07/18/2022 Something Different

7/18/2022

There will be no poetry in this post. Instead I will push my art, specifically, the 15 pieces I recently hung at Kapej Cafe and Gallery on the north edge of downtown San Antonio, 5 pieces in the cafe and 10 pieces in the gallery.

Also, I am posting a very abbreviated version of my professional biography, the part of my life that I consider "my life," acknowledging that my art, and before that, my poetry, was begun after my professional life ended basically as a way to stay busy until I died.

That is not to say that I am not committed to my poetry and art. It is just a part of my nature to never be uncommitted to whatever it is I'm doing. And like everything I do, I do it my own way.

Here's the professional part of my life, 30 years worth, very reduced.

I worked for the state Employment Security Agency for 30 year, ending my career as the agency's San Antonio Regional Director with 400 staff spread in about 20 offices over 28 counties.

Before my professional career, I was educated at the University of New Mexico in a Peace Corp training program in 1964. In 1966 I studied Russian at the US Air Force Intensive Language Training Institute at Indiana University. Following the training I spent two yearsin Germany and Pakistan performing classified intelligence functions in the US and abroad. Upon discharge in 1966, I returned to Texas State University where I had studied before and graduated in 1971 with a major in Sociology. Several years later I attended a Masters course in Philosophy at University of Texas in Corpus Christi, Texas. I was working at the time as Community Services Director for the local United Way and found the night classes more intrusive than I wanted and didn't complete the Masters program.

While back at Texas State University, I published a couple of poems in an Austin based poetry mag, then continued to write until graduation when professional and family demands took up all my time and attention. I returned to writing after i retired in 1995, publishing seven books (one print and six eBooks.) I published in a number of print and on-line until about 10 years ago when I greated a blog where I printed my work and the work of others.

A couple of months ago, my poetry inspiration stopped and I looked for an alternative creative outlet, which led to the paintings I'm posting here today.

Okay, that done, here is my new fascination, spray paint on wood, 8 to 10 inches across and 4 to 5 feet vertically. I've done about 50 pieces in addition the the 15 I recently hung.

I draw inspiration from a number of sources, frequently literary, occasionally biblical, sometimes historical, and political. Most often, it’s a memory of something I’ve seen or heard. I applied metaphor to my poetry and do the same with my art

I invite my San Antonio area friends to visit Kapej Cafe and Gallery 415 Camden on the north edge of downtown to view my art, and, on the third Saturday of every month, 2pm to 4pm, to my regular poetry reading.

Even as I am posting this now, I haven't figured out how to regularize the size of the images. I made the images with the same camera with the same settings, yet half the images when posted turn out very large. Disappointing, since the images are much better when seen all at once. But enough complaining.

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