The Artist at Work

The Artist at Work
The Artist at Work

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Happy Anniversary, How Time Flies!

The month of June, which is fleeting and nearly past us, marks the one-year anniversary of the collaboration between Marcus, Anne and myself as writer of the narrative text of Flight of the Mind. It has been a magical year of lovely conversation and exciting creative work. A passage from the chapter, "Timing" reads as a nice anthem for this occasion and the promise of things to come:

The art of timing is subtle. But we all know when we've been blessed by virtue of being at the right place at the right time, with the right person. Timing, maybe even ore than mere time, is also inter-relational and gives birth to moments that have the quality of eternity - moments that can last forever.  . . . "You start with small ideas. You sell calendars door to door and work your way up to writing a book," Anne's vision for the future is as vivid as one of Marcus' painting. "We want people to understand that against all odds, great achievements can be made.

It is also the anniversary of the book's signature image, emblem and prevailing metaphor: How Time Flies with its rowdy raven and the artist's eye gazing out from the stolen pocketwatch. One year ago this month, the first sketches took shape, emerging out of the blue depths of Marcus' imagination.


We've also been blogging about our thoughts, dreams and progress on the book for a full year now, and on the anniversary of a retrospective, it's good to look back. The blog is representative of some of our best work and conversations, and it served as a testing space for many sections of the book. From reflection on the nature of time, to the nature of art, from poetry, to philosophy, to the labor of love all good work requires, we've had the time of our lives on this adventure!


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Truth in a Mask: Conclusion

Production of Flight of the Mind continues to soar and we will treat our readers to another excerpt later this week. In the meantime, exciting news has come from the Denver Hospice Mask Project. 

Every two years, the Denver Hospice solicits masks designed by celebrities, authors, artists, musicians and local personalities. Read about this year's fascinating array of masks here.  In the spring, the masks are auctioned off online and in Denver. All the money goes to the hospice to make compassionate care-taking accessible to families whose loved ones are nearing death. 

Marcus' mask, an interpretive rendition of the painting, How Time Flies, brought in a good amount to go towards helping make end-of-life care and comfort a reality for many people. So many of the masks were astonishing, and the whole endeavor shows a bright and hopeful face, a testament to what can happen when creative people come together for a cause. Visit the Mask Project site to see a showcase of these faces, all true and beautiful.

Read about Marcus' mask in our entry, The Mask Revealed. For curious minds, who want to see the process of creation, read our post, Beauty and Truth in a Mask.   

Stay tuned and subscribe to this blog for more (and more frequent as the completion nears) updates and excerpts of the book, Flight of the Mind: An Artist's Journey through Paralysis