About a week ago, a young artist, Chris Cane, came to my house to gather information and advice on marketing his art. Chris is having his very first art exhibition at the age of 19 years old. His work will be on display at Simply Pearls Gallery at Water’s Edge Resort in Westbrook, Connecticut thru May 5, 2011. When I asked Chris if he was excited about his opening, he answered yes . . . but there is a much bigger mission that excites Christopher Cane. He wants to take his art and his creativity and go to Thailand. In his own words, here are his thoughts:

I believe that like learning a language, a certain gap in one’s young life provides a significantly greater chance for the youngster to grasp concepts of the creative process, which can prove useful down the road whether the child become a mathematician, a scientist, or an artist. When a child is given a certain amount of freedom, with the right materials, he or she can reach a state of engulfment in the creative process which I attempt to recreate. This state of mind inspires my paintings as I create new variables of freedom in color scheme, pattern, medium, frame material, methods of application, style, etc.

Phyllis Theroux’s The Journal Keeper – A Memoir is a delightful read. Like having a relaxing sitdown with an older more experienced writer, like talking with your mom or a beloved friend on a spring morning with a cup of tea. In fact, I find her words to be so inspiring that it’s difficult for me to read the book . . . each time I start, I’m inspired to rush to my laptop to jot down words of my own.

On page 40, Theroux writes about a trip to Charlottesville:

We walked around the University of Virginia quad designed by Jefferson. It is winter now, stacks of wood lie by each student’s door. The ivy on the serpentine brick walls is withering, the garden, laid out in pie-shaped triangles, are bare. Something in me doesn’t like to take the time to describe what I’m looking at: the slender student bent over her book in Starbucks, the little snow-suited baby waiting patiently to be scooped up by its mother in the restaurant, the bundled-up Tibetans downtown sitting before their table of trinkets and prayer flags. But another part of me wants to develop a more physically observing eye. This sabbatical from writing has given me the space and time to cultivate my eye for its own sake.

Hi All, Thanks for all your comments and suggestions of late. I have no idea why, but WordPress did not email me telling me there were comments to be checked. I’m always very good about posting your comments right away!!  :(  Rest assured, your comments have now been approved and I’ve even written a few replies to you. I’ve been on a bit of a sabatical of late… exploring a new love in photography and taking a bit of a break from writing (I’ll explain that in a very exciting upcoming post) to handle some new developments in my life. I can’t wait to share the news with you.

I have several new posts coming up this week. I hope you’ll join me as I share the news, a conversation with a friend, and why sometimes finding a new creative outlet can kick start your imagination.