Archive for June, 2009

Strange matters

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

 
Three Girlfriends, 2008

Three Girlfriends
John Andrew Dixon
Tinted acrylic glazes and colored pencil on wood panel, 2008
Collection of Sara Jane Montgomery

This business of creating things can be an odd affair. There are times when I employ a high degree of focused passion that shoves everything to the periphery. Putting things into perspective when finished, I recognize faults or miscalculations in my approach to the work, especially when the client indicates “back to the drawing board.” Nevertheless, I often must be fully in that place of positive intensity to do justice to the task, even to the point of believing that it will be the most sensational thing ever done. And then there are other times when I struggle through a process fraught with doubts about the idea or quality of the execution, finding scant grist for satisfaction. Strangely enough, the client can be joyous at the outcome, while I continue to perceive flaws. It takes weeks or months to arrive at a new state of observation, only to discover that I very much like the result.

So it is with Three Girlfriends. A package of pleasure arrives after a long delay, and I ask myself, “How did that get lost in delivery?”

Milestone

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Jerome, my brother and dear friend, has turned 50 today!

Jerome, a family treasure

— Jerome, summer 1990 —

Oops!

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

When the tyrants of Iran invested their future in the radicalization of an entire culture and rising generation, did they ever once suspect that democracy might become the new jihad?

Wildcards and constants

Friday, June 19th, 2009

 
Unconditional Surrender, 2009

Unconditional Surrender
John Andrew Dixon
Mixed media collage, 2009
Collection of Nancy and Charles Martindale

In a fashion more defined than recent memory serves, life unfolds with a stark blend of pleasing familiarity and jarring novelty. I take refuge in the naturally comfortable—collage, reading, friendship, bicycling, my cherished clan—while confronting strange and daunting challenges that offer few points of easy reference. The latter include new projects that require me to produce radio advertising, materials for patent registration, and a client-managed Website that relies on code I haven’t learned to speak. It’s helpful to remind myself that everything I’ve ever done—and a bit of it rather well—began with the unfamiliar. At times it was stimulating or even exhilarating, and at other times it was intimidating or actually frightening. I realize now that the difference was rooted in nothing but my own attitude toward the unknown.

Yet another for the trophy case

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

hayley111.jpgHayley was one of only three nominees for The Advocate-Messenger Female Athlete of the Year award, but she had the luck of finishing her high school career during the impressive tenure of young Kaitlin Snapp.

Did you miss her first act?
Dig this—from AMnews.com:

Hellyer was a five-year letter winner in basketball and finished her career with 1,903 points. She was a team captain her sophomore, junior and senior seasons and was a three-time All-Area performer. Hellyer also earned all-district and all-region honors during her career. She has signed to play basketball at Campbellsville University. In softball, she was a four-year starter at shortstop and made the All-Area team twice. She was the Rebels’ leading hitter last season. Hellyer, a 4.0 student, was also an academic all-state pick. She is also a member of the Pep Club, Beta Club, Change of Heart, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Ladies and gentlemen, stay in your seats for Act II.

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

babywhitley144.jpg


Little Whitley
son of Walie and Winston
R
I
P