Longing for another visit to the Southwestern parts of North America. COVID-19 makes that difficult. I pulled my longing out and poured it into this piece. For now I remain in the Mid-Atlantic area, but I will not stay there forever. Western Sky is one of my Favorite American Music Club songs. Hence the title.

This one is very personal to me. I created this while still grieving the recent loss of my grandmother Helen. She taught me what fuchsia was and that color is “her color” … the golden tones are nostalgia and the black tones are death and my grief. The silver-grey was the only light available to me during the 9 days of attending her bedside and eventual passing…which was provided by my dear friend Jodi who opened her home to me during my vigil and provided most of the relief available to me during that difficult time. Idoj is her pet name from her father and so I used it here. Thank you again Jodi.

Heide picked most of the colors and they turned into a field of flowers. She had it hanging in her home for a few years but sold it back to me today 11/27/2020. So great. When I made it I liked it, but having it returned is even better. The Prodigal Daughter.

Getting it back is pure happiness.  (Heide just needed the space for a new piece.) It’s a joy to have it back with me. It’s a joy that it held a place in her home the last few years.

It’s literally a piece of my soul; that I was giving to my dear friend Heide. At the moment in my life when I painted it, she was supporting me as an artist when my hope was just a beginning flicker which had nearly extinguished. But in this moment when she commissioned this piece “on faith” in me, she blew on my tiny ember and ignited a flame.  I wanted to return that favor in my own way as you see here. This is a piece of my love for Heide. It means a lot to me.

A pour I made “for me” in the fall of 2017. This is Fall in terms of energy. Color. It’s my favorite season , so yeah: priceless. But…