Thought-Full Art Studio

A conversation...

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Long Hot Summer Ahead!

The Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts was great – and extremely hot! Normally that show is held in April when weather in Oklahoma is punctuated by cool evenings and occasional rain. It was a marathon to get through, and I am so grateful to all my former and new patrons who went out of their way to attend and purchase art!

For the first time in many years, I came back from my very short “art season” to a garden still in active production. I’m enjoying gathering in cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes! I do not have any other shows on my calendar at this time until Fall. I’ll post those dates when they become available.

With the rise of the Covid Delta Variant, numbers are again ticking up here in Texas and across the country. For us to beat this thing and get people safely back to work, make events as safe as possible, make school as safe as possible for teachers and our children, and to enjoy a Fall of true Thanksgiving and holiday blessings – we HAVE to work TOGETHER.

Please – if you have not been vaccinated – reconsider and take action. Getting vaccinated was the most personally liberating act for myself and my wife. Not only do we know that we are safer – we know that we are doing the best we can to help others remain safe. Nothing is “foolproof” and from the beginning, scientists have made it clear that these vaccines are about 95-99% effective against Covid 19. But, in addition, for those who do contract Covid and are fully vaccinated, hospitalization is typically not necessary and they can very often be treated at home.

At this time, over 95% of those being hospitalized are unvaccinated. The AVERAGE hospital stay for Covid patients is seven days. I don’t know if you have ever been hospitalized, but even without life-saving heroics such as ventilators and ICU care, the costs are prohibitive even if you are lucky enough to have insurance. This isn’t political. This is just good, basic science. God bless and I do hope we can have a Fall art season. It really does depend on people stepping up their game in regard to Covid.

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The Neighborhood Series

“The Neighborhood” series of original artwork will be available in my booth at the Summer 2021 Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts. The show dates are June 22-27, 2021 and I am in booth 24B.

This fun little series evokes the feeling of a “Creature Apartment Neighborhood”. It makes a humorous and interesting installation when two or more of the framed series are hung in a row. Since we have all recently come through a time where we were watching our world largely through our windows, I thought how creatures might have participated in the same experience. I will post a couple of images in an upcoming post.

If you need information about the upcoming festival, you can visit their web page at Festival of the Arts – Arts Council Oklahoma City (artscouncilokc.com) or their Facebook page at Arts Council Oklahoma City | Facebook.

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OKC Festival of the Arts

I am very happy to announce that I will be exhibiting at the Summer 2021 Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts. The show dates are June 22-27, 2021. You can visit their website at Festival of the Arts – Arts Council Oklahoma City (artscouncilokc.com) or their Facebook page at Arts Council Oklahoma City | Facebook.

This is my first show since the end of the 2019 season as the pandemic began just at the start of Spring 2020 shows. It has been a tough year for everyone – and some have faced terrible hardships. My hope is that, as 2021 moves forward, we will see a continuing return to something “more normal” than this past year.

I appreciate very much the people who have contacted me via this site throughout the pandemic. You have been a huge encouragement to me and I am looking forward to seeing in person those of you who can come out to the show!

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Spring 2021

A few people have reached out asking what shows I will be in this Spring. With the pandemic still in high gear and the vaccination rollout still struggling (getting better though), I am not planning on participating in any Spring 2021 shows. I have a show scheduled for mid-Summer 2021 but we just have to wait and see whether or not that holds. Some states are doing better than others in terms of getting people to wear masks and socially distance and that is a big factor – along with the vaccination rollout – for my safety and the safety of customers.

I hope that you and those you love are remaining safe and well. For the sake of everyone, I ask that we all take care of one another by wearing masks, follow CDC guidelines on social distancing and hand washing. We know these things work and can make a significant difference in transmission of the virus. I’m striving to do my part – and hope you will as well.

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New Year – New Hope

Happy New Year 2021! I hope that you and those you love are remaining safe and well. My wife and I have been blessed to remain so and we are very hopeful about the vaccine. It is a bit of a delivery nightmare and I thank God I am not responsible for all that – I can only imagine the hurdles. But I am confident it will get sorted out. One thing I have learned over my many years is that while large organizations might have problems, there are numerous “little people” in the mix who are proud of their work and determined to get the job done. I have confidence those people will do their very best behind the scenes to get this delivery better organized.

This past year has been a terrible one in so many ways. We have not been immune from the heartache. But we also have had many blessings. My wife and I are enjoying time together and away from the “show circuit”. I have enjoyed working in my garden and tending to all those home repair and improvement activities I have had to neglect in the past. We miss our friends, going to church in person, and our son and daughter-in-law. We have had friends and acquaintances have to deal with Covid. We have friends who have suffered with other health concerns that had to take a back seat while hospitals are overrun and overburdened. But we remain hopeful that 2021 will bring relief on many fronts.

God bless you and I look forward to seeing you “on the trail” later this year or next, God willing.

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Shop Local/Shop Small

This holiday season, I want to encourage people to shop local/shop small. While the big online and big box stores have been a blessing during the pandemic – and we are all grateful for the services they provide – they are doing pretty well right now. That cannot be said of the countless local/small business operators/vendors/artists/craftspeople. Doors are closing that may never be opened again and we are going into a winter that looks like it is going to make the first wave of the pandemic a walk in the park by comparison.

Within your local community – your circle of friends and family – I am certain there are people who have small businesses. Please consider buying from them first this holiday season. The cheer you spread will not only be to those receiving the gift – but a welcome addition to the lives and dreams of those who are struggling so hard to stay afloat.

Not planning on giving? You are not alone! This year there are so many still without work and more may be out as cities try to get a handle on Covid-19. I urge you to fight against the fatigue of staying in/staying away. It stinks. Wearing a mask is a pain (sometimes literally). But EVERY generation comes up against a test of what they are made of.

Our grandparents had WWI and/or WWII (depending on your age). Some faced the horrific Flu Pandemic of the early 1900s. Our parents faced Korea, the polio epidemic, the Great Depression. More recently we have faced economic black holes, Vietnam, Desert Storm and related conflicts, the AIDs crisis. We have seen the horrors of terrorism in Oklahoma City, and in New York. Some of us have survived several of these crises.

We CAN get through this.

We WILL get through it one way or the other – but I hope that we can get through it with grace, humor, a sense of care and obligation to those around us – and push back on the very human urge to give in and give up and be selfish about what we “want” and think “we deserve”.

Shop local/shop small if you can. It helps. If you cannot shop these days, then just help your neighbor keep moving forward with a kind word, perhaps a helpful hand (masked and at a safe distance). We can all be mindful and thankful for the graces of each day. God bless and keep you and those you love.

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New Prints Added

I’ve updated my shop with some additional prints. I’m trying to post all the prints I normally take with me to arts festivals as quickly as possible. If you do not see something, please use the Contact form and describe it as best you can and I will get back to you quickly.

Three of the prints currently listed also have the original artwork still available: The Vegan (black and white version), Catch 22, and Through the Curtain. If you are interested in the originals, please use the Contact form and I will get back with you to discuss the details.

The Randy Brodnax show that I have been blessed to participate in during the Fall had to cancel. But they are trying to put together an online “show”. Once that is set up, I’ll post information here and on Facebook on how to view, share, purchase art, etc.

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The Three Truths

According to several different dictionaries, the term “trumped up” was first used in 1728. It appears to have meant “to deceive or cheat”. It did not always have a completely evil connotation. It was also used to mean someone offering an “imaginative use of truth” (like a kid saying it was the monster under the bed that spilled his milk).

Today, truth often comes at a premium. Those speaking it can often be derided, even harmed, by those who are “unhappy” with facing that particular truth. Figuring out when we are being told or shown the truth – rather than the “Trumped Up Truth” is important.

This isn’t a political message. It is meant, like all my work, to spur your imagination and conversation. The “Plain Truth” is we all need to think a lot more about the life we live and the life we want to leave behind us. Happy musing!

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Video: Through the Curtain

A short video about my original “Through the Curtain”. This piece is available for $3000 (plus applicable sales tax). Due to the size it cannot be shipped. I can arrange personal delivery within a reasonable distance from the DFW area. Please use the Contact Us form if you have any questions/ are interested in purchasing.

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Stay Safe – Help Others Stay Safe

I’ve got a beard. I’ve had one for most of my adult life. In fact, my wife of 43 years has never seen me without one. So masks are not my favorite adornment. But I really want shows to open back up. I want my favorite suppliers to stay in business. I want my wife and I to stay out of the hospital and I want that for my friends, extended family, and my customers. So I wear a mask.

I know that there are a lot of conflicting messages out there – and especially when this all started. We shouldn’t be surprised. We haven’t had a pandemic in this country for several generations. But now we know. It makes a difference. Perfect solution? Absolutely not. We need more testing so we know who actually needs to remain quarantined and who can return safely to work, and a vaccine. But, in the meantime, wearing a mask helps. Washing our hands helps. Social distancing helps.

There are so many things I cannot do to help make this whole situation better. But I can do these three things without even blinking an eye or breaking into a sweat. So why would I NOT? The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is a whole lot easier to maintain outside a hospital.

Be safe and help others to be safe as well. Peace.