During an art class that I took in college, we were taken outside on campus and told to draw a tree. By the end of the class, I had filled the sketch pad with the furrows and shadows of one branch of an enormous oak. For me, the experience presented itself in the details of the image. The instructor was, in fact, pleased with this result as he explained to the class that an object … Read More
I am a product of the 60’s; on campus during the devastating drain of the Vietnam War and all the disillusionment that that decade wrought as it was catapulted from the harmony of the Beatles and the youthful promise of JFK to the depths of alienation and dissent. I understand this generation’s fear and frustration with current events. The impact is everywhere, more poignant for me, perhaps, as I witness the particular angst of my … Read More
I love to read. Many authors are harbored in my home library; but Stephen King was never a resident until several years ago when I saw The Shawshank Redemption on television and learned that he had written the book. I had always assumed that King’s prolific output was anchored completely in the horror genre and that his popularity, certainly well earned, was due to such tomes as The Shining or Carrie. But after I … Read More
It is July 4, 2010 and I am lamenting my absence from my traditional Independence Day venue: Schroon Lake, NY in the Adirondack Mountains. In this small mountain town, the virtues of Americana, from the annual Main Street parade, to a lakeside picnic and fireworks exploding over a darkening sky remind us of the values of our heritage while serving up a visceral promise of hope and change. I have witnessed a bevy of pyrotechnic … Read More
I am definitely not a Shakespearean scholar. I have difficulty trudging through the Old English verbiage, but I cannot deny that the renowned bard was a great artist. His plays were the foundation for countless renditions of original plots that flowed from his imagination and have continued to fuel story lines to this day. Understanding his writing is essential to understanding literature. It’s just that I prefer to witness this artistry visually. The production enables … Read More
I was never really a soccer mom. My children focused on other sporting disciplines, figure skating, swimming and baseball. However, I got a lot of exposure to this global phenomenon from my sister, who was the Executive Director of MSI (Montgomery Soccer) in Maryland and her husband, who was a national soccer referee. Believe me; I have heard the war stories. This sport has crept into the American psyche via the youth of our country … Read More
As a teenager, I spent time in France with the Experiment in International Living. The objective was a total immersion into the French culture. I learned to speak French, traveled to the Pyrenees Mountains as well as the beaches in Marseilles and visited countless museums. But it was in Paris at The Grand Palais where I saw an exhibit of Matisse’s paper gouache cutouts that I had my first “ah ha” moment. Created during … Read More