I made these pages several months apart. But somehow, they go together -they are a continua-tion of each other. I started out by layering pieces of paper to build up the background. I had some old love poems and letters that I had had for awhile. Just like my dear friend and fellow artist, Kelly, I am a paper whore! And proud of it! I LOVE anything that is paper. I collect bits and pieces of paper and file them away for a later time. Many times, those bits and pieces generate the themes and ideas for my future projects. Somehow, those letters and poems found their way to me. I had no idea what I was going to do with them. As I read through them, I saw the love and passion between the anonymous lovers. And because they seemed to be secret lovers, I embedded their love and passion into my pages. I tried to tell their story in my book. Here is the first piece - it speaks to the mysterious closeness and distance that exists between a man and a woman.

The second piece is called
"Bride of Passion". More pieces of paper buried under the pages with just 4 colors: buff, red, black, and gray. Since relationships are in a constant state of flux, I wanted that to be represented in the colors and images on these 2 pages. All 4 of these pages are in an atlas that I altered. I am almost finished with this book; it has taken 2 years, on-and-off, to finish this book.

I have been so busy for the last 2 weeks. I failed to notice that Fall officially arrived last week! That got me thinking about some of the things I wanted to accomplish this past summer since it was my first summer off since 1993. During those 5 weeks off, I got quite a bit done. But the one BIG thing I wanted to do was hit the beach (at least once). I just noticed how ghostly white my feet and legs look. Even enhancing the color on my computer did nothing to make them look tanned! I wanted a shot of my blue toes. I spend most of the week in a 'uniform' - some type of suit. The look is buttoned up, reined in, and predictable, so it is liberating to have something like blue toes underneath all that. Keeps people guessing... Afterall, who would want to be predictable? I can't think of anything more boring.

These two pieces reflect one of the most frequent themes found in my work: the value of a life. I am forever grateful for the great life I have. Unfortunately, not every person is able to have that same type of life. I ponder quite often about why some persons are more fortunate than others. Is it the luck of the draw? Are we that insignificant in comparison to the universe? Do we humans not have any control over our fates? I feel every life is valuable. Everyone has something to contribute. I treat everyone with respect and consideration. I hate when people fuss over me and make a big deal out of me or my position. My job doesn't change anything about what kind of person I am . I am still the same person I was before I became an administrator. My job doesn't make me any more important than anyone else. Last week, I had one of those moments that I find quite humbling. I went to lunch with a friend; we went to an Italian restaurant. We had called in the order and went to pick up our food. My friend introduced me to the owner of the restaurant. He introduced me by name and told the owner I was an assistant principal. The owner and I shook hands and he said to me, "How you doing, hon?" I thought, 'You're right, I am hon', and had a good laugh about the whole thing. Afterall, in his environment, I was 'hon'. At the end of the day, we are all just human beings - the titles mean nothing.

U2-Mysterious Ways

Another example of why I LOVE the Middle East. This is one of my top 10 all-time favorite videos by my favorite band, U2.

I have an immense love for the Middle East. I think in another lifetime I must have been an Arab! I love the colors, smells, sounds, language, and people. One of my dreams is to visit the Middle East, particularly Jordan and/or Morocco, in the near future. Some of my art reflects the beauty of that region of the world.

I am getting ready to start my day. My weekends have a different pace than my days during the week. Those 2 days are very slow-paced and full of spontaneity. Being an administrator requires lots of structure. An administrator's life might seem like the opposite of an artist's. But there are some big similarities. The administrator and artist are always looking for ways to grow, nurture, revise, and challenge to look beyond the obvious. I reflect daily on what I do in all aspects of my life. For those moments when I question my purpose, I come back to what I have known for many years: my purpose is to teach. And when life gets a little too crazy, I find my way back by looking at this photograph of a sunset in Kauai, that I took a few years ago. What beauty. What peace. What inspiration. Now, go out and get inspired by that big world out there, there is a new weekend ahead!

It has taken 2 years to get my blog off the ground! I am so excited about making my artwork accessible to a larger audience. More importantly, I am always looking for ways of taking my work to another level. To challenge myself. To not be afraid of experimentation. When I look back at my early work, I see just how far I have come as an artist and person. I hope to continue to improve in both areas as I continue along on my journey.