Journal Des Muses
An ongoing visual and conversational diary about my work and life as an artist.
"Morning Harvest." Oil on Canvas, 4x4," 2016.
The tulip is the world’s peace flower, with special status in countries like The Netherlands and Turkey. It has a “sacred significance” in Istanbul.
Upon wrapping up my visit, I am touched by the simple elegance of the tulip harvest, filled with so much honor and meaning. These people are earning their living by picking tulips. It is my privilege to witness the dignity of which they are earning their livelihood.
I will remember this experience for a long time. The next time I stop in the grocery store to purchase my $4 bundle of tulips, I will say a silent "Thanks" to those who picked them for me.
Read More"Returning from the Field." Oil on Canvas, 4x4." 2016.
The word "anthology" derives from ancient Greek, anthologos, (antho + logos, adj. derivative of légein to pick up, collect) literally means "flower-gathering."
So, how does flower gathering have anything to do with literature and anthologies?
Well, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts. In genre fiction anthology is used to categorize collections of shorter works such as short stories and short novels, usually collected into a single volume for publication.
Thus, an anthology preserves the best of a kind, the "flowers" of the art.
Read MoreGathering Tulips. Oil on Canvas, 4x4.:" 2016
One man is designated as the tulip gatherer (seen on the right.) He goes into the fields where the group of pickers are located. One by one, the tulip pickers lay bunches of bound tulips in his outstretched arms. The tulip gatherer remains in the field until he has all the bundles he can manage to hold.
Read MoreWorking in the Tulip Fields. Oil on Canvas, 4x4." 2016. M. Lamery
Walking along the edge of the field towards the back where the tulip pickers are, I join them.
They are working in a quiet manner, silently picking the spring flowers. In unison, they advance, slowly, rhythmically. Reaching over, gently snipping the bottoms of the tulip stems.
Read More"Working in the field of Red Tulips." Oil on Canvas, 4x4." 2016. M. Lamery
Upon seeing the tulips in the Skagit Valley for the first time, I fell in love with the setting.
Morning light, dew laden earth.
The rows of tulips are long.
The colors are lush.
In the distance, I see groups of people on the perimeters of the fields. I think to myself, they must be on a guided tour or a field trip of some sort. As I continue to walk about the fields, I see similar small groups of people huddled in the rows of tulips.
Read More"You're strictly a tulip girl -- a red tulip girl." Alyson Noel
Being a life long resident of Washington State, I have always wanted to see the tulips in bloom in Skagit Valley.
However, my first and only tulip "experience" to date was in 1985 on my very first trip to Europe, in Lisse, the Netherlands a little more than 20 miles away from Amsterdam to visit the world-renowned Keukenhof Garden.
Read MoreFarmland. Oil on Canvas, 4x4." 2016. M. Lamery
Snow Geese feed almost exclusively on plant material on the flood plains. In winter, waste grain from flood plains like the one above are a primary food source, using cover crops such as winter wheat, rye grass, and potatoes.
Read MoreWetlands in Conservation. Oil on Canvas, 4x4", 2016. M. Lamery.
A mist covers the ground from the rain laden skies. A stream flows through the marsh grasses, sloping hills in the distance. For a moment, I feel like I could be in Ireland, with the lush emerald green around me.
Read MoreOne of the things that is very clear when you are in this area is the regional focus on conservation--for the land, for the wetlands, for the wildlife. The Nature Conservancy is working in partnership with Skagit County to restore 60 acres of freshwater tidal marsh, aiding salmon recovery, supporting agriculture, improving flood protection for the local community and creating new jobs.
Read MoreFour Traveling Musicians. Seattle, 2014. Photographe, M. Lamery.
For all of my life, I have had a love for the outdoors. When I was a kid, you would find me building tree forts with scrap wood rounded up from the neighborhood. I used some of that wood to build go-carts, using 2x4s for axels and nailing old wagon wheels to the ends. When I wasn't building something, I was exploring dirt trails in the backyard woods, flying kites and paper airplanes, riding bikes. Being outdoors was about a sense of exploration and adventure.
Over the years, I continue to enjoy being outdoors for the same reasons--to explore and for the sense of adventure. I am now setting out to capture the natural beauty of our spectacular environment through painted landscape. I am titling my project "Washington Americana."
