New work: some sort of unity

I had two whole studio days in a row to myself! One was even in my actual studio space! I made the most of it.

I'm going to submit this piece for an upcoming group show that speaks to the theme of "unity." But I have to say the unity I see in the world right now is more the (en)forced variety.

At best I see a clenched, we're-all-just-FINE kind of unity that seems to hold together by sheer force of will, or maybe just habit. So I've titled this collage "Reconstruction," after another (more visibly) chaotic time in United States history.

Photo credit: New York Public Library

From what I've read, historians think people were desperate to forget the horrors they endured during the American Civil War. That war is still the deadliest in American history. Not surprisingly, the South's version of what happened (and why) didn't line up with the North's narrative.

That divide continues here and now. Why else is there a Confederate soldiers' memorial in a place that wasn't even a state at the time?

Jefferson Davis Park, Clark County, WA. ©Lisa Myers Bulmash

No idea if this piece will be accepted or rejected. But it's worth the effort if the collage makes people think about the long-term, widespread unity requires.

Someone you know needs art

I'd like to share a happy moment with you, an unintentional pay-it-forward thing. Recently I talked to the person who bought this altered book, "Daddy Loves Me."

She said she'd wanted to purchase something I made, and the altered book came along at the right time. But it didn't quite feel like it 'belonged' to her. She decided to gift it to another friend. Immediately the recipient's eyes welled up.

The collector had had a difficult relationship with his father, but the art brought up a treasured memory: a childhood moment when he knew for sure that his daddy loved him.

That piece sold in 2015, and at the time I was quite happy someone wanted to take it home. But now I'm profoundly grateful as well: I feel that I helped someone remember a moment where everything was right and beautiful in his world.

Onyx Fine Arts: Invitation from the 'King'

I know most people think of trains and buses when they see King Street Station, but I've only ever experienced it as the cavernous, sunlit art venue it is now. 

And I'm reveling in the fact that my work will be shown there throughout January!

Of course, when you see them they'll be on the walls. ©Lisa Myers Bulmash

I'd love to show you around at the reception this Sunday. Details:

By Sunday, this space will look like an urban prairie full of art, with light pouring in from every side Come see it in person: you'll be floored.