ignoring squirrels

* "Annie in the grass" 3' x 4'

My dog will often start barking the moment she steps out of the door. And if the barking continues she has to come in. Yet there are times she is quiet for ages - at one with nature, live and let live, as the squirrels go strolling by. She just doesn't seem to make the connection. In nine years she always looks surprised when I call her back into the house for barking. Is this stupid or stubborn? Anyway, she's a dog. And I on the other hand do stupid things too. I am not about to post a litany of stuff here, just to say the stupidest things I have done throughout my life are when I have not listened to my "gut". And there may be a whole bunch of sane rationale and distractions at the time, but if deep down it makes me squirm, even a little, then it's stupid. Now actually knowing this and paying attention ALL the time is tricky; life seems to be a never-ending conveyor belt of choices.

art - an excuse to celebrate

This is an old self-portrait. I am no longer orange, nor do I smoke.

It occured to me this morning that creativity is an excuse to celebrate. Rebecca at the Whitestone Gallery has been preparing for her show all year, making art and more recently, promoting and inviting, cleaning and preparing the space, and displaying her work. Last night was her opening, essentially a party open to friends and the public - a chance to share her art and be together. Every month, this ritual goes on around the world, galleries and artists share their work with others and celebrate; and not just at gallery openings, concerts, dance performances, book launches, etc. At every celebration of life - weddings, birthdays, funerals, the arts in some form are at the heart of the celebration. So, why is it the arts are not emphasized more in schools, why as a society do we continue to chip away at funding for art when it brings so much joy, when it is so essential to everyday life? Maybe it's the way the arts are perceived - to a degree a lot of art seems inaccessible. And sometimes because venues and the cost of production push up the price of tickets to concerts and movies for example, the arts can sometimes seem elitist. But there are lots of other things going on that are free, or close to it. That's why I love what is happening in Hamilton. The veil is lifting and people are starting to see that we need art, not only to be happy, but to attract more "bees" to our city. Now enticing the "new-bees" to stay is another matter.