this memory doesn't fade

Rock star smile.

Mom died three years ago today. Her buoyancy, fearlessness and resolve astounded me. She learned new art forms in her eighties and pursued them with vigor. She spread love and acceptance to all around her without judgement. She could bait a hook at the same time as steering the boat. She loved romance novels, bacon-fried potatoes, fabric in all colors and hearing from her sons. She would get in her car and head off without destination just to get a handle on what was out there. She was my mentor and sideline cheerleader.

I miss her every day.

Memories fade, but not these. She is sharp in my memory. She talks to me in my dreams. I can feel her hands on my shoulders.

I miss her every day.

wobbly and askew

Having just returned from a trip to Portland I am wobbly and askew. Catching up on correspondence, planning upcoming journeys and trying desperately to focus on work, I flounder in the soup.  This shadow is a good metaphor for how my head feels. Pointy and tilted, looking down while trying to stand up. I may try to stitch it this afternoon. Nothing to lose.

Good news today in the swamp of email. I have been chosen for a solo show in the Nashville Airport. It makes my head spin. More details to come.

fleeting shadows

Time moves too quickly. 2014 is coming to a close, holidays rushing in. No time to reflect...only to do. I read something the other day that reminded me to seek a stillness of mind. I think that is why I am drawn to this art form. It requires me to be still, to think slowly for long periods and to contemplate the detail while allowing the whole to exist.

This shadow stain on a sidewalk reminded me that the time we have is precious, short and easily washed away.

tree warp

tree warp, Paula Kovarik, 2014

This shadow was a delightful sight on a bright winter morning. Looked as if the shadow had gone into a space warp. I actually stopped my car in the middle of the (sparsely populated) street to snap a picture. I'd like to do a mural of a tree shadow cast on a building or fence like this. Then wandering down the street would yield a spacy perspective of seasons gone by.

A little blob scene in Chicago

sidewalk balloon, 2013Saw this little blob of chewing gum gritted into the sidewalk when I was trying to find a gallery in Chicago. Suffice it to say that Milwaukee Ave is a lot more confusing than google maps leads you to believe. It is one of those little angled streets that changes the way you think about North and South.  I walked 6 blocks the wrong way before I realized it then turned around and went 12 blocks the opposite direction. Chicago has long blocks and the territory was a bit vacant. Hence my focus on my feet and the sidewalk. When I saw this blob I decided I would add my own little drawing to remember the day.