Silence in Sunlight

A luminous prism of apricot light slips passed the curtain. The rising sun draws diagonal patterns ‘cross the room as I awaken on a cold late February morning. I pull the curtain back, and the room pulses with light. Mountains reflect in a watercolor landscape hanging opposite the window where I sit to pen down early thoughts. Traffic slows along Interstate 26 bending and winding northbound o’er the western North.. Read More

Rhythm

There wasn’t a frost. I questioned if my usual jacket and scarf was necessary as I stepped outside, and made my way to the car under a sky swept in hues of early springtime. On days like this I wonder, perhaps the groundhog was right. Just the other day, I read an article listing things that might be planted during winter’s last days. Admittedly I procrastinate a little, knowing we.. Read More

Notations

Autumn hues awash in pale blues converge in the southland. Relentless winds impart winter’s chill while the last leaves still cling to near naked branches. Seasons do not quite give up. Instead the page of the calendar turns. Remnants of one season linger long into the other. Frost crystals shine and the drip from the fence line. Brushstrokes of smalt blue and cadmium yellow are broken by sepia shadows. My.. Read More

Tides of Time

I set out for the western end of an Alabama road. My destination was hardly a dot on the map, a place most may never go. Years before, I stood in an Auburn bookshop sifting through pages of an unfamiliar book. It mentioned a township near the Mississippi line. I knew someday, I would take that drive. The midday sun pour across the swamps and flatlands as I trace the.. Read More

Winter Flatlands

Another painting completed. I remove it from the wooden board and pin the new gouache study on the studio wall. On the easel, I place a new large sheet of Arches. The evening light fades quickly. In the last moments of dusk light I pencil a sketch inspired by a winter landscape just down the road. On one recent outing, I took a back road across several nearby hunting plantations… Read More

Stewards in the Field

The frigid temperatures and winter rains keep us bound to the indoors, until clouds part revealing a sky swept to January blue. Fields of umber colored grasses and wheat straw crunch beneath one’s shoes. The sound of each step is amplified by air frosty and clear. Just below the surface earth renewed life tempts to emerge. I walk aware, awakened by recognition of this. Often, I reexamine patterns formed in.. Read More

Art is Activism | Tis the Season for Giving

This holiday season artists of the Sarah West Gallery of Fine Art, A Center for Cultural Arts reflect upon the many experiences and opportunities that we have been honored to be a part of and most importantly all that we have been honored to share with others. Ten years ago, when we set out on this journey, we did so never looking toward an anticipated end or finale;  instead, with.. Read More

A Place for Music

Each year the Sarah West Gallery of Fine Art, a Center for Cultural Arts strives to add new events, programs and gatherings to our list of Cultural Arts Enrichment Initiatives. Through our Cultural Arts Enrichment Initiative Program, we’ve found ways to collaborate with members of our community, government leaders and cultural advocates. Through collaborative involvements the Sarah West Gallery of Fine Art has brought unique cultural experiences and educational programs.. Read More

Influences of Terrain

Dew drops cling to the spider’s web. Moss carpets stones along the riverbed. Leaves of green and brown lay upside down. I walk upon the pebbled paths. The clouds linger low in the valley between Clayton and Rabun. Newly staked rows of ripening tomatoes remind one that there are still many hot summer days ahead. Yet, the crisp balmy air chills the elevating atmosphere. The road winds and bends for.. Read More

Craftsmanship | Natural Construction

I draw back the curtain, letting in the morning light. The kitchen is awash in a pale hue of butter yellow. The kettle is a fire-engine red with polished lacquer. I run water, turn on the stove and listen for the subtle sounding poof, as it ignites. The kettle is warmed until it whistles. I whisk batter and pour dollops onto the skillet, and add a light dash of cinnamon as it.. Read More