Monthly Archives: August 2025

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Knowledge can nourish like bread—substantial, necessary, filling. You learn where the letter G came from, who invented it, why Z was exiled, and suddenly the alphabet feels alive again, a meal worth chewing. But then there’s the other side. ‘Knowledge … Continue reading →

The alphabet looks settled, a neat procession from A to Z. But that order hides centuries of invention, exile, improvisation, and craft. Each letter carries its own survival story. Some are dramatic, some subtle, but together they form a lineage … Continue reading →

About twenty years ago, I decided to try my hand at real modeling clay. For decades I’d messed with plasticine—projects that never lasted, always mashed back into new forms, leaving behind only a few bad photos. Some of those pieces … Continue reading →

We have a dog—a dog that barks. We’ve tried to reason with him, but reason isn’t really his strength. Tyson is always alert, rarely resting. If he’s awake, he’s on guard, ready to respond to any sound. His hearing is … Continue reading →

Today I bore witness to a friend being placed in the earth. It was a Jewish funeral service. I’ve attended several over the years, but this one included traditions I had never seen before. Yes, there were prayers in Hebrew … Continue reading →

A Practical Guide to Prisma and Sketchbook Filtering isn’t just about making an image “better.” It’s about exploring possibility—moving sideways, not upward. In this tutorial, I’ll walk through how I use Prisma and Sketchbook together to create layered, painterly tribute … Continue reading →

Some roads have thoughts. They remember us. Our choices are pressed into their surface like faint scars — each corner holding the weight of what could have been. Every return is a negotiation between memory and motion. I know this … Continue reading →

Why have I never seen his work? I’m not exactly uninformed, I paid attention in Art Appreciation, after all, I taught it for 10 years. I suppose I wasn’t ready to appreciate him in my youth, or even middle age. … Continue reading →

Ha! Soon I will have a procedure to address my Afib, an irregular heartbeat. I will not be conscious, I am told my heartbeat will be stopped, then shocked back into a correct rhythm. Dead then alive. At least one … Continue reading →

It’s 2:30 a.m., and the house is quiet. This house is quiet— not like the last one. The old house always had noise. Subtle, yes, but constant— a language of creaks and sighs, branches tapping glass, timber pressing against timber, … Continue reading →

I am pondering the bones of an idea. While watching videos of artists working in graphite, I often see the same beginning: a skull. As if the foundation of every portrait must begin in death. Like forensic experts, the artist … Continue reading →

One of my favorite Da Vinci paintings is The Lady with an Ermine. It’s housed in a museum in Kraków, but it’s been widely published and researched for years. Painted around 1490, it depicts Cecilia Gallerani—a young woman of intelligence … Continue reading →