An old friend a few years ago said in a very secure succinct
manner, bloom where you are planted.
Over the years this simple phrase has been a guiding light for me on this
perilous journey called life. When we feel discouraged and just plain doubting
the choices we have made we contemplate the bloom.
The book, Living and Sustaining a Creative Life, Essays by40 Working Artists, Edited by Sharon Louden, introduces us to artists
living and working in all parts of the U.S. The common thread that weaves its
way through the book is that place is just one factor in the production and
distribution of our creative output. We all know some areas are better known
for their concentration of recognition in the arts. To help artists in less
fertile art rich communities, the rise of guilds and arts and cultural
organizations surround the artists with the energy of a supportive community.
Sharon Louden shares with us the wide range of areas where artists are planted
and the struggles these artists have endured to bloom.
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| Greening of the Dune by Joel F. Ellis 26x32 oil |
I like to tell the
stories of the Great Lakes, the dunes and water ways and how they impact our
lives. As Spring finally opened the skies to sunshine and warmth we recently went
on a brief journey from the center of Michigan to the dune coast to find beauty
in white Trillium carpeted forests, earthly sounds and astounding quiet nights.
We found little communities of people opening their shops and getting ready for
a couple of months of festivities.
In Empire, one of the small villages, at the base of
Sleeping Bear National Park, we came across Heather Caverly and her exquisite
gallery of fine art, Sleeping Bear Gallery. The works here range from realistic to tantalizing contemporary
paintings, drawings, and sculpture. The artists in the gallery reflect their
own bloom in the great lakes.
Farther north in Michigan’s wonder land near Charlevoix, we
find the eclectic Cycling Salamander art gallery where gardens welcome visitors to Nature’s delicate blooms amid
whimsical sculptures. Inside the gallery we are amazed at the variety of
artist’s expressions. Where we live and the times and events that shape our
place are the influences that make the artist’s work meaningful.
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| Yasmin's Dune 10x20 oil by Joel F. Ellis |
As the Michigan motto goes – If you seek a pleasant
peninsula, look about you.
Joel
