The Heron

Left to right:

“Cicada or the Egg?”, “Spirit Terminal”, and “Trillium”

I would like to say thanks to all those who stopped by my booth this weekend during the 3rd annual Art-A-Licious Festival.  I had a great time hanging out with all the local artists and making a few new prints.  I whipped out three small woodcut prints (above).

Next on my agenda is to help Pat Deere finish our collaborative project…the stained glass window at the MTA station in Flint, MI.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made this print for the owners of The Book Abbey in downtown Adrian.  This weekend they are celebrating their 5th year in business.  The Book Abbey quickly became one of my favorite places downtown.  The owners and employees are so friendly and passionate about local art.  Their walls are plastered with artwork and their shelves are loaded with pottery.  

This is an 8×10 woodcut printed with Akua Color ink on Rives BFK paper.  This weekend they will get sleeved and taken to The Book Abbey for sale.  One of these prints will be raffled off.

  Happy Mothers Day!  This is for my mom, Rosa Maria Martinez Perez.  This Japanese variety Peony was a gift from a friend which I planted last fall.  It was the first flower to show up this spring and it’s making a huge impression on me.  I need plants like this in my yard.  I just finished mowing about an hour ago.  While mowing I noticed that my back yard is being taken over by the Garlic Mustard plant…an exotic herb from Europe.  It tends to take over and block out native wildflowers.  So, this week I’m spending a night pulling these things out.  Unfortunately, Garlic Mustard is just one of the many invasive plants taking over my yard.  It sometimes feels like war when it comes to landscaping.  Some battles I win and some battles I lose.  Most people who come to my yard would probably say I’m losing but that’s ok.  Thoreau says we tend to live in quiet desperation.  I try to fight the urge to become completely obsessed with the perfect yard.  If I was there would be no flyfishing, hiking, photography or making art.

This past week was filled with up’s and down’s.  We were in the process of packing for our Smoky Mountain spring break when on March 31st we found out my Uncle Raul had passed away.  Plans changed.  Life changed.  Uncle Raul was gone.  Family members started showing up from all over.  My parents drove up from Tennessee.  My brother and his wife spent the night with us.  I took some time off work and drove my parents to visitation.  Before the funeral my aunt got into a fender bender.  I picked her up from the accident drove her to Jackson to pick up some of her clothes and brought her back to Adrian.  Needless to say I didnt get much sleep.  I dont think many of our family members got much sleep the days before the funeral.  It was hard saying goodbye to Uncle Raul.  After the funeral we headed down to Tennessee.  We made reservations in Florence, KY to crash for the night.  When we got to the hotel they sold our rooms.  We found another hotel nearby.  The rooms were a little scary.  I said I was getting up early to get an early start.  After wolfing down a few complimentary bagels and watching a bare footed Indian man set off the smoke detector we split.  Back on the road, the traffic was light.  We made good time and got to my parents with the sun still high in the sky.  We went for a walk around the neighborhood.  I cracked open a few beers.  I started to itch.  Monday morning I woke up with hives.  After some swearing I drove to the nearest pharmacy.  I held in my hand a package of Benadryl and a package of Zyrtek.  I bought the Benadryl.  It didnt do a thing.  I went to a walk-in clinic and was turned away.  Swore some more.  Drove to Maryville Hospital.  BP was high so got in quick.  Dr. gave me steroids.  Tuesday morning woke up to snow on the ground.  Swore some more.  Went fishing anyway.  Caught three nice trout. Rash was gone, but heart was pounding out of my chest.  Called the pharmacist at the Hospital.  They told me to stop taking the steroids.  Wed morning rash was back and worse than before.  swore some more.  Called hospital and they told me to come back for to be re-evaluated.  Spent 5 hours in the hospital on a beautiful sunny day.  Swore some more.  The only good thing about it was the Hooters waitress sitting across from me in the waiting room.  I thought…There is a God.  Dr. gave me some Zrytek.  It worked.  Spent the evening driving through Cades Cove.  

Vacation started on Thursday.  Hiked to Ramsey Cascades.  Friday woke up to thunder and lightning…you gueessed it…swore some more.  Rain stopped.  Hiked to Grotto Falls.  Saw two bears.  Stopped by Happy Hiker store in Gatlinburg and bought a shirt “allergic to Cities”….how ironic is that?  Never did find the cause of my hives/rash.  I think it may have been the sheets at the nasty hotel?  I’m not sure.  Dr. said I may never know.  Well, I’m home now.  The rash is gone.  I told Kayleen I need a trip to the AuSable River.  Trout season starts soon.  Better take my Zyrtek.

“Night Heron”, Linocut, 2008

 

“Four Pheasant Tail More”, Linocut, 2007

 

“Heron”, Linocut, 2007

 

“Prince Nymph”, Hand Painted Linocut, 2008

“Batik Fly”, Watercolor Batik, 2009

 

“Four Count Rhythm”, Watercolor, 2007

 

“Spanish Fly Box”, Acrylic, 2005

 

“Streamer Sketch”, Watercolor, 2005

 

“Flybox”, Acrylic, 2005

 

“Room With a View”, Watercolor, 2008

 

“Trinity”, Watercolor, 2006

 

“Crappie”, Mixed Media, 1991

 

“Sunny”, Mixed Media, 1991

 

“Carol’s Ludington”, Watercolor, 2007

 

“Hendrico”, Pottery Decoration collaboration with James Freeman, 2008