For several years now, I've taught an art class at a local assisted care facility, my "Ladies in their Eighties" I call them. One nice summer day we went outside to allow them to experience the joys of digital photography for the first time. With its simplicity and instant feedback they had a great deal of satisfaction and fun. While outside with them, on a whim, I shot the photo from which this painting was based. Also in the community there is a factory making glass mirrored balls like the one seen here. They come in several other colors but gold seems to be the most reflective. Postmodern art, by its nature, is quite conscious of the creative process, embracing all the modern tools at the artists disposal along with all the creative possibilities they allow. In this case, they work together to expose not just my likeness physically, but something of my identity as an artist.

On a bright, wintery day in 2009 I shot several photos of a moderately heavy snowfall (after shoveling the driveway), and one of the front of our house recently caught my eye, not so much for the house but for the magnificent blue Spruce in the front yard. So, I painted the framed painting in the middle of the framed painting. However I was dissatisfied with the composition, notably the central placement of the blue Spruce so I decided to make the painting a part of a larger painting. Artists painting landscapes are forced to make decisions--what to leave out, what to leave in. This painting illustrates that decision making. In a very postmodern manifestation, we have a painting hanging on a hook within a painting. Incidentally, when the smaller painting is removed, behind it is the same tree minus the house, very much able to stand alone as a beautifully serene winterscape.

Often I've traveled halfway around the world to find subjects for my paintings. In this case, however, I had to travel no further than my backyard. About five years ago I poured about $150 and lots of backbreaking toil and sweat into creating a piece of 3-D aquatic art where once had been the steps leading down into our pool. Though the pool had long been filled, the gap in the concrete had always been a visual irritant. As an artist I'm not fond of visual irritants. Before the summer was over what had once been an eyesore had become this calm, vision of liveliness and loveliness. The greenish little girl had been hanging about the garden area for several years. She took to the new waterfall with great enthusiasm and has become something of a fixture ever since. The resulting painting is striking both for its narrow verticality and the three-dimensional "rocks" which thrust out onto the frame. In the foreground and background, I must confess, I took liberties with my garden creation, adding a couple more levels to the waterfalls and a more sylvan setting. I hope you don't mind.