Pilgrimage is Here

25 years in the making, PILGRIMAGE Wonder, Encounter, Witness is coming out in a private pre-retail edition in two weeks.

People reviewing proof copies say, “This is a treasure.” “What a gorgeous book!” “I want copies to give as gifts.” 

What sets Pilgrimage apart is not simply its beauty; it’s the layers of meaning it holds. In the first section I share where I went, what I saw, what I did, what I gave, what I received. This is done through photographs, maps and brief contextual material.

The second section displays amazing color reproductions of the 17 paintings in my Pilgrimage exhibition. Two sentence blurbs invite the reader to explore each work of art.

Anecdotal stories that accompany the paintings comprise the third section of the book. Each story has color details cropped from the painting it narrates. This makes it easy for the reader to move back and forth between stories, paintings, and photographs.

In gratitude for the many persons who have assisted in bringing this dream into reality, I am making 75 copies of this private edition available to followers of my blog at the printing cost of $17.50 plus shipping.

Of course, I’m hoping those who get Pilgrimage at the special private edition price will fall in love with it and encourage people to buy the retail edition when it comes out in the fall. 

My First Museum Show

My first museum show opened in the Grants Pass Museum of Art on Friday, April 2, 2010. Despite a rainstorm, 400 people came during the three-hour event. That’s rather impressive for a town of 32,000 people.

While viewing Pilgrimage is a holistic experience, when viewers speak to me as the artist, they tend to focus on a particular impression:

• It’s anthropological.
• The symbols are powerful.
• All of your patterns and textures give the impression of fabric.
• There’s so much movement and rhythm in each painting.
• The feelings being expressed are touching me deeply.
• Clearly, you have something to say.
• You have captured the essence of each place.
• Your shapes are totally original and the colors are vibrant.
• It’s so overwhelming I’ll have to come back.
• Thank you for sharing this work.

This was the third opening of Pilgrimage and each experience has been different for me. I was scared at the first reception in the Hallie Brown Ford Gallery in Roseburg. Pilgrimage reflects so much of my interior that I felt totally exposed. I was grateful that people were friendly and willing to open themselves to abstract art.

The second reception at the Chessman Gallery in Lincoln City was exciting. Being close to the metropolitan center of Portland, people were accustomed to contemporary works. Viewers were so effusive in their affirmation of the quality of my artwork that I was able to begin distancing myself from its personal content.

With two openings behind me, I felt comfortable and relaxed in Grants Pass. I enjoyed meeting many local artists as well as members of the art department from Rogue Community College. Their interest in the creative process made the experience of giving my first official “artist talk” a positive one.

One of my granddaughters asked, “What’s next, Grandma?” I'm wondering that myself!