The Art of Being

"The most visible creators I know of are those artists whose medium is life itself. The ones who express the inexpressible – without brush, hammer, clay or guitar. They neither paint nor sculpt – their medium is being. Whatever their presence touches has increased life. They see and don't have to draw. They are the artists of being alive." ~J. Stone

We all know people like this, from Mother Teresa to Gandhi, from Martin Luther King to Princess Diana, and from that special grade school teacher to mom...we've all experienced the wonders of these artists of being.

Take a moment to remember and appreciate someone whose presence has touched your life. And, pay it forward...how can you paint on someone's heart today?

A Society of Feathers

"Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little,
cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more..." -Music Man

I'm not sure why folks seem to love rooster and chicken images, but I'm just as fond of them. Maybe it's because we see a bit of our own society in them. I'll have to paint a few of these fine feathered friends from my recent trip to Jerome, AZ. The roosters especially fascinated me, out strutting their stuff...

The Everyday and Ordinary

Occasionally, we need to get away from the everyday and ordinary--to get another point of view--to appreciate the ordinariness of everyday life. That's what I love about traveling to new places...


These huge blue-black bees accompanied me on my photo excursion in Jerome's Ghost Town junk yard...buzzing busily 20 plus feet over-head, gathering unseen pollen off the high winds.


Captivating Reflections: Discovering line, color and texture I might not have noticed if it weren't for the bees...I enjoyed finding life reflecting back at me...which is really what an artist or photographer does.


Skewing the camera for yet another point of view of the towering blooms.


Thinking outside the box...


Lost and found objects and edges...


Lost and found history...a taste of our past.


Flowering cabins


Dynamic forms...


Complimentary colors...


....and beauty in form and hue.


Small discoveries


A Fancy Fanny, or, THE END.

Classic Features and Weathered Faces

There is an art to the weathered faces of history collected in the junk yards of Jerome, AZ...

Signs of the Times

Enjoyed some of local signs and t-shirts in the pubs and gift shops of Jerome last week...


My particular favorite...


Great burgers and bread pudding here.


My sentiments exactly!




Tee hee!


Who can tell the difference in Arizona? It's HOT!


Shoulda bought this one!


Someone has an odd sense of humor!


Welcome to Jerome!

The Faces of Jerome

Last Saturday I spent the better part of a blistering afternoon in the ghost town of Jerome, AZ...just about 45 minutes outside of Sedona. I enjoyed taking photos of the quaint collection of junk, old cars and livestock...but the characters I found in some of the faces and friends I met, are my favorite.


Ol' Timer
Surely the most photographed man about town.
This photo made the whole trip worth it...Can't wait to try painting him!


Workin' It


King o' the Heap


Gold-Digging Dale


Run-Away Goat Meets Goat-Hand


Panhandling: "Obama Says to Spread the Wealth"


La Tourista


Ol' Time Biker Boy


An "Orange on Orange" moment...


I've gone "Gypsy Rose" on ya here, folks! ;-)

I'm back home...but you'll see the rest of Jerome soon! Stay tuned...