A Web Link for Jim Thorpe Artist Randall Sellers

I hit the publish button before I had a chance to post this illustration of Randall's work in the blog entry below. The piece that accompanies this brief post is titled "Raven". Here is the link to Randall's website

Jim Thorpe Artist at New York's Museum of Modern Art

Yesterday the weather was perfect for a drive. So I hopped in the car with a friend to make the trek to New York City for an artists' panel featuring Randall Sellers, a very talented Jim Thorpe artist. In addition to having his work featured in New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) -- where he was speaking yesterday -- Randall's pieces have become part of collections at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Musuem of Art and other very fancy places.

Apart from his serious talent, Randall possesses some noteworthy virtues. His talk was by far the funniest and most straightforward of the artists featured yesterday. His profession has not forced him to adopt that goofy, self-concious attitude so common to New York artists. Pretentiousness becomes a lifeboat many artists jump into when they are afraid to let their skill speak for them. Randalls's really quite a nice guy with a great sense of humor. He's also been very supportive of writers I've invited to Carbon County by providing a site for readings and workshops. A visit to his website ()will allow you examine his incredible drawings for yourself. Or go to his store at 101 Broadway in Jim Thorpe and see them first hand.

Sense Memory -- Lilacs in Jim Thorpe

For Proust it was the madeleine, for me the lilac. The sight of one takes me back to the yard behind my childhood home. When my mother needed milk or bread she sent me to Kline's store, on the street behind ours. The shortest route to Kline's passed through an alley of thick grass separating our yard from theirs. At the edge of Kline's lawn was a mammoth lilac bush that filled the air with scent and bee buzz every spring. Mrs. Kline was a gracious woman who adorned our lives with candy and kindness. Every once in a while she'd hand me my change and say, "If you want to take a few lilacs down for your mom, go ahead."

I was always a champion flower picker. Permission to take some lilacs was a free pass to paradise. Even now I find them hard to resist -- whether they are in some stranger's yard or growing wild along the highway.

Last night, as I walked the streets of Jim Thorpe, I made the loveliest discovery. From the middle of Broadway to the top of town, the entire avenue smelled of lilacs. That perfume is a sure signal that you're not in Philadelphia or New York, not Pottsville or Reading. You are on the main street of one of America's best small towns and, at night, the entire length of it smells like lilacs.

Art for Healing -- Rangoli at Ground Zero in Manhattan

This past weekend I was privileged to participate in a dismantling ceremony for a beautiful piece of art in New York City. The work we took apart was a wonderful Rangoli created by Indigo Raffel, an environmental artist who has created many murals, labyrinths and natural sculptures around the U.S. According to Wikipedia, Rangoli is one of the most popular art forms in India. It is a form of sandpainting decoration that is used commonly outside homes in India. The term rangoli is derived from words rang (colour) and aavalli ('coloured creepers' or 'row of colours'). The motifs in traditional Rangoli are usually taken from Nature - peacocks, swans, mango, flowers, creepers, etc. The colours were traditionally drawn from natural dyes made with the bark of trees, leaves, and other organic substances.

Indigo's Rangoli was made using rice, lavender, frankincense, rose buds, pink peppercorns, juniper, mirrors, lentils and glass drops. If heaven has a scent, it might well be what we smelled as we swept the rangoli materials into small baskets. Part of the design was made with sticks that had been blessed by members of the Cabecar tribe of Costa Rica. They undertook this ceremony as a gesture to help heal the pain of the people of New York City after the 9/11 attacks. After we took the Rangoli apart, we fulfilled the wishes of the Cabecar people by planting the sticks into the soil of lower Manhattan near the edge of the Ground Zero site. The entire process was very spiritual and solemn. But there was joy in the house as well. The art had been on display in the museum of Trinity Church, a beautiful sanctuary in the financial district of lower Manhattan. The church yard was wild with the color of hundreds of tulips, cherry blossoms and daffodils. A wedding was underway while we engaged in our work. Just after we completed the last task, the strains of the Wedding Recessional sounded throughout the church and we caught a glimpse of the just-kissed bride's bliss. What a day!

Creative Thaw -- Making Time for Art

The ice has finally melted off the lake and it's been over a month since I gave myself the time to sit and write a post here. This is no way to run a creative life, but with all the uncertainty in the economy, I was eager to take on more work projects from my clients. The March/April tidal wave of left-brain activity stole some of my creative energy. A freelance writer or artist needs to take advantage of work opportunities when they arise because you really don't know what will happen next month. Nurturing your creative life -- while you work additional hours -- is never easy.

One good rule is to take at least one hour per work -- in between other labors -- to immerse yourself in some kind of creative experience. Yesterday I managed to spend some time meeting writers at Pottsville's Block of Art celebration. Just listening to a few great poems helped to revive me. Before the last lines were read aloud, I was swooning under the influence of good metaphors. Here is a weblink for Lester Hirsh, one of the poets whose work helped rotate my tires.

Carbon County and the Original "Green" Energy

When I end up in the grip of unhappiness, I try to right my ship by reminding myself how lucky I am to live in a place as beautiful as Carbon County. The other day I was struggling with some very sad memories that would not release their hold on me. Finally I took myself out for a walk along the roads that border the Mud Run Creek. Pacing those trails, my mind began to quiet down until I could feel, once again, what a gift it is to live here.

Lately geese have been returning, reminding me that all wintry emotions eventually give way to new journeys and brighter days. A couple of mallards have taken up residence on Henning Pond. They patrol the border of the water, searching for food and a place to raise the baby ducks that will arrive once spring wins its duel with winter. Birds of all kinds have come back to the pines, bringing old squabbles and new songs with them.

Down the hill in Jim Thorpe, the whole town has given itself over to the wearing of the green. Sure it was St. Patrick's Day, but all that green isn't just about shamrocks. It make you think of growth and new beginnings. Yesterday, the streets were filled with bagpipers and people decked out for fun. My mood was lifted by the bright skies and marching bands. Happy friends and some excellent folding chairs made for a special afternoon. It was a great opportunity to take in the Irish energy that lies at the heart of Jim Thorpe. Overall, it was the kind of day that makes you feel lucky to be alive.

A Great Night for Kids on Philly's Avenue of the Arts

After much organizing, re-organizing, and endless worry, we managed to throw a wonderful party at the Suzanne Roberts Theater last Tuesday night. 12th grade students from Mariana Bracetti Academy had a chance to discuss their senior research projects with Philadelphia notables like Pedro Ramos (former managing director of the City of Philadelphia), Joe Bordogna (former Chief Operating Officer of the National Science Foundation), and the Honorable William Greenlee, member of Philadelphia City Council. Wait, did I forget to mention the accomplished women at the party? Juanita Figueroa, pathbreaking Latina community activist was there along with Debbie Kahn, Director of Delaware Valley Grantmakers, and Linda Jacobs of the Nelson Foundation.

I could make a longer list of who was in attendance but my words can't capture the incredible sound of the crowd's conversation. The air just seemed to crackle with energy and ideas. It was great to see our students talking about their research with adults who were eager to share their professional knowledge. The Action News team from Channel 6 even showed up to take some footage of the event. They got a few shots of the newly famous Barking Bulldogs who played background music for the guests. If there are cuter musicians in the world, I have yet to meet them.