Over the last couple years, I kind of fell away from keeping a sketchbook. I focused on printmaking, doing art fairs (which takes up a lot of time and energy in itself) and well, it just happened. I would carry the sketchbook around but never seem to put anything in it. The, it started happening again without me really trying. It was a series of events, you could say. First, I started reading more. In earnest. And real books, not e-reader books. That led to taking notes on what I was reading, which then led to keeping a journal. I started adding small doodles to my journal entry, nothing too involved. I have had a annual membership to Skillshare since November of last year. Within the last few weeks, I started to take advantage of the classes that are offered. Drawing, watercolor, Urban Sketching, Design. There is a lot! If you are interested, just follow the link above. You get two free months and I get a free month. It's 99 dollars a year and in my opinion, well worth it. Anyway, so I'm drawing and sketching again. I have been also drawing artist trading cards and postcards. I offer these on ko-fi.com, where you can get original artwork from me by buying me a virtual coffee (or two). Click the link or click the "Buy Me a Coffee" button on the right sidebar. So, you will be seeing more sketches from me amongst the poetry and book reviews. Please let me know what you think. I love getting comments.
Insomnolence For the first time in weeks (has it been months?) my dreams did not contain imagined scenes of regret concerning people I did not know or have never met. This morning I woke from a sleep of dreaming and I was dreaming of sleep and slumbering late in the morning And for once, feeling rested Thinking of the day ahead and thoughts of coffee and the absence of dread
The Purpose of Memory The years have passed and I guess I don't remember you quite as well as I promised or thought I would. I know, I know, I promised never to forget but the years have passed And the memories of then have lost their purpose to the present, to the now, to the moment. And the bond already tenuous to begin with has all but disappeared. --Mark Bodhisattva Hill
Eremite The waking early without an alarm The quiet breathing of my love beside me The joy of not having to go to work. The frivolous struggle in my mind of whether to lay there a bit longer or start the day. The sound of water boiling and coffee grinding, the aroma. The five minutes of waiting. The steam rising from the cup. The sugar hissing as it hits the hot coffee, the rolling clouds of creamer. The small groan of pleasure as I take the first sip. The lack of plans or destination other than perhaps the studio, perhaps the couch, perhaps a bike ride perhaps just sitting and listening to quiet music or perhaps to nothing at all, the incidental music of the birds outside, I dream of a life where this is Everyday, only varying by the seasons and the weather outside. A life of the hermit, of sorts, just me and my Love. --Mark Bodhisattva Hill
Born to Be Posthumous: The Eccentric Life and Mysterious Genius of Edward Gorey by Mark Dery My rating: 3 of 5 stars I found the writing to be very unsatisfying. Dery sometimes sounds as though he is writing for a college newspaper. He refers to Gorey's art and writing as his "stuff." Dery spends more than half of the book quoting or using other sources, one wonders if he ever met Gorey. And yes, he focuses far too much on whether Edward Gorey was gay. Gorey was always in the habit of deflecting the question when directly posed to him. Most likely he felt it was no one's business. And it wasn't. Or isn't. Gorey was multifaceted, idiosyncratic, eccentric, incredibly imaginative, and yes, most likely gay. Dery glosses over most of Gorey's personality but keeps reminding the reader, oh yes he's all of these things, but mostly he's gay. I wanted to read this book because I admire Edward Gorey as a person and an artist. I took away a lot from this book, to be sure, but also became bored with Dery's flitting about and going off on tangents. Maybe I should give some of the blame to Dery's editor...
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This is how I made my coffee this morning. I had no idea, until I saw this video, that I have been doing is wrong all these years. This will make one of the smoothest cups of coffee you have ever experienced. And like the video says, it's not espresso, but it's very close
