The Cover . . . Uncovered

Drumroll, please. We are proud to present the beautifully designed cover of Flight of the Mind. You will probably recognize the cover from Marcus's magical interpretation, "How Time Flies." We think the raven soaring into the deep blue sky trailing a stolen pocket watch is the perfect emblem for this artist's life. But the watch is no ordinary timepiece. The face of the watch is the artist's eye, weeping the dear, well-used tools of a lifetime of creative work. A feather wafts above the fray, followed by piece of parchment, with the artist's wish, dream and intimate knowledge of time. "It's a message," says Marcus, "we can all put our minds around."

An entire chapter of the forthcoming book is devoted to the creation of this piece. It begins with a quote from Poe's seminal poem: "Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore." The following is an excerpt to tease out your own reflection on the rough and ready tumble of the time of our lives.


In his mind's eye, Marcus knew the colors he would use - black, blue and gold, colors he relishes. The elements appeared complete in his vision: the raven and a golden pocket watch. And the narrative thrust was clear: "The vision of the raven flying away with, or stealing, my pocket watch was a perfect representation of my deepest frustration with the flashing speed at which my life is moving." When asked why, of all birds, he chose the raven, Marcus's smile betrays his intimate knowledge of a bird that haunts heroes and poets alike. "The raven is reality - a worthy adversary who deserves all the respect we can muster."


We hate to rush time, of course, but are counting down the days to October, when the book will be launched. Check back soon for information on how you can pre-order the book, and sign up on Marcus and Anne's email list to get preferred customer pricing.

A new page every day

Bet you didn't know Marcus could levitate.

It's mid-Spring, when the whole world is under the spell of the May Queen. In the spirit of all things mercurial, it's time to tease our faithful readers with glimpses of the forthcoming book, aptly named: Flight of the Mind . . . We are cruising through the design of the book, captioning pictures, choosing pull-out quotes, dotting our i's and crossing our t's. The cover has been designed and we've secured some stellar endorsements. The book website is in the works, and the presses are warming up.

On this forum, we'll reveal a glimpse at a time. For today, an enticing quote, that describes Marcus's painting, the work of art that is this book, and you, dear reader:

“People are trying to engage,” says Marcus when asked about audience reaction to his work.  “You make quality paintings and love them yourself first. Each is an extension of me, not just a product.  That intimate connection radiates outward. People want something to engage with, so give it all you got, and if you love the work you create, then somebody’s going to catch on.  People catch on fast.” 

Catch us here, now.

New Moon Masks

Masthead for The Mask Project

Here we are again at the new moon, and the Denver Hospice Mast Project is in full swing. From now until mid-May you can bid online for over 400 masks created by artists, celebrities and local Denver, CO movers and shakers. All the proceeds from this bi-annual benefit go to Denver Hospice to aid their mission of providing end-of-life care that "encircles those facing advanced illness with unprecedented levels of comfort, compassion and expertise."

A visit to the auction site reveals an astonishing array of masks - from funny, to lovely, to seriously odd - a virtual catalogue of expressions, all valid responses to the human condition! You'll find masks by artists and well-known personalities, such as David Sedaris, Sarah McLachlan, Kevin Nealon, Paul Simon, The Manhattan Project, and the entire cast of The Office, just to name a few! Marcus created a mask to donate and we documented his process over the course of a moon cycle in the last several blogs. See his creation here.

Visit the site and tell us about your favorites. It's a perfect activity for the new moon as we all face the season ahead, fascinated and ready to be astonished.

The mask revealed

The finished mask.

This weekend has been earmarked since the beginning of the year as one for sacred celebration. The first full moon after the spring equinox, known as the paschal moon, marks the Jewish observance of Passover. And the Christian holiday of Easter is always on the Sunday following the paschal moon.

And what a moon! On Friday night, we saw the moon rise above the French Broad river and the pale golden light on the water looked like a pathway into worlds beyond the imagination. All the dogwood blossoms unfurled this week, to receive the moon's clean light and glow from within. And all weekend long when the apple trees shed their blossoms into the wind and sunlight, one could almost imagine flecks of moon dust sifting down to glitter every leaf and blade of grass.

As the moon revealed her full face, Marcus completed the mask for the Denver Mask project. Following the raven from How Time Flies, the mask reveals a world beyond imagination, a world the paschal moon coaxes us into believing. Along the planes of a human face, the raven disappears beyond the ridge of the left eye, into a scene of grand calm and flowing beauty. The watch, embodied in the right eye, trails along. And the eye that inhabits the watch is astonished. The face of the mask is about to fold in on itself and reveal everything in one fell swoop.

Just as the paschal moon wakes us up to the sacred celebrations of spring, the full face of Marcus's mask can wake us up to a world beyond imagination that glows as if lit from within.

We might all see something different when we look up at the full moon. I see a woman's face, and she appears to be singing. Some people see a rabbit; some see the man in the moon, some see blue cheese, some see different things in different seasons. The same is true of Marcus's mask. What do you see when you look the mask in the eye? You are welcome to share your thoughts below.

A book, a bottle and a toast!

The Biltmore Estate has announced the winner of the wine label contest. . .
Out of nine fine designs, the winner was Marcus's creation, Biltmore Winter.


Visit the Biltmore Estate site to see the ranking and official announcement.

Visit our post about Marcus's idea behind Biltmore Winter.

Here's what Marcus and Anne have to say about the matter:

THRILLED!!!
What a joy to report Biltmore Estate wine label success!
Biltmore Winter will be the 2012 Christmas wine LABEL!
This victory that would not have been achieved without the enormous networking effort generously provided by an overwhelming amount of people, family, friends and friends of friends. The networking puzzle is an intricate process that generated the energy to achieve the impossible.
HOW SWEET IT IS!!!
Sincere thanks to everyone who shared the passion.
Hugs, handshakes and a hearty toast.....
Marcus, Anne

The book Flight of the Mind will be available by the time Biltmore releases their Christmas wine in the late summer/early autumn. There's talk of "A Book and a Bottle" launch. Check back for more details on the festivities as we finish up work on the book and raise a glass to the impossible possibility!

Dark of the Moon

Tears of Time

This has been a big week for the earth and sky. Tuesday marked the first day of spring with the vernal equinox, day and night of equal length. From here on out, until autumnal equinox, the hours of light outnumber the dark ones. And today - Thursday, March 22 - the moon is new.

The new moon, also known as the "dark of the moon" is a good time for planting and starting seeds, especially now on the leading edge of spring. Plants started during this hallowed time will grow as the moon grows, magically emerging out of inert darkness, blossoming into ripe fullness to bask in the light of the sun.

So much life begins under the cover of darkness, safe and warm. Until it finds expression in the light of day - through love, art, good words, hard work and grace-full gestures.

I like to think of Marcus's mask for the Denver Hospice project as a representation of the moon's other face . . . her dark side.  This is the face we never see, but would recognize instantly as the face of subterranean wisdom that grows within our psyches - truths about life and mortality and a land beyond time. These truths need the mask of art to give them faces and permit them to speak.

What does the moon's dark face look like to you? Plant a seed with your comment below. And stay tuned for the finale of the Mask Project series. . .

Beauty and Truth in a Mask

Whether you know the origin of the warning to beware of March 15th or not, the day, coming in the middle of a stormy month, carries an ominous and reckless feel. It is a day when anything can happen, and one must be watchful for the unexpected, glancing over the shoulder, on the lookout for mishap and betrayal.

On a day like this, a mask would come in handy. Though we often associate masks with dishonesty and think of them as props used to hide our true selves, they have more power than mere subterfuge.  I think on the Ides of March, the common conception should be reversed. So I'm declaring the 15th of March to be Mask Appreciation Day.

There's a sense in which a mask can be liberating. Crafted or chosen with care and attention to detail, masks allow us a special freedom to be exactly and defiantly who we are . . . in disguise. A creative mask could be the expression of our most daring dream or boldest imagining, offering us the opportunity to recreate and reinvent ourselves, without the trappings of our ordinary "operating personas."

In our darkest moments, when we are most vulnerable, a mask has the power to protect and transform. Marcus knows this from his own experience. Bringing beauty and truth to the surface, he is currently at work creating a mask for the Denver Hospice benefit, The Mask Project. For this project, he will use the watch and sky from How Time Flies as his spring board. We will document his creation here.

"The aim of art," writes Aristotle, "is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." Let's toast to the Ides of March then, and appreciate the power of masks to accomplish the revelation of those inner truths we can not always and readily wear on our faces, but require the bold artistry of a mask to express.

Reflecting on his early intentions with the mask, Marcus writes:

My goal is to refine the watch idea which will center around the left eye. Perhaps a complete watch crying parts that will be flowing over the inner housing, my eye will remain in the center but will look more like Julie Speed's "The Oculist".... The independent eye surrounded by mechanical parts. Tears of Time. The right eye socket on the mask will become a beautiful, tranquil scene offering a feeling of continuation.

Think about how you might create your own mask. Given a blank face, how would you fill it?