Happy cambodian new year!

According to my neighbors, the Khmer Buddhist Temple, it is the new year. It is a week of celebrations and bright banners. I went over yesterday and had some BBQ.




They have this cool shrine up on top of the hill with incense and paper prayer flags, that have something to do with the spirits of departed ones, or so it was explained to me.




I have been conspicuously absent from this blog, and from my studio as well. I took a month off of painting to do some garden work. The one month turned into two, as there is soooo much in that backyard that needs to be done...




It's a huge backyard that was wilderness when we bought the house. My wife has taken the front yard as her territory, and left me the backyard as mine. The backyard is mostly all shade, and she likes flowers and bright spaces. I prefer forests and shade plants, so it works out for us in a Jack Sprat kinda way. (I grew up in Los Angeles, and i think that's enough sun and heat to last me for one lifetime.) Spring has come with a wild, hedonistic blast of warm weather. Everything is growing now. My ferns...




And one of my favorite flowers, trillium...




Bit by bit, i have fought back the ivy and the blackberries and carved out some space for my ferns and poplars, which i have just planted. In a way, i am trying to re-forest this hillside. I have a long way to go before i reach my ultimate vision of what it should be, but it's definitely a good start.



Jonah came down to give me a hand. He wasn't much help, though.



Within a couple of weeks i will call it quits in the backyard and get back to the business of painting. I have decided to ease up on the one show a year schedule, as that last one was a bit too much stress for me. I will not be showing for at least another 15 months. Till then, i have some canvases to stretch and some dandelions to weed.

On a last note, i have had several more sales since the show went down, including one from my new Dallas gallery. Good news just in time for taxes.

Wishing you all a happy spring.