Last spring I planted camellias in our front flowerbeds, not fully appreciating what a blessing I was giving myself. My husband and I worked the soil, adding amendments to create the acidity needed for the new camellias and azaleas. We went to Maas Nursery, the best place in the Houston area to get camellias, and … Continue reading From My Garden: Twenty Camellias in Haiku
Look and Listen for Inspiration
Discovering Moon House: Dag and Zook and The Fear of Falling
Thanksgiving Day 2018 was a memorable one. We spent the week in Blanding, UT. Unlike Moab to the north with its trendy, sporty persona, which I don't much love, Blanding is unvarnished and unpretentious. I would rather feel like traveler as opposed to a tourist, if you get my meaning. In mock appreciation to the … Continue reading Discovering Moon House: Dag and Zook and The Fear of Falling
Redefining Womanhood: Triste, Louca ou Má by Francisco, el Hombre
Bombarded with cultural traditions and unrealistic fantasies, we often forget that a woman is a person and it is her right to define her life in her own terms. When she is allowed to do so, the power, truth and beauty of her uniqueness far surpasses anything culture or advertising has shown us. Men experience … Continue reading Redefining Womanhood: Triste, Louca ou Má by Francisco, el Hombre
Resilience Does Not Forget: June 4, 1989 by Sherry Cheng
Years after a catastrophe, resilience continues to express itself. Memory lets us relive and reinterpret past events, unpacking things that overwhelmed us and growing our response over time. It is not an easy process. The approach of a date, a particular smell, image, or snippet of music can send us back to a deeply fearful … Continue reading Resilience Does Not Forget: June 4, 1989 by Sherry Cheng
More Than Repair: Elevating Memory with Kintsugi
Humanity can be callous and wasteful, but we often form attachments to things. Can connecting with sentimentality help encourage awareness? In this age of technology and mass production, we are accustomed to replacing things as they age and break down. It is usually easier to buy a new item rather than repairing an old one. … Continue reading More Than Repair: Elevating Memory with Kintsugi
Expanding Connections: Please Touch the Art
As artists, sometimes we assume that we understand our creations. Connecting with an audience shows us the things we miss. Andrew Myers makes clever paintings by screwing screws into a wooden base and painting them. He was deeply moved when a blind person attended one of his shows and was able to experience his art … Continue reading Expanding Connections: Please Touch the Art
Patterns of Connection: The Land Art of Dietmar Voorwold
Why should modern humanity regain and hold on to its connection with nature at a time when technology seems omnipresent? I have always loved making things: textures and patterns create a sense of calmness for me. In my early years I made a texture book into which I glued pieces of fabric. I would spend … Continue reading Patterns of Connection: The Land Art of Dietmar Voorwold
