Many autumns ago a friend and I were walking with our dogs around a local area called Shingletown Gap when we spied the orange flash of a fox in a nearby field. My dog, Doobie, a young and muscular mixed breed who looked like a giant yellow lab puppy/lion mix, took off after that flash, and I wondered how far he’d go to chase that fox. I called for Doobie, and he braked, looking at the fox as it ran. Then Doobie looked back at me, and turned to look in the direction of the fox, as if weighing his options.
To my delight, Doobie trotted back toward me and sat by my side. He looked up at me, and I looked down at him, happy that he had returned. His look said to me “Did you see it? Wasn’t it great? Wasn’t it the most exciting thing! Isn’t it amazing to share this! And who’s a good boy? I am, I am.” We shared that wonderful moment of connection, and so many more in the ten years of his life. He was such a good boy.
Opportunities for connecting are all around us, in nature, in relationships, in art… It seems that as we grow older and gain more connections — and also lose connections as we let go of things that cannot last — and have our hearts broken over and over just by the normal progression of life — we might grow in tenderness and compassion; we might become more honest and courageous and thoughtful, or simply more kind, in the interactions and opportunities of our every day, “hand spun” life.
I hope my art helps people find connection and the sweet, simple pleasure of a shared moment.
The new season offers its magic!
Wooly Bliss 