The local whacko

This morning I dropped-off three little paintings of mine that are going into a small local show this coming Saturday.
Now, I live in a wonderful community that's full of creative people--painters, photographers, weavers, potters, etc.. and I'm proud to be included in any local arts activities, but I have to tell you, I'm getting a bit tired of being the artist that NOBODY KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH.

When I lived in Toronto, my art was considered "edgy". Around HERE, my art usually draws about as much enthusiasm as a freshly-killed skunk in the middle of the road. Noses twitch, eyebrows are raised, people back-off slowly, probably thinking a slow retreat is easier than trying to come-up with a positive comment.

So I placed my three little paintings on a ledge, beside another artist's beautiful rendering of flowers and beside a photographer's gorgeous image of a sunset in the Niagara Escarpment. And I started to wonder if my paintings "cancel-out" the sheer loveliness of the other artists' works.

And I decided that life isn't all about beauty and that our planet needs constant balancing and re-alignment so that ALL of its energies (positive and negative) balance and compliment each other.

I mean, SOMEBODY'S got to expose what's living underneath the rocks, right?

I'm off to paint now. There's a squashed porcupine on the highway, right in front of my house, and I'm feeling inspired.....