D-Day

Thanks, Dad  - Altered 78 record album

This is an altered book that I made out of a vintage 78 record album. 

 That's my dad on the front along with his Sargent stripes from the Army  Air Corps.  

Here are the spreads from inside, filled with remembrances 

of his time serving during WWII.

Many are his actual medals and paperwork,

 while some is ephemera that I've picked up at 

flea markets and swap meets over the years.

This piece was part of my 2011 solo exhibition "The Pity of War"

Thanks to all who served on that historic day.

Suitcase Saturday

 Found this 1940's beauty at the local swap meet.

This one is a repository for precious family memorabilia: my mom's Shirley Temple doll from the '30's, my dad's old fishing hat, pictures of my grandparents - as children and middle-aged.

Pix of my parents when they first met, a small pink toothpick holder that belonged to my great grandmother, a ceramic skunk that always sat on the window sill of my Aunt Harriet's bathroom, a chicken that graced my grandmother's kitchen shelves, the furnace key from my childhood home, a metal donkey from Italy that my dad sent home to my mom during the war, the head of a soap baby that was passed down from her older sister to my mom (the baby of the family).

This pink cup came from my grandfather's family; as a small boy he was allowed to have orange juice in it when he was sick.

Thanks Dad  altered book 

These are not art supplies, but I did make xerox copies of the picture of my dad in his uniform and use them for two pieces in "The Pity of War".

Happy Birthday Dad

 Keep Them Flying 10x20"

Yesterday would have been my dad's 96th birthday.  He's been gone for almost 13 years now and there are ways in which my world has been a very different place without him.  He was soft spoken, could build anything, work on the cars, wire a house, produce gorgeous roses, cook an amazing meal and raise 4 children.  He and my mom celebrated 54 years of wedded bliss.  They met during WWII.  When I created The Pity of War collection last year, I was able to put some of my feelings for my dad in an altered book  and a collage about his war experiences.  Happy Birthday Dad and thanks for everything.

In Memorium

 A House Divided 10x8"

Decoration Day (our Memorial Day) received its name from the laying of flowers on the graves of the fallen soldiers during the Civil War.

In 1868 General John A.Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed nationwide It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle.  The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890 every northern state followed suit.

The earliest Confederate Memorial Day celebrations were simple, somber occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. At its Decoration Day on April 25, 1866, Columbus, Mississippi commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.
Following WWI, Decoration Day became Memorial Day and has been ever since a day to honour all those who have served in the military.

Cigar Box Wednesday

On this 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor it seemed appropriate to show the contents of this decorative tin, and to extend a thank you to all WWII vets.


Photos, medals, booklets, postcards and other ephemera left over from my The Pity of War exhibition early this year.

All waiting until a future time when I visit this subject again.

The Pity of War - a Last Look

To End All Wars 16x20"

When I finish a project I usually have a pile of extras left that gets moved to the side or put in a folder or box for future use. As you can imagine, quite a large pile had accumulated by the time I had spent 6 months working on The Pity of War earlier this year.

Against a Monstrous Tyranny 16x20"

When I was cleaning it off my desk the work had become such an important part of me that I couldn't just file it away without one last foray. And so we have these two collages.



To End All Wars (WWI) and Against a Monstrous Tyranny (WWII) both in 16x20" frames with glass fronts and plastic backs(that were used as the substrata for the collages).



I tried to get a bit from most of the pieces from The Pity of War into each collage and then finished them off with lengths of ribbon and small charms. It was poignant and fulfilling to revisit this body of work again. Both of these will be available at Open Studios later this month.

From the Bookshelf

When I bought my new camera last February it came with a deal from Shutterfly for a free photo book. You take your pictures, sit down at the computer and design a book. They print it up and sent it to you. Right from the beginning I thought it would be a wonderful way to document my pieces from my solo show "The Pity of War".

Well, it took awhile to get around to it (big surprise!) but finally I did and I now have the result in my hands. There was room for all 20 pieces and an ending page with an artist statement and list of where the show was exhibited. I 'm pleased with how it turned out and what a pleasure to have this lasting tribute.

Opening and a Sale!

Coventry Carol

"The Pity of War" opened last weekend at Linnaea's Cafe in San Luis Obispo. Close to 100 people came by and enjoyed the art. And, I sold the above piece - Coventry Carol. The buyer said she loved the message of hope it conveyed - that even though the cathedral was destroyed by nine straight hours of bombardment, the people of Coventry rebuilt and made a lasting memorial of the still standing walls.

The show runs through July 31
Linnaea's is open daily from 6:30am-11:00pm.

The Pity of War - Once More

Tomorrow night is "Art After Dark" in San Luis Obispo and my show The Pity of War will be opening for a month's run at Linnaea's Cafe. I'll be there from 6:00-9:00 to meet and greet and talk about my art. Drop by if you're in the area.
The show runs through July 31. The cafe's hours are 6:30 AM - 11:00 PM daily.

So Much, So Many, So Few

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Winston Churchill's famous words about the Battle of Britain, when brave RAF pilots protected the skies of England from German bombers. The devastation in London was horrific, but much less than it would have been without the Spitfires shooting the enemy out of the skies.


In this piece I used a muted palette of grey-blue, red and brown iron oxide and cream. After painting the entire canvas in wide swaths of the blue and brown, I added scraps of cheesecloth and then splattered all the colours across the surface. Fresco Flakes, pumice gel and a panel of HO scale bricks help to show the rubble left after a night's raid.


Pictures of planes, children outside their destroyed homes and one of Churchill surveying the damage were adhered with matte medium. His above quote was attached with mini copper brads. Silhouettes of planes in dark grey and final accents of brown and grey water soluble oil pastels were added.


This is the final new piece to be added to The Pity of War which will be on exhibit at Linnaea's Cafe in San Luis Obispo during the month of July.

Keep Them Flying

Keep Them Flying 10x20"

The next venue for The Pity of War , Linnaea's Cafe in San Luis Obispo, only provides space for 2 dimensional art, so the two altered books that are part of the show will not be on exhibit. I wanted to have my dad still be part of it, so, since the altered book Thanks Dad can't be shown, I did this collage for him instead.

This picture (a Xerox copy here) was taken in the summer of 1941, in San Dimas Park in Southern California, when he was stationed at Edwards Air Base. My totally smitten mother took the picture and it was on her nightstand the rest of her life.

The ribbons represent the WWII victory medal and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal. My dad was a Master Sergeant in the Army Air Corps and served in North Africa, Italy and France. On this 67 anniversary of D-Day, it seems fitting to once again say, "Thanks, Dad."

Under an English Heaven

Under an English Heaven 10x20"

Rupert Brooke, one of the WWI poets wrote The Soldier in 1914, the next year he died on a hospital ship on its way to Gallippoli and was buried on Skyros one of the Greek islands. Thus, fulfilling the prophecy set forth in the poem.

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.
There shall be   
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
A pulse in the eternal mind, no less
Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;
Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;
And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.



This piece will be a new addition to The Pity of War
when it goes on exhibition at Linnaea's Cafe in San Luis Obispo
during the month of July.

The Morning After

Opening night Crowds of people

"A thinking/concept show"

"This is so moving"

" I was one of those children who was evacuated - this means so much to me"

"A stellar body of work with an important message"

"My mother's best friend was a nurse in WWI - this is wonderful"



"Remarkable"

Thanks to everyone for all the support, patience and encouragement over the last six months.And now to rest.

Tonight's the Night

The Pity of War, my first solo gallery show, opens tonight at Allied Arts Cambria Center for the Arts, 1350 Main St. in Cambria. The opening reception is from 5:30-7:00. I will be presenting eighteen mixed media collages and two altered books.

WWI, WWII, touchstones, turning points, spans of years by which lives were, and are, measured and divided. I think the spark for this show may have been ignited 4 years ago when I stood in the poets corner of Westminster Abbey by the graves of several of the WWI poets. I was struck by the words of Wilfred Owen. "My subject is war and the pity of war. The poetry is in the pity." - probably his most famous quote, is engraved in the stone. Being in England-where every tiny village has a war memorial covered with names, and evidence of the Blitz still scars London's streets - brought the tragedy of both these conflicts closer to me than ever before. Not only the sacrifice of the fighting forces, but the bravery and resiliency of the civilians at home.

I honestly feel that we, today, enjoy the freedoms we have, because of the sacrifices of the generations of both World Wars. It’s also been a way to offer a belated, heartfelt appreciation to my father who, as a Master Sergeant in the Army Air Corps, fought in North Africa, Italy and France. Working on the pieces for this show has been very emotional for me and stirs deep feelings - as a result I also feel it's some of the best work I have done.