loving art, science and creative kids
5/23/2020 6:12:46 PM
SAGA OF THE BIG BANG
It began with an explosion that no one heard. It was the start said German priest, astronomer and physics professor, Georges Lemaitre in 1927. It was the creation said the bible. Dust, particles and chemicals swirled and coalesced in wind storms as the void expanded from a single atom until it was impossible to see the end or the beginning. A multitude of galaxies with stars, planets and moons were formed including the planet I stand on now.
Over the course of millions of years, mountains and seas were created, minerals deposited, and land became fertile on planet earth.
Trees grew tall, flowers bloomed and plants produced nuts, berries, fruit, tubers and green leaves in abundance, making it possible to support organisms on land and not only in the sea.
Creatures of every type covered the earth and multiplied. Animals joined the plants to pave the way for human beings to evolve by providing what was needed to nourish, clothe, and shelter them.
Men, women, children evolved to stand upright, walk on two feet, and hold tools with their hands. Their presence was but a whisper on the land for they dwelled in caves, followed the herds and left little behind. They prospered as the years went by, multiplied, and spread over the globe.
They searched for meat, learned to farm and with the aid of boats and beasts, traveled by land and sea. There were more of them. They saw more and wanted more.
Seeking unoccupied land and hunting grounds they trekked from Asia across the Bering Straits, then south, spreading their seed throughout a new land.
Years later they were met by wagon trains rumbling through from the east filled with loggers and settlers determined to farm their land and tame their wilderness. They cut down the trees.
Others built dwellings in jungles, finding medicinal plants that let them live longer and allowed them to multiply again and again. They cut down the trees.
Yes, they cut down more trees and replaced them with towering structures in grand cities filled with apartment houses, stores and entertainment centers.
The wealthy erected mega-mansions in suburbs with garages large enough for the two and three cars needed to transport them to centers of industry, finance and law.
There came a divide between the haves and have-nots. Those with wealth stayed locked inside giant carved gates where they were surrounded by greenery, inspiration, and like minded neighbors, while "the others" were relegated to barren lands, broken down buildings and hard concrete sidewalks, not knowing a way to climb over the fence.
And still the population grew, demanding more power for their homes, greater warmth for their businesses, and the ability to operate their automobiles and machinery faster and for longer periods of time.
The temperature got warmer, fires burned forests, trees died, houses collapsed. It became harder to breathe, difficult to see crisp hillsides and mountains through the thick haze. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods were more violent. Asthma increased and children became ill.
Trash landed in streets, waste spilled into streams. Fish numbers declined. Those living wild in the ocean ingested mercury, drinking water had to be filtered and treated. To feed earth's people, animals were herded into pens and fed hormones to make them fat. The ground was drench with fertilizers and insecticides affecting everyone's health.
Birds decreased in numbers, leaving one where before there were flocks. Young men and women fought in wars over water, land, oil and mineral rights. Millions died.
Then. . . while people were sleeping, there was another bang, a gigantic explosion that no-one heard. It flared up from a virus multiplying faster than they, making them sick while the earth became bright. Those who paid attention were reminded what it was like to breathe in clean air, see fish through sparkling waters, and highways uncluttered by trash. They smelled the perfume of the flowers, marveling at their vibrant colors. They were calmed by the quiet, felt safe with less crime, and had fewer accidents.
And. . . it dawned on them that it was their job to care for the earth.
5/16/2020 12:47:01 PM
We conquer problems put before us in unique ways. Staying sequestered gave us an opportunity to consider how we’ve gone about those tasks in the past and how we plan to proceed in the future. When confronted with change, I paint. It is a soothing way to think through the problems I’ve experienced during this pandemic. The first four pictures in my Covid-19 series were inspired by daily walks through my neighborhood.
In early March, Portland was greeted with a snowstorm blanketing flowers, branches, and buds that were teasing us of a future that returned us to light—telling us that for sure there would be one. Walking alone through the silent white streets of the Northwest Hills was magical. Passing a house with daffodils on the front lawn pushing through the snow, I was struck by how determined all living things, plants as well
as animals, are to survive.
. 
Three weeks later there was no holding back as the earth burst forth and splattered about the most brilliant colors I’ve seen in the last thirty years. Crocuses, tulips and daffodils were joined by a cacophony of colors rivaling fireworks on the Fourth of July. Red, white, yellow, pink and purple flowers covered trees and bushes everywhere I went. Unpolluted by car exhaust, they sparkled in the exceptionally clear air and their fragrance added to a feeling of well being. In the long term, I knew everything would be fine. Patience is what was called for now.
During the following two weeks I walked by dozens of men and women preparing gardens, carrying heavy bags of fertilizer and laying out plant starts. I was realized that new ways of designing and managing our communities are called for. It has to be done more carefully than ever this year. The pandemics as well as global warming repeatedly slap us in the face, forcing acknowledgment that change in inevitable. Nations need to rethink ground rules of how they interact and support each other. How the world prepares for the fires it is bound to face in the future, the innovations that must be made, and the adaptations that will be asked of us all will determine how well we and our offspring survive over the next decades.
It is difficult to remain in isolation when it’s warm and sunny outside. It makes us want to move and fly carefree in the wind. Yet, the pandemic is not over and we have to stay as grounded as a kite is when it’s attached to a string to keep it from disappearing. Without caution we could loose more than we already have.
As paintings are added to my Covid-19 series, I’m sure the environment and people I connect with while walking and on Zoom, with will continue to inspire thoughts. My goal through the summer season is to remember to act cautiously and creatively, intelligently and compassionately, and to stay healthy and upbeat in designing my new tomorrow. It is the only way I know to artfully conquer this pandemic.
Art is always for sale. Covid-19 pictures are found under WORKS on the home page of my web site.
Do tell share what creative activities you engaged in when sequestered at home.
5/8/2020 7:00:05 PM
Pretty How Town (inspired by E.E. Cummings)
How did humans become so self-centered they forgot to include much of the world in their “normal.”
Back to Normal
Can’t wait until everything is back to normal? Have you taken the time to think about what that means? It may make you wonder at the big rush to get there.
Isn’t it nice taking a stroll without worrying about being hit by a car or blasted by exhaust? I find the crisp clear air and my chats with relaxed neighbors, even from six feet away, a pleasure. It’s a delight to see parents with children strolling down the street and to watch my neighbor play basketball with his kids. Each afternoon the boy who lives in the house opposite ours, practices doing tricks with his skateboard. He’s passionate about it. In the old normal, neighbor children would rush off to soccer practice, ballet or music lessons after school. I never saw them.
I do look forward to traveling again, visiting relatives and friends, eating out, attending the theater and rooting for the Thorns at soccer events. But, I certainly have not been bored. It’s been easy to fill days as a productive writer and painter. But, much of what society considers normal, I can do without.
For starters, I can do without bigotry and drivers who give me the finger when passing me on a highway. I can do without smog filled cities and polluted streams that are considered normal. And, it's really hard to accept that carrying assault weapons into a state capital is normal. Are the 36,383 deaths due to gun violence an acceptable number of deaths to return to? Should we be bothered because 38,800 die and many more are maimed in traffic accidents because people drive fast, are inebriated and ignore signals? Should 58,909 drug poisonings a year be an easily accepted amount? I imagine many of you are like me and didn’t know that statistic.
The world we hasten to return to incarcerates African Americans at five times the rate of whites, and in five states it is ten times higher. The United States is the world leader in its use of incarceration, with more than 1.3 million people in state prisons. Is that the normal we rush to embrace? Does it make you proud?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 46.6. million people (1 in 5 ) have mental health issues. Of those, 11.8 million have serious disorders that interfere with or limit their activities. Too many of these people live on the streets (or are put in prison) without help. With the additional stress caused by coronavirus, mental health issues will rise. Will mental health needs continue to be addressed as they have in the (normal?) past by being ignored or inadequately addressed due to lack of funding?
Approximately 567,715 people were homeless before the pandemic. Those numbers will increase due to job loss caused by the pandemic. Is there a normal way to handle starvation and poverty? Will we establish a norm that considers marginalized people too important to let suffer because something happened beyond their control?
There are thousands of immigrants in the country illegally or in detention camps. They’ve been ignored, belittled and kicked out, tearing families apart. Millions of people around the globe are in that situation because of poverty, war and natural disasters caused by a warming globe. Now they’re getting sick due to a tiny, unseen virus. It has been normal to turn away from their needs. Is that what humanity is about?
Each year the U.N. ranks nations on a happiness scale. Finland ranks first with Scandinavian countries close behind. These are followed by Costa Rica, Austrilia, Iceland, Austria to name a few. Canada ranks 9th, the United Kingdom 15, and the United States 19th. It seems to me that most Americans accept 19th as being OK. If it wasn’t they would do something about it. Wouldn’t it be great if the number one spot was our norm? (to see rankings go to https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/changing-world-happiness/)
Come on friends, let’s come together to change what's accepted as normal. Look at COVID-19 statistics world wide and you see that something is wrong in our country. The U.S. has the highest number of illness and the most deaths in the world, yet citizens go without masks and ignore social distancing.
We can be better. Let’s get rid of partisan politics and act on scientific, ethically considered options to tackle these problems. The norm I want to return to is one that strives for happiness for all.
Pretty How Town by E. E. Cummings - 1894-1962
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did.
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her
someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream
stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)
one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was
all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.
Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain
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Artwork is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected]
Pretty How Town/ Acrylic on Canvas/ Mixed media / Gold Frame/ $ 650
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References;
CDC (2020) Road Traffic Injuries and Deaths. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/global-road-safety/index.html
National Safety Council. (2020) Motor Vehicle Deaths Estimated to Have dropped 2% in 2019 ON the Road. retrieved from https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/fatality-estimates
NIH. Website. Mental Illness. National Institute of Mental Health retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtmlNIK. (2
Nellis, A. (2016) The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons. The Sentencing Project. retrieved from https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/color-of-justice-racial-and-ethnic-disparity-in-state-prisons/
World Happiness Report ( 2019), United Nations. retrieved from https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/the-sad-state-of-happiness-in-the-united-states-and-the-role-of-digital-media/
5/2/2020 2:57:27 PM
Surf’s Up
The surf is definitely up and emotions churn wildly with the ebb and flow of restricted lives.
Waves of Fear
When first sequestered I was asked to call forty people and ascertain how they were feeling and if they had special concerns that needed to be addressed. Most all responses were upbeat. I was told they were fine, establishing a routine, and enjoying the quiet of being home. Some worried about the future but not very much for it was difficult to image the country falling apart. Now, two months later, I contacted the same people to see if they were still OK. This time I received descriptions how fear washed over them in waves. They are tired of being alone, find it hot wearing a mask, scared shitless about lack of employment and lost savings, and crave warm hugs from friends and family. Some experience bouts of moodiness while others are fighting depression. The elderly, faced with how a two year pandemic will affect them, are grieving.
I spoke to several mental health counselors during those initial weeks, curious to know if they were inundated with calls. No, they said, their clients were coping and less stressed being home. Their calendars were wiped clean. That changed as the weeks passed, and being isolated started to take its toll. Fear creeped in as people dealt with the reality of their lives, imagining bleak years ahead. Suicide hot lines began responding to a 900 percent increase in calls, and counselors became busy conducting on-line mental health sessions. The way people are coping makes me think of the ocean.
Just as waves hit the shore and retreat, so does panic roll over us before slowly retreating. Eight weeks ago we were soothed by statements like “we are in this together,” and trusted health care professionals and government leaders to assess the pandemic and keep the sea calm. But as deaths rose, as unemployment reached unimaginable highs and as food became scarce for the poor, the ocean began to churn violently. Those stuck at home began to feel like they were drowning and started flailing wildly to stay afloat.
Parents working at home with children under foot were faced with rolling waves that have to be continuously jumped over. It's sometimes fun, but often exhausting, at times aggravating, but doable. But, when someone returns from work after caring for the ill, delivering mail or working in a food market, tidal waves of fear beat the door of those at home wondering if the virus is coming with them. Seniors who floated serenely on retirement rafts months earlier shake when realizing that country will open for those under 60, but exclude them. If they don't remain isolated on their rafts they risk being toppled off by the next wave of viruses.
It is the uncertainty of how and when the pandemic will end that causes anxiety. Imagine yourself on a rowing team challenging the ocean. Just as your team establishes a rhythm, you are hit by a wild wave and thrown off balance. Sneaker waves like the stock market’s rise and fall on speculation adds to your instability. It doesn't help when the coxswain throws off your rhythm with lies, false statistics, and harmful medical advice. When a boat is steered poorly, the rowers fall overboard.
Most Americans are stressed, anxious, fearful, sad and lonely . . . but not all the time. And though people with mental health disorders can slip into serious depression, few of us will. Strategies of self-care can lower stress so you can take charge of your life and dilute height of the swells. Now that we are two months into the pandemic, ask yourself if you are following self-care practices consistently?
It will take time for the waters to calm when the pandemic ends, and many will suffer from post traumatic stress (PTSD). It is the time to imbed self-care practices so strongly in your psyche and everyday practice that you'll have strength to cope with and enjoy the challenges that lie ahead.
Remember to get enough sleep, participate in physical activity, eat healthy, avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs, limit screen time, and find time to relax.
Care for you mind by keeping a regular routine, limit exposure to news media, stay busy, focus on positive thoughts, set priorities, learn something new, and draw strength from your moral compass and spiritual life.
Strengthen relationships through connections on phone, or on-line, help others, and support family members or friends who are isolated through notes, or phone calls.
Get help if you need it. Stress is normal but COVID-19 pandemic can easily push you beyond your ability to cope. If you feel helpless, sad, angry, irritable, anxious or afraid. If you have trouble concentrating on typical tasks, your body aches, have trouble sleeping or eating, or if you struggle to face routine tasks for several days in a row, you may need help. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for it. It is not a weakness. It is a stressful Pandemic, not of your making.
Contact a close friend or loved one, someone in your faith community, your primary care provider, or a mental health professional. Organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 800-985-5990 offer help and guidance. If you feel suicidal contact the suicide prevention Lifeline at 1-900-273-8255. If you are a victim of Domestic violence call 1-800-799-7233 .
References:
CDC staff (2020) cCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreaks can be stressful. Center for Disease Control. relieves from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html
Mayo Clinic Staff (2020) COVID-19 and your mental health. Mayo Clinic. retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/mental-health-covid-19/art-20482731
NIMH staff (2020) Supporting Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic, National Institute of Mental Health. retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2020/supporting-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.shtml
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Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected]
Surf’s Up Acrylic on Canvas/ 48” x 36”/ gold frame / $699
