Roger Dale Brown's painting evokes a sense of space & drama which allows one's mind to wander, open up to a possibility of rest & peace and perhaps a new day. The Nashville based painter has seen more than his share of painful images (post flood) and still maintains the gracious presence of a southern gentleman. His community may be wallowing in mud & muck but the elegance of his imagery carries on in the best of traditions. I feel like Scarlett herself could look out at this sunset murmuring the famous line about another day and sleep peacefully. I know in my own life there have been enough disquieting moments to make me sure I am a member of the human race...and gifted with the lessons of adversity. Our commonality as people in enduring strife & yet being able to glimpse at beauty and find hope so carefully defines our humanity and our connection with the divine. Roger has a very special gift in being able to deliver that holy moment of comfort and hope to his canvas and let us take it home to our lives and be collected in arms of the divine and the ease of it all. This painting by Roger Dale Brown is available through M Gallery of Fine Art 16 S Palm Avenue Sarasota FL or on the web at http://www.mgalleryoffineart.com/masterpiece/title.php?ititlenum=12866

Eli Cedrone's efficiency of brush stokes makes the drama of this lovely woman's stance and the light on her turned head cascade across her cheek as morning kiss. How often have we all taken for granted the quiet reflective moments when observing a lover, a child, a friend only to return to them years later in our mind's eye...wishing we were back there in that blissful unconsciousness of being; doing all of the daily things we did without thinking: tie a sash, brush errant locks of hair, run our hand lightly across the peach fuzz on an arm. Eli's painting takes us to that moment of commonality, the treasure of the every day. It allows us to freeze frame the loves in our life: current, past & future in one holy place. It reminds us to really look when presented with the gift of our everyday lives; to see the light, the shadow, the hue...memorizing and imprinting each precious detail. It reminds us those moments are fleeting and to hold them dear. It reminds us of the temporal nature of now and the everlasting nature of our past and eternal nature our future. Eli's painting can be seen at www.mgalleryoffineart.com or at our physical location at 16 S. Palm, Sarasota FLhttp://www.mgalleryoffineart.com/masterpiece/title.php?ititlenum=12667

Scarlet Stains

Scarlet stains on the arches of this beautiful San Miguel Mission so clearly reveal the nature of human frailty within the sanctity of life. The recent scandals of the pedophilia and subsequent cover ups have rocked the church, horrified its faithful and evoked scorn among the secular.

The centuries old institution in its many forms will likely endure. The nature of human frailty will remain mired in self absorption and cruelty and require the external absolution delivered by an institution larger than the individual. What individual could ever forgive themselves for the horror these men delivered unto the trusting children under their care? It requires a presence larger than life; a presence based on faith for no experience allows for the absolution of this type of transgression. When I view Frank Gardner's painting of this mission it is as if I am viewing one of the icons depicting miracles; like the statue of the Virgin with tears of blood, the church is stained with the blood of innocents and yet basks in the miracle & beauty of a Mexican sunlight, dappled & pleasant in the high mountain mesa air. This lovely work can be seen at M Gallery of Fine Art 16 S Palm Avenue in Sarasota FL or on the web at www.mgalleryoffineart.com

Amusement: Sunday Afternoon on Bird Key

Sunday on Bird Key: Alfonz Lengyl was holding forth about holding Brunellschi's skull in his hands during an excavation of his crypt in Florence; David Kassan & Scott Burdick were in a heated discussion about painting, beauty and the contemporary realism movement. Sue Lyon & Katie Cundiff were reminiscing about old friends & Hodges Soliel & Dominic Avant were laughing about painting foibles over mouthfuls of ham & scalloped potatoes. Mimi Fitzgerald & Charlie Miano were having a quiet glass of wine with Gloria Yonan amid detailing the upcoming Southern Atelier open studio hours...in short a Sunday after noon's amusement of historic proportions. After everyone left Dominic Avant, Karen Cunningham & I marveled at the energy in the room, the energy in Sarasota & the incredible salon like atmosphere throughout the city. We beamed with our good fortune at being alive & a part of the renaissance of representation art exploding in our midst. Shook our heads at the sheer talent painting the after noon away in my living room: furniture piled up, covered with tarps, Flamenco dancer lit on a painting crate. What magic, what fun. Everyone eating giant mounds of food, gulping down wine, talking three conversations at once. It was as if we were all Sue Lyon's little girl in this painting...joyous profusion, happiness abounding. More than anyone could ever deserve: Ah Grace!

Weeping for an imagined future love

The Transformation of Syrinx into Reedsfrom Book 1 of "Metamorphoses", by Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) goes as follows: A nymph of late there was Whose heav'nly form her fellows did surpass. The pride and joy of fair Arcadia's plains, Belov'd by deities, ador'd by swains: Syrinx her name, by Sylvans oft pursu'd, As oft she did the lustful Gods delude: The rural, and the woodland Pow'rs disdain'd; With Cynthia hunted, and her rites maintain'd: Like Phoebe clad, even Phoebe's self she seems, So tall, so streight, such well-proportion'd limbs: The nicest eye did no distinction know, But that the goddess bore a golden bow: Distinguish'd thus, the sight she cheated too. Descending from Lycaeus, Pan admires The matchless nymph, and burns with new desires. A crown of pine upon his head he wore; And thus began her pity to implore. But e'er he thus began, she took her flight So swift, she was already out of sight. Nor stay'd to hear the courtship of the God; But bent her course to Ladon's gentle flood: There by the river stopt, and tir'd before; Relief from water nymphs her pray'rs implore. Now while the lustful God, with speedy pace, Just thought to strain her in a strict embrace, He fill'd his arms with reeds, new rising on the place. And while he sighs, his ill success to find, The tender canes were shaken by the wind; And breath'd a mournful air, unheard before; That much surprizing Pan, yet pleas'd him more. Admiring this new musick, Thou, he said, Who canst not be the partner of my bed, At least shall be the confort of my mind: And often, often to my lips be joyn'd. He form'd the reeds, proportion'd as they are, Unequal in their length, and wax'd with care, They still retain the name of his ungrateful fair.

Michael Lynn Adams' painting of an ice blue pan porcelain with cool roses captures the other worldliness of myth as it plays out in our lives; weeping for a lost imagined future with an unavailable love. Universal and haunting the painting is at M Gallery of Fine Art in Sarasota and can be as a part of his new show opening March 5, 2010.

Evelyn Kruger

Beatrice Evelyn Kruger (my mother) passed peacefully at her home near Whalen, MN Friday February 11. She was 78. Evelyn, as she was know to those who enjoyed her life, was an avid gardener, feeder of countless wild birds, exquisite needle point artist, tireless community volunteer. She gave hours of service to the Whalen Stand Still parade, the Democratic Party, her church, the Lanesboro Blood Mobile, Planned Parenthood. She enjoyed travel with her family, and before retiring to the Lanesboro area had a long & satisfying career as an office manager, and owned and operated a small family business with her 3 sons and her husband in London, Minnesota. She is preceded in death by her husband Elmer, her mother & father, Godfred & Rose Godfredson, her sister Rosemary Smith. She is survived by her brother Peder Godfredson, her daughter Margaret, her sons, David, Howard & Paul and her grandchildren Jennifer, Rose, Alex, Eli, Zachary, Rebecca, Sarah, David, Molly, Tony, Ryan, & Julie. Services will be held next Wednesday (February 24) at 10 am at the Whalen Lutheran Church followed by a reception & luncheon.

Missing Ants!

When I was a child we lived on a farm in southern Minnesota. My grandmother, Rose, lived with us and had a magnificent perennial garden, despite the harsh Minnesota winters & the occasional escaping livestock stampede. She grew rows of peonies. Lovely nodding heavy headed ant covered peonies. I used to crawl under them and look back at the rest of the yard and my house through the back lit blossoms, some which were as big as luncheon plates. I was always fascinated by the teams of ants, gobbling up the nectar on the buds. Once the flowers opened, the ants as if by magic, disappeared. I would try and figure out where they went but never was able to solve the mystery. It was if they were summoned by some secret signal and then equally as mysteriously "returned to base". We lived a very"organic" life (not intentionally in those days) and I was always admonished very sternly to leave the ants to their work. If I was lucky I would be allowed to pick lush bouquets of the red, pink and white beauties filling vases for our dining room table. The ants would scramble off as best they could and invariably let lose in the house...marching straight out the door. When I look at this wonderful John Traynor I am transported back to sunny late spring in Minnesota, I can smell the garden and in my minds eye see the adorable little ants, going round & round the tight peony buds. Now that I live in Florida, the only peonies I see come from Peru and are in the grocery and of course, are ant free. Traynor's peonies are simply stunning and so faithfully rendered I find my self searching the gallery for ants! You can see the John Traynor Peonies at M Gallery 16 S Palm in Sarasota or by followinng the link below to www.mgalleryoffineart.com.

http://www.mgalleryoffineart.com/masterpiece/title.php?ititlenum=12681