A Few Weeks of Uncertainty

photo by Tullis Johnson

As you may or may not know, depending on how close you are to the folks from the Burchfield, we had a pretty amazing experience a few weeks past where a red-tailed hawk took down a seagull and brought the carcass within feet of the window to the store. It was an absolutely amazing sight. I sat on the ledge and watched it for close to an hour. Their beaks are incredibly efficient tools, and they eat almost every part of the carcass (including the brains and tongue). As breathtaking as the whole experience was the real treat was being able to really get a good look at the shape of everything on such a large and powerful bird,  even the way the feathers flip back on the thighs and the soft shades of color. It really reminded me that I a) am kind of a creep, and b) to really just take everything you can out of rare experiences, which was a timely reminder now that I am unemployed.

For the first time in ten years I am finding myself without the structure of a work day. The freedom to finish up projects and work on anything I please is kind of nice, but I haven’t settled into not driving myself insane yet. For some reason I am working on this:

Which I think is one hell of a happy looking seagull/duck thing. Everyone keeps telling me he looks pretty upset though. I finally sanded down the bottom side of those old lingerie rack tops I salvaged from JCPenney in Missouri and have moved  with half a dozen times and I am painting him on one. I am not a painter, and far better at my haphazard way of watercoloring than acrylics, but it’s really enjoyable.

Oh! I am also currently in a group show of Gerald Mead’s collection at the Carnegie Art Center called Flora and Fauna. Check it out if you can get out there.

Also, if you go, can I catch a ride?