Sixteen years ago today at MacDowell

No. 16
This is actually a post from my other blog, Altered Book Pages: Floating words and art on book pages.

This was sort of my "diary" and it was exactly sixteen years ago today at MacDowell. I still remember the darkness in the woods, but I also remember the moon light so bright that I could walk in the woods without a flashlight.

I also made two amazing artist friends while I was at MacDowell, and we've been good friends for sixteen years. Reflecting on the past as the end of the year approaches, I'm grateful for our friendships for all these years. I'm also grateful for the strengths I was able to gain at each challenges in my life with support and encouragement from all my friends.

Gregg Woolard, Jon Rappleye and me in NYC

Thanks, Gregg and Jon for your friendship for all these years.

And thanks to all my friends, colleagues, teachers, and families for including me in your life and being a part of my life this year. (And if you're reading this, thanks for reading!)

May the New Year brings much joy and happiness to all. 

Songs My Father Sang Me from "Dear John"

Unearthing more old works. Not sure if this is a sign of resisting to finish my current drawing which has taken me over five months... But it's fun to dig up old works and see them in a different light. This particular work was done over two years from 1998 through 2000 with a year break in the middle. It was created when I was having a personally difficult time in my life. These book pages became my own diary then. Most of them were created while I was at the residencies at MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire and Centrum in Washington from 1998 to 1999.

Dear John \ - jän\ n (ca. 1945) : a letter (as to a soldier) in which a wife asks for a divorce or a girlfriend breaks off an engagement or a friendship.

"Dear John" is comprised of a total of 152 pages from a book called "Stories by Elizabeth Bowen", published in 1959. Each page is painted in watercolor, leaving selected words and sentences visible. Watercolor on book pages mounted on BFK paper. 152 pages. Originally presented in an installation. 1998-2000.