A Friend, A Memory, and Great Art
This morning I was delighted to find a message in the inbox from Aimee Stewart of Foxfires. Aimee is an amazingly expressive writer and a fantastic artist.
I think a bit of background is appropriate at this point.
Some time ago I spent a significant amount of time in Baghdad. It was my second trip there, and promised to be more difficult, and dangerous, than the first. Leaving my home by the sea, I now found myself surrounded, not by the sounds of the ocean caressing the shore, but the sound of low-flying helicopters, diesel generators, and frequent incoming rocket fire. Rather than waking to the smell and taste of the cool salt air and the sun reflecting off the incoming tide, I saw the world through a brown haze of dust. My world was in many ways like the first 10 minutes of the Wizard of Oz, except instead of a flighty young girl in gingham and some loveable farmhands, I was accompanied by surly Generals and shell-shocked enlisted men recovering from the loss of a close friend.
It was during this time that, through a chain of events that utterly escapes me at the moment, I ran across Aimee’s original web site, which is archived at the newer location. She was in the Pacific Northwest region of the US. She described how the first signs of Spring were appearing, and the apple blossoms were just beginning to peek, ever so hesitantly, from the secret places where they keep shelter through the crystalline Winter. Reading her narratives was a bit like opening the door into the world of color and light. It reminded me that whatever I was facing at the moment, I would eventually return to my home by the sea, where fear yielded to peace and the taste of dust and war would eventually be forgotten.
I have learned that Aimee is in hot pursuit of a lifelong dream. She is a featured artist at Angelles Art International, and she has an agent, fercryingoutloud! I couldn’t be more pleased, and I think you will find her work captivating. One day in the not-too-distant future, you may find yourself, if only mentally, thanking me for introducing you to her work. Go take a look at her gallery.
May 9th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Ahhh! Mr. E, this entry of yours means so much to me. It takes me back to that time when I was writing of these simple pleasures, joyful in knowing that in my own way I was able to give you a glimpse beyond the dust and turmoil that you were immersed in then.
Thank you so much for being you, Mr. E – and for making me smile from ear to ear with your kindness and enthusiasm. I look forward to creating more artwork in the near future, inspired by such graciousness as I have come to know in you.