When I think of our annual show opening at the Fairfield Gallery, I think of Jay. He runs with a very serious group of friends...very serious. Actually, seriously fun people who put us right into entertainment mode. It doesn't take long around them for me to start doing things like stacking people up for pictures.

Chris Usher (sitting on my sister Sari's lap) runs the gallery. Chris did an excellent job with the show. The gallery looked so good and the guests seemed comfortable and happy.

Stacking people up takes work. It's not easy to get a good picture every time. Sometimes people get covered up(Lori!) I mostly like the part when I run and dive, just before the timer on the camera snaps.

It gets more fun every year as we get to know our friends a little better. Thanks everybody for another fun night.

Scott Usher always takes good care of us. He even got us a very fancy car to take us back to the city. Every time this happens, I wish I'd thrown a prom dress into my suitcase.

We didn't have the right attire so we practiced looking very cool. We did cool gestures, tried not to look excited about the fun we were about to have. For the rest of the trip (three sisters in the city) link here.

My dad is the coolest.

Satchel Tree, Satchel Tree 

Open the flap and you will see, 

my Satchel carries the fruit from my Tree.

Tree Satchel, Tree Satchel 

Close the bag, can you tell? 

The fruit is fragile in my canvas Satchel.

My Sister's Flowers

Three Graces Anticipating Spring

She was Waiting, Her Heart was Wanting

And she Became the Fruit

Alma y Corazon
The spanish translation is "Heart and Soul." It has a double meaning as the idea comes from a Book of Mormon prophet named Alma. He spoke of faith being like a seed, planted in your heart. If you give it continual nourishment, it will sprout and grow into a tree with roots and branches that will bring forth fruit. Then, Alma wrote, "by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure." As a reward for your patience, diligence, and long-suffering, it is yours to feast on and yours to share.

The Tree of Life

From her faith and desire for goodness,
A tree with fruit of the purest love sprouted atop her head.
She willed them to partake.
If she could squeeze every drop of love from her soul,
Could it be untainted, so clean and white?
They will partake; they will be safe, good and eternally hers.

Jars
Pluck from my tree a little every day
Read and pray read and pray
You are in my palm
I am on your shelf
Jarred and sealed
Store my love
When you need
twist, partake
Fill your belly with my fruit
Fill your soul with my love

Outside the Garden

Like the Cheribim with flaming sword set to guard the tree,
I have built a wall of brick to keep them from plucking at me.
On the other side of my father’s garden's wall
I’ll ponder alone the world it’s inhabitants and all.
It will be learned with charity and grace
The garden is more than merely a place.
The cherished fruit is sweet with pure love
Grown and shared by my family below and above.

She Gathered Fruit

I researched the Tree of Life. I gathered pictures and did a few sketches. Then something entirely different inspired my work. Pumpkins.

I felt satisfaction at the weariness that would echo in my body after hours of toil. I watered, weeded and waited. I became protector and nurturer of my garden. I let go of expectations, but I hoped. A little seed sprouted life.

Gently the vines explored the earth. Then, as three nights in one, those rich vines boldly bound, reaching like arms with fingers seeking, touching, finding.
I watched those pumpkins. I felt satisfaction in the quiet calm of working with the earth. I felt reverence for the delicate balance and my lack of control.

Today, my garden is nearly ready for harvest. The plants are not as full now, losing leaves, pouring every drop of energy into their fruit. Those plants know that their time and purpose is nearly passed. Those plants know that the will have life, they will live only by giving all that they’ve got to the sweet fruit. That fruit, rich with seeds will again begin the delicate cycle. That is joy, to loose oneself is to find one’s self.

I look at my hands, warn and familiar. My skin, once rich and full is weathered. My hands are a testament to the life I lived.. I too have let go and like the pumpkin plant, I get life by giving life.

I began this painting with the intention of incorporating The Tree of Life and The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil into one composition. I was exploring ideas of knowledge, actions, distractions and happiness.

The woman gathers fruit, that fruit is knowledge. She is distracted by all of the beautiful flowers and so much to choose from. In the background, a tree stands alone, a tree with golden fruit. It is the Tree of Life. The fruit of this tree offers eternal happiness.
I find in my own life, I go about gathering a little bit of knowledge here and there. That which will bring true happiness is often overlooked, put in the background. Yet,it is the sweetest fruit of all.

We three are so busy working that we have haven't had much time to sit and write. I'm glad we've had some time to think about the subject before we all got to working on it. It's interesting to me that when I sit with an idea for a while, such as the Tree of Life, it grows and connects with other ideas. From that comes drawings and notes for many more paintings than I can possibly do. I have started working on a large painting that includes the Tree of Knowledge, the Tree of Life and a woman with a basket of fruit on her hip. I like the idea of the two trees as part of a process.

Our First Meeting

We had our first meeting on March 21 on Em's patio in Arizona. Coming up with a title that gives each of enough freedom to explore and some guidelines to hold us together is a challenge. The Tree of Life is a painting that my dad has been talking about for this past month. At church a few weeks ago, he asked me what I thought the tree of life looked like. We explored the subject a little and I told him he should paint it. He just showed me a drawing he was working on and it was fantastic. It was his tree of life. My tree of life might vary a bit....and Emily's will be different than mine. The subject of the tree of life also could branch out (ha!) into family trees, the tree of life in different cultures, charity, sustenance, dream trees, reaping the fruit, good and evil...and so it begins. We all are excited now to work through our ideas, learning and connecting.

This blog also momentous because it is the first time my dad, the famous, clever, experienced artist that he is, will be participating in blogging. We'll just have to see how that goes.