Prairie Drifters

Puro Magic

Night In Old San Antonio

Sacred Tree of Life - An Interfaith Sculpture

This is a design I'm proposing for a hospital chapel. The Christian hospital is making sincere efforts to be inclusive in their chapel iconography. Some kind of tree symbolizing the divine at work in the world figures in every world religion that I could find. I believe this is the first time I've ever included text in the piece itself. The materials are weathered steel, gold enamel, and calligraphy on handmade paper. The piece would likely be in front of a curtain and could be supported with a steel structure from behind it.

Saturday Morning In Toledo, Ohio

Our Lady of Guadalupe

(my Mary of Marys)

Ashes to Ashes

weathered steel, 84" tall

Just Thinking Out Loud

if we are bound
to our mother
by dna
and bound
to the earth
by gravity...

are we bound to God
by the Holy Spirit
and then does not God
bind all
together
as one?

Annunciation

(after Fra Angelico)

Sometimes The Fierce Cold

of winter freezes tears into a kind of diamond dust
that purifies regret, sanctifies misdemeanor,
and gentles the most terrifying memory.

Gourd Work

I started growing some gourds when we moved here. My main work requiring a shop full of heavy duty wood and metal machinery, I've found it satisfying and reassuring to do something the tools for which can be carried around in a little tool kit. The main two tools are a little Exacto brand saw and a $15 woodburning tool. The mottled surface of the gourd happens during the 4 months it takes it to dry out. The gourd gets all moldy and causes interesting discoloration.

Where You Find It

Inspiration, turning points, salvation, light ...it's where you find it.

I heard the poem below on an old episode of Law & Order. It stopped me in my tracks. 

"Motto" by Langston Hughes

I play it cool
And dig all jive.
That's the reason
I stay alive.

My motto,
As I live and learn,
is:
Dig And Be Dug
In Return.

Seen above: All The Windows Watching (Detail)

You Make Messes

Excerpt from Stalking Azazel (Volume Tres of the Dos Cruces Trilogy)
by James A. Mangum

You make messes. That is what you humans do. I do not think God minds. We Watchers do not. It is our raison d’etre. But it is mostly what you do. Even with the best intentions, and without really trying. The sad thing is: you want someone else to clean the up your messes. Your mother, your father, your psychologist, Jesus, your preacher, your husband, your wife, Mary, your gods. You want God to be your real estate agent, your marriage counselor, your personal trainer, your life coach. It is okay. After all, God made the ultimate mess. He made you.

Freezing Fog

The weather man kept saying freezing fog and we had no idea what he was talking about. Then I mentioned it to the cafe barista lady and she says "oh the 'popcorn'? We get that all the time in Michigan."

View up on the field yesterday am.

New Perspective

Walking around in the forest preserve yesterday morning , I was astonished to see that someone had stolen my design and even put it up in the snow overnight.

Having fun with photoshop (FWP?).

Mother of Haiti Help Us

with a roof over my head
waking I have a
day of normal

they have no roof
they have no normal
they wait
they bleed
they die

it hurts to watch
and listen
but we must

we must know
about Haiti
hurt for Haiti
help Haiti

we must remember
that they are not they
but instead are us
we must know
we must help
we must pray

At the Arts Council of Brazos Valley

Check out some photos from my Texas Gallery exhibit.

Illustration for large steel sculpture

Ok, here goes. My first unaided blog post ever. This is an illustration of what this idea would look like in the Milwaukee Modern Art Museum next to a Martin Puryear - my apologies to the museum and to Mr. Puryear.

Here We Are

Los Tres is live.