Van Gogh, the painter, said, and I also have nature and art and poetry, and if that isn’t enough, what is?
I once turned the summer green of a river, brilliant and beautiful as leaf shadow, into blackness, and then the snow egret above it into a textured contrast of feather over feather, the wings lifting at the threshold of flight, the bird’s yellow feet turned darklings just dangling over the water, river spilling off them, splinters of light as if this egret of snow were some poem, electric, passing over a river I could step into.
These past weeks, I ponder over the hazed and dehazed lines and colors I’ve printed on this fibrous translucent paper made of the mulberry bush, what the silkworm suckles: unryu, it’s called, “cloud dragon.”
Bluebirds, dozens, that I found late late winter at the reservoir dip down again and again into a hollow of melted snow. I am left with brush stroke after brush stroke of wings — as if held to a breath the spirit’s flight against this winter’s unadorning, its body politic I cannot bear.
Japanese, Asian, I think the line drawings of my camera, and wonder if sepia best or the crisp of black and white or the lightest washes of color. Maseo Yomamoto, the photographer, dips his paper in tea before printing the quiet he touches.
How does he know , how can I know, what is beautiful?
Note: The search for photography and poetry continues to surprise and delight me.
Find my work now at NKollectiv Gallery on 3458 South Broadway in Englewood, Colorado Photographic Arts Center’s 2026 Annual Members Show (Special Mention) on 1200 Lincoln Street, CSU Spur’s What Does Water Mean To You? exhibit at 4777 National Western Driver, and The Littleton Fine Art’s Guild The Depot Small Wonder Show at 2069 W. Powers Ave. Thank you to the Evergreen Arts Center, NKollective, Valkarie Gallery, and the aplomb project in New Hampshire for selling my work this year. Upcoming shows: The Depot Art Gallery 2026 juried Anniversary Show and the Evergreen Arts Center’s 100 for $200 fundraiser.
