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02/14/2008: "Imitation is the highest form of...? Plus...Haiku Madness!"

Yesterday a reader in Martha’s Vineyard sent me a link to the work of pastel artist Teresa McCue who does landscapes in a somewhat similar style as mine. I loved them but a few were *very* similar to what I've been picturing lately for my new show and some are very close to photos of the wetlands here that I was planning on painting.

And that's one of the dangers of looking at other people's art. It can give you "ideas" but if you already wanted to work a certain way and then you see someone else is already doing it…well, if you do it anyway, where's that line between what is your own and what is someone else's vision? Know what I mean?

If you’d never seen the other artist’s work, there would be no danger of appropriation…and yet we need to see other artists work in order to stimulate our own imaginations. Am I wrong?

Oh, someone just delivered a dozen (13 actually) long stem red roses to me from Aaron! They are absolutely gorgeous, similar to the ones he got me last year only these came in a big red vase with a pretty heart design on the front and different accent flowers. I told him not to send me any this year to save money, but who am I kidding? Everyone *loves* to get a big bouquet of flowers delivered at work...am I right?

So, in honor of Valentines Day (a holiday I can finally celebrate without bitterness), I'm writing 3 Haiku's, Japanese verse that follows (more or less) a 5 7 5 pattern of syllables.

Part I:

Glow-in-the-dark stars
Shine fake illumination
on a life alone

Part II:

Early sunlight beams
through heavy gilded curtains
Morning comes too soon

Part III:

Splendid afternoons
holding hands through snowy fields
kisses that melt ice


Please feel free to post some of your own!