The first part of our 2-week journey to South Africa was spent doing volunteer work at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Daktari Bush School. We then entered "safari mode" and went to Kruger National Park. These pictures are accompanied by brief narratives that describe what we experienced. Day 9 - Oct. 21, 2016 Daktari Bush School to Olifants River, South Africa Our final morning at Daktari was quite moving. Each student had written a list of "promises" and, one by one, stood … [Read more...] about Journey to South Africa – Week 2
Inspiration
Journey to South Africa – Week 1
In Oct. 2016, I went on an incredible 2-week journey to South Africa!! The words to fully describe the experience spill out in pictures. It was a trip of a lifetime, organized and facilitated by Shayne Traviss (of VividLife) and Dawid De Wet (of Toerboer). Day 1 - Oct. 13, 2016 Johannesburg, South Africa Our flight out of Boston was the morning of Oct. 12. We flew to Atlanta, had an 8 hour layover there, then caught our flight to Johannesburg. There was an unexpected delay with the "Joburg" … [Read more...] about Journey to South Africa – Week 1
Surrounded by Art in Asheville
My partner and I just returned from a week's vacation in Asheville, North Carolina. This small city has long intrigued us, because of its art community and its location on a plateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We love to hike and we love art. So, we spent most of our days hiking, and the rest of the time looking at art and eating excellent vegetarian food! Part of the larger Appalachian Mountains that stretch all the way from Canada to Florida, the Blue Ridge range has some of the oldest … [Read more...] about Surrounded by Art in Asheville
Ethel Weiss: neighborhood legend
Ethel Weiss is celebrating her 100th birthday today. I think she's the only person I know who's 100 years old. It's not that I know her well, but I have known her for a very long time. She owns and operates a small store in my childhood neighborhood called Irving's Toy and Card Shop. Irving is the name of her first husband who passed away many years ago. I remember Irving and her second husband, Abe, but mostly I remember Ethel. The store is right around the corner from my elementary school, … [Read more...] about Ethel Weiss: neighborhood legend
Design Students’ Favorite Websites – Fall 2013
Each fall, I teach Typography 2 at Lasell College. One of the projects I assign is a re-design of an existing website. In preparation for this project, I ask the students to show their 2 favorite websites and explain what they like so much about them. The presentations always generate interesting discussions and provide good inspiration for solutions they might explore for their own designs. Here are the favorite websites of this year's typography students, along with snippets of our … [Read more...] about Design Students’ Favorite Websites – Fall 2013
Artist Postseason
I wrapped up my painting season just after the Red Sox wrapped up their third World Series win in the past decade. (Go Sox!) As a pastelist, I must paint outdoors en plein air. Otherwise, the pastel dust would make a mess of my home studio. My painting time is thus limited to warmer weather: I begin as early as April and usually stop in October. When the temperature dips below 50, it's simply too cold for me to stand at my easel. I now enter my "postseason". One of the first things I do is … [Read more...] about Artist Postseason
Painting Long Pond Lake
I paint landscapes that speak to me because of their beauty and tranquility. There are certain scenes that repeatedly pull me in and capture my imagination. Each time I return to paint the scene again, I try something different: vantage point, composition/cropping, palette, time of day, and/or technique. Series painting is a wonderful way to become familiar with a place, to explore and discover new aspects of it. Above all, series painting has to do with finding the essence of a place or an … [Read more...] about Painting Long Pond Lake
We Are All Connected
During the 22 years I lived in Somerville, Massachusetts, I discovered many grassroots environmental groups right outside my front door. We had a second-floor apartment in a triple-decker, not far from the Mystic River. I didn't visit the river very often because there are busy highways next to it. For years, I'd drive on one of those highways, Mystic Avenue, to get to work, and I became quite fond of a beautiful mural adjacent to it. I began to take walks down to the river so that I could look … [Read more...] about We Are All Connected
Libraries: Think Globally, Read Locally
A few days ago, while I was browsing through Communication Arts at our local library, I had this moment of gratitude. It suddenly occurred to me how lucky I was to be able to hold this fantastic publication in my hands and enjoy its contents. Furthermore, I could take it home for FREE and continue to enjoy reading it, simply because I had a library card. Libraries have a long and rich history, and I often give thanks to all of those people who have played a part in creating, maintaining, and … [Read more...] about Libraries: Think Globally, Read Locally
Saying Goodbye to My Mother
My mother, Louise, passed away on September 24, 2012. Yesterday, we had a memorial service for her. In the morning, my family and I gathered together at the beach to scatter her ashes. She loved the beach and the sun. After a lovely lunch, we had the memorial service at a synagogue in Hingham. My brothers (Paul and Carl) and I each spoke at the service. It was harder than I thought it would be, but I'm glad I did it. Mixed with the tears, here is what I said: Hi everyone. Thank you for coming … [Read more...] about Saying Goodbye to My Mother
Art Retreat At Omega
In July, I went to Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, for an art retreat. You can register for all kinds of workshops there. The one I took is called "R&R Retreat", and you can do anything you want. I painted en plein air. The weather started out perfectly for outdoor painting. Refreshingly mild mornings, followed by hot and humid afternoons. On my first morning, I painted Long Pond Lake. I've painted the left and right sides of this lake a few times in the past. This is the first full, … [Read more...] about Art Retreat At Omega
Painting an Olana Overlook
I recently returned from a week of landscape painting in the Hudson River Valley, New York. A highlight of the trip was the day I spent painting at Olana, which was the home of Frederic Church, one of the most well-known painters of the Hudson River school. I'm familiar with his work, but I don't know much about his life. It's actually Thomas Cole and Alfred Bierstadt whose work I really love, but the lure of Olana pulled me there, and I was not disappointed. Olana is a New York State … [Read more...] about Painting an Olana Overlook
Design Inspiration: A.M. Cassandre
Sometimes in life, unexpected things come your way and you are blessed with a wonderful learning experience. Such was the case with a school project assigned to me while studying graphic design at Mass. College of Art and Design. The class was Typography. We were each given one designer to research and prepare a presentation for the class at the end of the semester. I was assigned A.M. Cassandre, about whom I knew nothing prior to this project. As I delved into his life, I discovered several … [Read more...] about Design Inspiration: A.M. Cassandre
Bike ‘n Paint
I love bicycle riding and I love painting, so I often combine them into an experience I call "Bike 'n Paint". While bike riding, I scope out beautiful and interesting locations that make me think, "Wow, I'd like to paint this sometime!" I keep a running list in my head of places and things I want to paint. When the urge strikes, I'll bike to the area with my pastels and sit for a short time blocking out the scene. I then finish the painting back home in my garden. The supplies I take are … [Read more...] about Bike ‘n Paint