art

Four Chairs, Part 4

I believe what we can see is only a dim reflection of true reality. I think of the work of an artist as one who reaches into the invisible; tugs out little threads of color, pattern, texture; and weaves them into a language visible to others. Artist Paul Klee put it this way, “Art does…Read more Four Chairs, Part 4

Four Chairs, Part 3

This chair, I killed. Once I reached the version pictured in the last photo below, it seemed finished but it just didn't "feel right." I could not stop poking and prodding (process not pictured) until it simply sputtered and died: Knowing that sometimes my best work emerges from ashes (surely a living parable for circumstances in life), I refused to give…Read more Four Chairs, Part 3

Four Chairs, Part 2 (Magic)

I've always believed in magic. I suppose it isn't surprising when I think about my Irish grandmother, Margaret (O'Laughlin) Ferguson, known to many as “Mickey.” Whenever I visited her home, brightly colored kitsch-art gnomes peered out from shelves scattered around her living room. Who knows but that they came to life at night and followed her…Read more Four Chairs, Part 2 (Magic)

Four Chairs, Part 1

I've been conjuring, killing, and resurrecting chairs for a couple weeks now. I imagined them to be as vibrant as the person for whom I am painting them. When she commissioned a piece, she simply requested "a chair." But just a simple chair will not do for this artistic soul - no, it must be on the verge of…Read more Four Chairs, Part 1

Shine Like Stars Interview

I don't mean this irreverently, but I really think God is laughing at me. In January 2015, I wrote down a prayer request as I continued my art journey. I asked the Lord to “open doors to speak to more people.” Now, I most definitely did not mean “speak” literally. I've come a long way…Read more Shine Like Stars Interview

Joy to You!

"Weeping endures for the night, but joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30:5b As I reflect on 2015, I give great thanks for all of you who gift joy to me with your presence on the journey. From dear, life-long friends and family members who continually walk beside me, to people I've never met who faithfully comment on…Read more Joy to You!

Peace

This cracking, bleeding orb hurtles through space, and I am only a tiny, imperceptible pinprick of yearning somewhere on its spinning surface. I've never craved peace so urgently. My own pulse of longing seems to merge with a collective sigh of all colors and creeds, like black exhaust fumes spurting from an ancient, lumbering, rusty vehicle. From…Read more Peace

Out of Flames… Wings

For this series, I have no words. Sometimes art expresses the innermost longings of the heart, born of personal reflection and world-wide influence, a place beyond the reach of words. Such is this series. ................................................................. Just in case you are interested, I've added some originals, including this series, to my Etsy store inventory: FragmentsOfLight.

A Candle for Paris

I light a candle for Paris. There, alone in the solemnity of a local cathedral, my soul swells with vaulted ceilings, shatters like bits of light filtered through stained glass. The snap of the lighter cracks vast silence across tiled floors, still and waiting. And I pray. And the heart of Someone from two millennium ago…Read more A Candle for Paris

Outdoor market – selling art

I paint my heart, so being present with my art and a real-live-someone-else at the same time often feels a little too real and raw, a little too exposed. So, I set up my tent in the morning for last weekend's holiday market at Sincerely Danielle Shunk (SDS) with a great deal of anxiety. Then, amidst strangers, family and…Read more Outdoor market – selling art