.

Brothers

"To the outside world we all grow old.  But not to brothers and sisters.  We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."
~ Clara Ortega



Acrylics on canvas. 16 x 20 inches. Painting about 1994 from a photo that was taken in the early 1940's.