Art museums display weird, shocking, pleasing, and beautiful works. The mediums and messages from one piece to the next vary, even among works from the same artist. Viewers are attracted to what is familiar and understandable. Works that speak to a person stay with them. Pieces that the “I just don’t get it” factor is…
Each month, a full moon hangs in the night sky. To most, this monthly occurrence isn’t noteworthy. Moons wax and wane without much acknowledgment. At our house, that isn’t the case. Not a month goes by without noticing the full moon. My father makes sure of it. Years ago, when my daughters were little, their…
On a shelf above my desk sits a jar of hearts. I have collected these hearts of different sizes, colors, and materials for many years. My collection has been accumulated from places around the world. Each heart represents a person, place, or memory. Some were shaped by the hands of artists. Nature is responsible for…
No matter how ugly life gets, a bounty of beauty is nearby. You need not look further than out a window. Better yet, step outside and be inspired by how seamlessly nature exists. When we pause and observe the beauty of our surroundings, we can witness unexpected joy. Reminders of the farse of perfection can…
Jane and Michael Banks had to take medicine each day. What the medicine was for, I haven’t a clue. It is beside the point. What is important to note is that the children found the taste awful. Their nanny, Mary Poppins, offered them a spoonful of sugar to remedy the situation. Mary’s theory was the…
There is a song from the late 1980s by David Wilcox called “Leave It Like It Is.” https://www.google.com/search?q=leave+it+like+it+is+lyrics&rlzThe song is about a jar of blue paint that falls off a kitchen table and breaks. In the splattered mess, the homeowner sees beauty. Instead of cleaning up the spill, the paint is left to dry. What…
Snorkeling in the ocean fascinates me, not just the visual beauty of marine life, but the whole experience. In the underwater world there is a vibrancy that comes to life. There is so much to experience right below the surface without having to dive deep. Living with as much awe out of the ocean as…
Pinned to my office bulletin board are several of my daughter’s drawings. To Emily they’re nothing more than doodles whipped out during math or English class. To me, they’re treasures of her artistic talent. Had I not stumbled across them laying about the house she would’ve tossed them into the trash without another thought. It…
This fall in Colorado has been unlike any I can remember despite being a native of the state. The variety of vibrant colors of the leaves and the length of time they hung around has been breath taking. Autumn this year has been more like those on the East coast. Colorado finally lived up to…
Flowers fascinate me. They are beautiful at every stage of their life. What seems fragile is remarkably strong. It’s amazing how blossoms know when to emerge and when to retreat. Flowers patiently sit below the surface waiting for the right time to appear. As they wait they gather their strength to push through the tough…