Organic Curves...sketches of my feline friend Sophia

are everywhere!  Such is nature.  There are no straight lines in the human body.  The only straight lines describe the man-made.  The yin and the yang.  In calligraphy, the S-curve is one of the most difficult to master, it seems to me, as it involves a release of control.  On our recent trip to San Francisco, we apartment-sat our son's place.  Two amazing felines filled our days with delight and warmth.  Sophia is a lap cat to the max.  On two separate occasions I studied her form...the first a circular sleeping pose and the second a study of the way the hair grew on her haunches.  Muscles, fur, the soft pads on the paws....all delightfully organic.  I became totally absorbed in the drawing of each of these small sketches....each took about an hour.

Two hours well spent.

Reunion...inspired by vintage photos

Reunion   oil on canvas   40 x 30 x .5

is my entry in The Akron Art Prize competition.  As artists, we are quite familiar with competitive exhibition, along with its inherent subjectivity.  While I love to have my work included in any exhibition, and certainly do enjoy receiving a nod from the juror, I am in complete agreement with Robert Genn when he says:

One's art needs to be personally elevated and seen as its own reward.

Competitiveness seems to be flourishing in our current culture with "VOTE FOR ME" television shows and best-of-lists that pepper every community from burgers to spas.  The last time I tried to fill one out, I had so little knowledge of most of the businesses that my vote was not eligible.  We prefer the simpler life of cooking and spa-ing(yeah, right) at home.  This voting rage appears to be a boon for all venues, however, as the participation of the public seems to multiply both enthusiasm and involvement.  "The Voice" has been an amplifier for the music industry.  OK.  Good.  Great.
My own problem stems from the "VOTE FOR ME"-thing that is so very foreign and repellent to my being.  My mother had to push me out of the door to sell Girl Scout Cookies.  And I guarantee that my parents didn't sell any in my support.  I have even received "VOTE FOR ME" emails from other artists who have neglected to check their e-mailing lists for other participating artists which seems a bit insensitive.  Quite frankly, I am a bit like Harry Chapin's Mr. Tanner.....who did not know how well he sang...it just made him whole.

So....vote for me...or not....as I have quite happy to be among the 135 entries in this exhibit!