mary-gail: Living With Passion or What Do We Really Want?

My daughter, She's one of my finest legacies.

On a recent walk it struck me. What drives my life is passion.

It's the reason I'm an artist and why I choose both the art I create and the life that fuels it. When people are attracted to my art I believe it's because of the unique way that I express that passion. It appeals because they see part of themselves in the most basic expression of what I do. I reveal my inner life ruthlessly. At the center of this art is the most fundamental need we have of being human. We survive and we pass our physical, spiritual and mental selves on to the next generations. We are attracted to pleasure and run from pain.

Healing surfaced many years ago.

The Dragon Who Gave Birth to the Moon, Mixed Media

My childhood was a combination of free spirited fun and abuse. My adulthood has been shaped by nurturing the one and healing the other. I've crafted a powerful, sensitive way of being because even while I'm sometimes afraid I dive into my sensations. I revel in the sweetness and joy I find and slog my way through the challenges. As I say these things so many specific images swirl around in my mind. The words to describe them seem infinite. I can capture the sensations so much more fully in my art.

I see the moon and the moon sees me.

God bless the moon and God bless me.

Irish lullaby

Fly was inspired in part by years of

watching Laura refine her butterfly stroke

as a competitive swimmer.

I led the rather linear life of much of my generation and I've always had a playful, free little girl inside of me, I did what any good girl would. I went to school, worked, married, had children. I was somewhat confused having grown up during the feminist revolution by the fact that I longed for the peace and security of a traditional life but had been trained academically and professionally for a life more like a traditional man. Weird. It's an 80's problem.

I remember when I first got married being a little lost inside my new "role." I started to feel steamrollered by societal expectations of wifedom and motherhood. I didn't know who I was when I couldn't tell a person I met somewhere like a party that I was a sales rep for Proctor and Gamble. I became Larry's wife, Andy and Laura's mom, the basket lady, PFO President, fundraiser extrordinaire. I combined my life as a primary caregiver and entrepreneur successfully but sacrificed at least some of my identity because of the career path I chose.

Images of the musicians and one of the paintings on exhibit tomorrow.

Along the way somehow I discovered myself

through my art. It was a circuitous path that required retreating from the world. After "finishing" the job of getting my children to adulthood I've turned to the next chapter. You are witnessing whatever that is! And I see you becoming as well.

Andy Climbing

In the meantime I continue to paint and create a life filled with passion. I'm sharing a little bit of the expression of my passion tomorrow in my studio. I hope you join me. Sunday, September 28, 2014 1-4PM Studio R1 at

Studio Channel Islands Art Center

Here are links to some wonderful experiences. It will take a little while to cull through this but you can consider it a library of inspiration from some of the people I've worked with over the years. Enjoy!