soft message left under the bridge in the park
—
‘speak softly but carry a big can of paint.’
-banksy
—
bandemer park, ann arbor, mi, usa – summer 2026
Aug22
Category Archives: art
Jul28
it’s not safe to talk.
‘It’s Not Safe To Talk’, David Hayward, Sumi ink and watercolour on paper
“It’s Not Safe to Talk”, it’s origin story – A woman contacted me to say she saw a young bright maple tree surrounded by dead and dying trees as if they were trying to silence it. She heard, “It’s not safe to talk!” How I feel! She said keep shining. So I painted it.
(Ink used to make calligraphy) – David Hayward
It’s not safe to talk, but as long as we talk, we’re alive.
Bio from the artist: I’m a lot of things. Pastor turned artist. Cartoonist. Writer. And other things I’m still figuring out. To be all these things is simply to be human. Complex, meaningful, creative, curious, and evolving. – DH
Jul18
journeys.
walking into the small gallery
we saw
a very intriguing ship
way up high
above a wall of art and exotic teas
it looked like
a viking longship
the owner said
indeed it was
her scandinavian grandfather
built it long ago
spent many hours
making the details perfect
using
special wood
adding
the colors
the rigging
strung carefully
the dragon
as the figurehead
to frighten enemies
bring the vikings good luck
the “heart” symbols
valknut
for protection of the god Odin
honor their fallen warriors
symbolize the transition
between life and death
one day
he sent it
across the seas
to america
to her father
who passed it on
to his daughter
who owned the gallery
who passed on to her son
who, when he grew
passed it back to his mother
who loved it
wanted to rescue it
put it in her gallery
where she could look at it
where visitors
could admire
and wonder about
this legacy gift
the only thing
that didn’t survive
over time
were
the hand made
paper sails
he had taken such care
to raise on the mast
it lived on
through
the journeys
the generations
the years
arriving at last
in a safe harbor
now shared
for all to enjoy
and imagine
the journeys it has taken.
—
“The more journeys you make, the more directions they take.”
– Egil’s Saga
Egil’s Saga was written down between 1220-1240 AD. While it is an epic story spanning the 9th and 10th centuries, it is not a 100% true story, but is deeply rooted in real history. Egill Skallagrímsson, was a 10th-century Viking warrior and poet. However, the saga was written down centuries later and blends verifiable facts with folklore, myth, and legendary exaggeration. The saga functions as a mix of biography and medieval literature.
Jul7
bringing stone to life.
Japanese artist Akie Nakata (known as Akie) turns found rocks into realistic animal paintings
Akie has a unique way of looking at the world. While many would simply pass over a rock or a stone, Akie is able to see their potential. For the past nine years, she’s taken ordinary stones and transformed them into something magical using paint. Under her watchful eye, these rocks become highly realistic animals that fit into the palm of your hand.
Using only acrylic gouache—no pen—and working with tiny brushes, Akie carefully brings each animal to life. In reality, the creative process begins from the moment she spots a rock. Its natural shape helps inspire what animal it will become. “Stones have their own intentions, and I consider my encounters with them as cues to go ahead and paint what I see on them.”
From cuddly dogs and curious cats to various frogs, birds, and mice, there is no animal that Akie can’t make magically appear before our eyes. Her talent has garnered her a huge following on Instagram and Facebook, where the stones she makes available for purchase are usually snapped up quickly.
Occasionally, Akie will also post before and after photographs of her rock art. When viewed side by side, Akie’s work is even more impressive. Natural markings might become eyes and a pointed edge may transform into a nose -with Akie, anything is possible. For the artist, it’s all about bringing the animal to life and hoping that its future owner will enjoy it as much as she does.
“To me, completing a piece of work is not about how much detail I draw, but whether I feel the life in the stone.”
—
“0ne eye sees, the other feels.”
― Paul Klee, pioneering Swiss/German artist
—
source credits: my modern met, j. stewart, facebook, instagram
Jun15
blue whispering day.
Choy Moo Kheong (b.1950 Singapore)
Blue Whispering Day, 2022.
Acrylic on canvas
—
Choy Moo Kheong (b.1950) is a self-taught artist from Singapore who is inspired by the romanticism of nature. At the age of 28, he taught himself how to paint. Combining his talent, creativity and determination, he succeeded despite the odds. He held on to his dreams and was rewarded when his works begun to be accepted and exhibited.
Since then, his work has been exhibited in France, Switzerland, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Besides attracting international and local private collectors, his work has also been collected by many private organizations such as the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, the Canadian High Commissioner, Glaxo Holdings in London, the New York Institute of Finance in Singapore, the Sultan of Brunei, JP Morgan Singapore and the Gulf International Bank.
May27
night rain.
Kasamatsu Shirō (Japanese, 1898–1991)
“Night Rain at Shinobazu Pond”, 1938, Woodblock Print
—
‘rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth without rain, there would be no life.’
-john updike
—
Shiro Kasamatsu (笠松 紫浪, Kasamatsu Shirō; was a Japanese engraver and print maker trained in the Shin-Janga and Sosaku-Hanga styles of woodblock printing.
Kasamatsu was born in Tokyo in 1898 and apprenticed at the age of 13 to Kaburagi Kivokata , a traditional master of Bijin-ga, pictures of beautiful women. Kasamatsu however took an interest in landscape and was given the pseudonym Shiro by his teacher, which he used as a signature mark in his prints. Kasamatsu exhibited his paintings in government sponsored juried exhibitions. He completed his first woodblock prints in 1919 for Shozaburo Watanabe after the publisher saw his paintings on exhibit. Almost all the woodblocks were destroyed in a fire in Watanabe’s print shop following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Around 50 prints were published by Watanabe by the late 1940s. Kasamatsu began to partner with Unsodo in Kyoto in the 1950s and produced over 100 prints by 1960. He also began to print and publish on his own Sosaku-Hanga style and produced nearly 80 prints between 1955 and 1965.
May19
folk.
one of my favorite museums ever
Urania Proscenium No. 11, a 19th-century German toy theater, Joseph Scholz of Mainz.
this vibrant hooked rug, crafted by artist Celso Gallegos, late 1920s or early 1930s.
he rug features a central tree form surrounded by various native animals.
Monica Canilao, Teotilian del Vallek. Oaxaca, Mexicto, 1960
Sculpture titled “Ms. Utopia” by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE,
featuring a mannequin dressed in Dutch wax cotton textile, 2013
pinata near the offices, artist unknown
quilt titled Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free: Fannie Lou Hamer (2024) by artist Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. The quilt honors Fannie Lou Hamer, a prominent civil rights activist and community organizer who championed voting rights.
This blue and white ceramic vessel is a work by Los Angeles-based artist Elyse Pignolet, often featured in exhibitions exploring contemporary female experiences. The piece is part of a body of work that utilizes traditional ceramic techniques—specifically blue and white glaze reminiscent of historical European pottery—to subvert expectations.
papier-mâché sculpturen created by artist Roberto Benavidez.
part of an exhibition titled “Truths Be Told”
from the Ray Neutrogena collection
vibrant hooked rug crafted by artist Celso Gallegos in the late 1920s or early 1930s
- The rug features a central tree form surrounded by various native animals.
museum guests of all ages were invited to stitch with museum materials
,
folk art is handmade, utilitarian or decorative objects, created by everday, often self-taught artists with a specific cultural community. instead of following formal academic rules, it relies on deeply-rooted community traditions,
preserving cultural heritage, history, and daily life through generations.
—
—
‘from our first babblings to our last word, we make but one statement, and that is our life.’
-richard paul evans
—
source credits:
museum of iunternatiuonal folk art, santa fe, new mexico, u.s.a – may, 2026
May16
georgia o’keefe, up close and personal.
georgia o’keefe musem visit
her story, her words, her art
visitors given the opportunity to see things closely
create them in georgia’s style
some add a bit of humor to their response
georgia lived a life on her terms, full of color and beauty.
May15
sticks and stones.
river of stone
stone to find home
stone for resting
stone to remember
*sticks to make rustic latilla fences
‘to so enter into it in nature and art
that the enjoyed meanings of life may become a part of living
is the attitude of artistic appreciation.’
-george h. mead
—
*In New Mexico, you’ll find charming fences made of small branches called ‘latillas’ made primarily from native cedar or juniper poles. These rustic fences have a rich history, passed down through generations of indigenous and Hispanic communities.Originally built to keep out wildlife like coyotes, they’ve become a beloved part of the Southwestern landscape, especially in Santa Fe-style architecture.
—
new mexico, usa, may 2026
‘
May13
go west.
let the adventure begin
first stop
santa fe, new mexico
place of art, history, beauty, and mystery
sharing a road trip with my fellow life traveler
my sister
nature celebrated with art
wild mustangs up top
birds splash in a flock
burro waits patiently
half sun half shade
no need for a clock
—
“take me where the road ends and the adventure begins in Santa Fe.”
-inspired by Bon Jovi
—
art credits: all sculptures by new mexican artists
I didn't have my glasses on.... 