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Jack Kemp
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Vacancy of the heart
April 17th, 2009
For the rest of my life I shall draw and paint pictures of my father. Of course, I can’t say I know what he’d think of that, but I suspect his feelings would be mixed. Modest enough to be uncomfortable with the practice, he probably would have approved, on the other hand, of my using his image as a mechanism for continuous artistic improvement. It’s natural for me to think about him on his birthday, what he would be like in his 80s, or how different my life might be if I still had access to his evolving wisdom, pragmatic perspective, and keen sense of leadership. Whether we comprehend it or not, each of us has a meaningful influence by our very presence in the drama of existence, affecting our world and others in countless ways. Perhaps our departure from the stage will be less profound, depending on how we have played our part. If one is as beloved as my namesake, the absence is a deeply felt void which sends ongoing ripples across the surface of family life.
Quiet victory
March 31st, 2009March exercise—day thirty-one— As I finished my morning walk on this final day of what has become the most experimental month of the year for me, I faced a blazing sunrise and could appreciate the logic of peoples who worshiped our nearest star. My feelings transcended the beauty of a cloudless sky and the refreshing air. Perhaps the ritual exercise inevitably falls short of ambitions, but there is no reason not to look at all that I have in my life and be incredibly grateful. My faith, health, optimism, and creative drive have been restored, and that’s really what it’s all about.
Today’s sight bite— Saddlebreds and Angus (is that an ostrich or an emu?) —c-l-i-c-k— a sleek, reliable two-wheeler is the best way I’ve found to experience the Kentucky countryside.
Tomorrow— Springtime…
Home stretch
March 30th, 2009March exercise—day thirty— Except for some early evening labor in the back yard (our pitiable urban garden), I spent the day pushing forward a commemorative safari illustration. The project will provide a fitting close to my annual exercise.
Today’s sight bite— Fractured brick, chunks of coal, and fragments of clay roofing —c-l-i-c-k— relics of a home’s former incarnation are freed from the dark earth.
Tomorrow— Finish line…
Broadwing barn
March 29th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-nine— My uncle Bob kindly emailed me a photo Dan took of how Pete framed with chestnut the picture I created of their old barn, which has since collapsed. Seeing it again raised my spirits. I made that picture during a period of heightened sketchbook activity. During those years I was constantly drawing with pen, but I created very few finished works outside my journal pages. Above the frame is an antique weather vane. I must admit to a selfish desire—seeing the kitchen wall arrangement firsthand. Of course, it will be good to see my Dixon kin, too.
Today’s sight bite— The face of a lady hunter, between the horns of her trophy kudu —c-l-i-c-k— coaxing me back to my drawing board.
Tomorrow— Into the zone…
High compliment
March 28th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-eight— At the end of last month, my astonishment at randomly meeting an art student who’d written a paper about my artwork on display at EKU caused me to write on Facebook that the incident blew my mind. Long-time friend Craig S commented that, “Dix has been recovering from a blown mind for 40 years.” Putting all nonsense aside, I’m pleased to have that student, Jonathan R, take the time to email his finished assignment to me. Coming from someone of his demonstrated talent and artistic dedication, I consider it an honor that he selected my work for investigation. There are times when I’m convinced that all one needs to do is follow creative intuition and let the universe take care of the rest.
Today’s sight bite— The plate-steel square at 300 yards —c-l-i-c-k— alarmingly small to the naked eye when positioned above the tip of a rifle’s front sight.
Tomorrow— Final Sunday of the month…
Marks made
March 27th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-seven— It’s been a supportive day for my aspirations as a wood engraver. I sold two prints to Dave the collector, and then Gray phoned to let me know that he’s finished the limited edition press run of Manning poems with my block illustration, Boss’s Bucket. I felt a surge of profound satisfaction. Earlier today I asked myself why I tend to study writers for insight into the heart of creative motivation, and the answer came to mind quickly enough to make me feel a bit silly—writers are obviously better than visual artists at verbalizing. Faulkner told an interviewer that “really the writer doesn’t want success, that he knows he has a short span of life, that the day will come when he must pass through the wall of oblivion, and he wants to leave a scratch on that wall—Kilroy was here—that somebody a hundred, a thousand years later will see.” Nabokov wrote that a work of art existed for him “only insofar as it affords me what I shall bluntly call aesthetic bliss, that is a sense of being somehow, somewhere, connected with other states of being where art (curiosity, tenderness, kindness, ecstasy) is the norm.”
Today’s sight bite— A worker high up on the new dome of the expanded library —c-l-i-c-k— nailing a layer of roofing with the evident skill of a specialist.
Tomorrow— A working weekend…
Ever onward
March 26th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-six— One of those days in the studio that was picked to its bones by loose ends and small, unforeseen developments. I learned that my Highway District machinations are bearing fruit (low-hanging, perhaps, with the nicer plums still out of reach). Marlene’s class was canceled, but I got the key to the room and did a solitary workout—my peculiar combination of Pilates, Yoga, and Aikido—following it up with some power-walk laps around the track. Old Hoosier ran off and sent Dana and me into the night with flashlights. We found him crossing the street a couple blocks away.
Today’s sight bite— The heavyset lady in her sweat-suit, sprinting up the stadium steps with an intrinsic athleticism —c-l-i-c-k— clearly submerged in her isolated determination to regain something lost.
Tomorrow— We begin again…
Hog heaven
March 25th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-five— I finished another animal trademark today. I ought to count my total some time. Solving visual assignments within this type of symbology has been one of the areas of greatest fulfillment in my work as a designer. It allows me to study the characteristics of a species and discover a different way of interpreting it graphically. On another level, it puts me in contact with creators throughout the ages, from the cave painters forward. Why do we continue striving to reduce the image of the animal to its essence as an archetypal form? After my dental work was completed, I realized that our scheduled bicycle ride would be rained out. The upside: this light, steady drizzle is perfect for the lawn, re-seeded to repair the harsh effects of a landmark winter storm.
Today’s sight bite— At the very top of an ice-disfigured maple —c-l-i-c-k— the large crow speaks his “Haw. Haw,” and flaps upward into the misty dawn.
Tomorrow— New projects…
Juggling skills
March 24th, 2009March exercise—day twenty-four— My thoughts were with Marty today and his college entrance examination. He’s making a conscious choice to seek higher education. For me it was just a given. I’ve been spending a considerable amount of studio time designing graphics for organic pork promotion, although I need to find a way to balance my hours with a wider array of projects. I tend to do this—focus intently on a single creative task, which I enjoy, but if I can become more agile with my versatility, I believe I’ll find more ongoing satisfaction with what I accomplish on a weekly basis. On another subject, I feel like I’m getting back in the groove with the Pilates class. Back troubles took a big chunk out of my exercise program this winter, and I’m ready to put that into the past.
Today’s sight bite— Fingers of rose extend above the downtown view-scape —c-l-i-c-k— as I break the crest of a hill at sunrise and direct my walk toward home.
Tomorrow— Rain clouds and more dental work…
Managing growth
March 23rd, 2009March exercise—day twenty-three— With an effort to minding the waistline, I tried to swim laps during my lunch hour, forgetting that Centre’s spring break closes the pool, but the forgiving propinquity of campus facilities enabled me to log a decent track workout instead. This might be the last day of fair weather for awhile, and, if the maxim proves true, we can expect March to go out like the proverbial lion this season. I’d better complete my topiary assignment in the front yard before the rain arrives.
Today’s sight bite— A Bradford pear tree in full bloom —c-l-i-c-k— glorious to the eye, in spite of its undesirable arboricultural reputation.
Tomorrow— Dental work…
Path crew
March 22nd, 2009March exercise—day twenty-two— Dan W gave a talk at Shared Silence about his “50 Marathons in 50 States” achievement. We don’t meet at Mack’s cabin during this incarnation of the gathering, but Dana and I did go out to the Jackson farm later. After lunch with Marty, we helped clear the trails of ice-storm damage. Mack’s son is using the cabin as temporary living quarters, but there’s hope among some that the group will eventually return to the site for our twice-monthly meditation and discussion. When we got home, it was time to trim the overgrown shrubs along the driveway, which I probably wouldn’t have tackled on my own today, except for Dana’s effective role as “honcho.”
Today’s sight bite— Two familiar friends with chainsaws —c-l-i-c-k— attacking a snarled barricade of trunks and limbs.
Tomorrow— Back to the Mac…
Family joy
March 21st, 2009March exercise—day twenty-one— Began today with a double card creation for mother/daughter birthdays. It was a pleasure to join Juliana’s celebration. Mombo looked good. Tireless Jerome provided me a needed treatment, plus his personal inversion table orientation. My family still believes in the potential of my talents. God bless ’em all.
Today’s sight bite— Handfuls of miniature horses —c-l-i-c-k— acquired over decades and ready at last for a two-year-old’s playtime.
Tomorrow— Internal and external chores…
Sufficient warning
March 20th, 2009March exercise—day twenty— Today’s Rotary program on disaster preparedness reinforced my awareness that replenishing the “crash bucket” should not be postponed. What is the matter with me, that I would sit on such an obvious imperative? One must always be doing rather than avoiding. The point of the exercise is not the rigorous framework, which is a means to an end. The goal, I remind myself, is mindful accomplishment through the active cultivation of constructive habit. Procrastination is nonproductive and tied to fear. William Faulkner said that “fear, like so many evil things, comes mainly out of idleness.”
Today’s sight bite— A pile of tombstone shards like broken chalk —c-l-i-c-k— sunken into the ground, perhaps a century beyond the last time one cared whose eternal rest was signified.
Tomorrow— A journey to Yorkshire Estate…
Top gril
March 19th, 2009March exercise—day nineteen— Needed to catch up on rest, so a late start plus spillover activities from yesterday’s trip ate into my plan for the day. Dana and I hit another Chamber event to test the “law of attraction” on multiple levels. Hayley was voted to the All-Area First Team in ladies basketball for her third year. She topped the area as leading scorer and had the most rebounds, assists, and blocked shots for her team, ranking first in free-throw percentage. What an outstanding way to finish her high-school career!
Today’s sight bite— Super-swank graphics for Mad Men —c-l-i-c-k— reminding me of Saul Bass titles from the same era so ably depicted by the series.
Tomorrow— End of the week already?
Cube farm
March 18th, 2009March exercise—day eighteen— My contacts in the Transportation Cabinet invited me to make myself at home in the Planning Division for much of today, so I had an usual taste of what it might be like to experience the kind of day I’d have if I worked in the state capital. I got back to Danville in time for a 20-mile bike outing, which made for a solid day of “all things bicycle.”
Today’s sight bite— Dark birds at full wingspan —c-l-i-c-k— riding the updrafts against the entire Frankfort skyline.
Tomorrow— Back in the studio…
Model regimen
March 17th, 2009March exercise—day seventeen— From a walk at daybreak to my street-front work at dusk, today was as close to an ideal cycle as I am likely to achieve during this annual re-examination of conscious behavior. A disciplined, productive day of creative activity (organic pork branding), professional networking (gift shop consignments), and physical fitness (Dana’s first Pilates workout) fulfilled all the expectations of the M-X, including the need to internally defuse an unexpected, emotion-laden challenge that in the past might have thrown me out of balance for at least the remainder of the day.
Today’s sight bite— The dough men and assorted pastry makers dressed in rumpled white —c-l-i-c-k— visible from the Main Street window before dawn, arched intently over flour-dusted surfaces.
Tomorrow— A team-building mission to Frankfort…
Wordless pause
March 16th, 2009March exercise—day sixteen— E. Tolle states, “When you don’t cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life.” But aren’t words what I do here? He adds, “A depth returns to your life. Things regain their newness, their freshness. And the greatest miracle is the experiencing of your essential self as prior to any words, thoughts, mental labels, and images.” Today I’m wondering what purpose it serves to make these daily entries. I suppose that’s why I refrained from log activity during my March-X one year ago, but I will continue the practice for the duration.
Today’s sight bite— Foaming swirls of analogous blues —c-l-i-c-k— as I break the surface with lungs aflame to visually freeze the digital characters.
Tomorrow— Inertia of the mature exercise…
Halftime show
March 15th, 2009March exercise—day fifteen— Made some decent progress on a new safari artwork and prepared two final-number engravings that I’ll send on approval to a print collector. Accidentally spent time in front of the tube watching an art history program on the KET-ED digital channel. Realized I must never forget to learn even more about the roots of modern art. It dovetailed with our recent viewing of The Rape of Europa, one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in a long time. Dana produced art in the kitchen with a another day of fine meals. As usual, I am the fortunate beneficiary.
Today’s sight bite— A Sunday invasion of workmen and their equipment —c-l-i-c-k— executing a belated but welcome pick-up of our ice-storm waste heaps.
Tomorrow— Second-half buzzer sounds…
Ripe thoughts
March 14th, 2009March exercise—day fourteen— It’s a rule of thumb that it will rain whenever I need to deliver physical artwork, but I managed satisfactorily to get a new set of engravings over to the Art Center and also had my first chat with the incoming executive director. So, if you need it to rain in your town, just arrange a display of my artwork and that should take care of it. Not you, Brendan; I’m quite sure you get enough precipitation out there, although it would be cool to have some of my art make it to the west coast. I get ideas like that, but there’s often not a lot to back them up. Maybe I missed my chance when I was churning out some interesting collages while Ian was in L.A. Many ideas are fresh and I get right to them. Others hang around so long they become annoying, until I realize it’s me at whom I’m perturbed, for allowing them to rot, or, worse than that, I get sick and tired of chattering about them in my head without any action. Ideas like that are usually disavowed, or I just get fed up and finally proceed with one, invariably pushing away another newer, more stimulating notion that just stands there listening to the other one grumble, “Move aside, buster, I’ve got seniority.”
Today’s sight bite— A black and white print in a plastic holder on the wall, somehow seeming tiny and drab —c-l-i-c-k— but that’s my engraving featured next to the gift shop’s doorway.
Tomorrow— Avoid the lure of Sunday languor and prepare for an ambitious workweek…
Friday treizième
March 13th, 2009March exercise—day thirteen— Nothing much to highlight, except that I did finish signing and numbering my two most recent limited editions of wood-engraving prints. A recent “email conversation” with one of America’s most impressive exemplars of the Arts and Crafts style yielded praise for my printmaking. That’s more than enough to keep my enthusiasm intact, but I know I can do even better. When I look at my work I tend to see the flaws. That’s constructive on the one hand, but I think it deters me from being more prolific. I would never want to lose the capacity for a self-critique, but there must be a reliable, practical way to surmount the hesitancy. Perhaps that’s why Brendan enforces his week-day display of creativity. Must we thus trick ourselves? Probably. Indeed, it may be the only way, until habit takes over.
Today’s sight bite— Too large to be called a Yorkie; too small to be called anything else —c-l-i-c-k— Bruce’s friend, Hoosier, negotiates the back steps on his 16th canine birthday.
Tomorrow— Nothing less than the full-fledged matrix…
Lone star
March 12th, 2009March exercise—day twelve— The Graybeard Prospector combed his hair with a wagon wheel and grabbed the Medicine Woman for a productive “Business Over Coffee.” Looks like the two hit it off well with The Texan and his Saddle Lady during a fun, informative breakfast, even if they didn’t break camp with that sack o’ gold— dangit!
Today’s sight bite— A white blanket on the driveway, tinted to an odd warmth by street lamps —c-l-i-c-k— just the kind of olden-times “pack snow” sure to gladden the heart of a young fort designer.
Tomorrow— A scheduled late alarm to cure the deprivation…