The Deluge

It is Spring, finally. The rains are here, and they do much to wash away the pollen that inundates the air and makes my nose feel like it is filled with tiny little goblins with tiny little feather dusters tickling the walls of my sinus cavities. I am hard at work finalizing touches on the last paintings for my show at Guardino Gallery, but the painting goes slowly and I am afraid I won't get all the work done in time, or the work won't be well received, or simply no one will show up at the opening. I am showing with two artists I like quite a bit, so it will be an interesting exhibition...but I am always attracted to the old stories, and I see no reason why I shouldn't do those stories as plainly and brilliantly as possible...I like things simply stated...The story of the Deluge, and the reek of promise...who knows if the final version will even work, but that is the stink of it, our need for hope. I was recently offered representation with a gallery in Memphis, a place I fled in 2008 to move to Portland where I thought rains and Doug Firs and hipsters would be kinder to my work...but what happened was that I planted a seed in Memphis and that seed bore fruit...you just never know who or how your art will make a connection with someone. I grew up there, and it is a lovely feeling to know that I still have something there calling me back.