New small painting of a red fox.
"Looking Back"
5"x7" oil on Gessobord
Sep 26, 2014
Sep 11, 2014
Remembering 9/11
You know what disturbs as much as the people who were affected by 9/11? The people who were not affected by it.
Let me explain.
I was not directly affected by 9/11 in that I was not there, nor did I lose any loved ones. But I was still deeply affected emotionally, as I'm sure most of the world was.
It's amazing how much detail you remember when an event in your life is emotionally charged. Those of you who are old enough to remember 9/11 know what I'm talking about. You know exactly where you were at that moment, what you were doing, and how you learned of the event. You can probably even vividly remember unrelated details like what the weather was like, or what color shirt your son had on that morning. It's as if you can still see that day today.
It's amazing what the brain record when emotions are involved. We were all involved in other activities just before that time, but we don't remember. Do you remember what you were doing an hour before? The night before? Probably not. They were unemotional events. But inject an ordinary daily activity like drinking coffee with extreme emotion and now you will never forget the smell or taste of that particular cup of coffee for the rest of your life.
Weird, isn't it?
I remember quite well what I was doing that morning, as I'm sure most of you do. I don't remember a darn thing I was doing just before the event. But when I heard about it, and the rest of the day afterwards, are pretty well etched in my memory.
I was on the computer at the time, living in a rental townhouse in Bothell, WA. I learned about it when someone on Yahoo Messenger messaged me with "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
I asked what was wrong.
He replied, "We're being attacked!!!!!!!"
I said, "What are you talking about?"
At first I thought he was joking. But then he said, "Turn on the TV! Turn on the news!!!"
So I did. And I was shocked by what I saw.
I haven't lived in that townhouse for over 12 years now. I don't remember much about it. But I still remember how that room was laid out that morning, where the computers were, where the TV was, how the morning light was shining through the window.
I remember going to work that morning and feeling like a zombie walking down the hallways. I saw other zombies walking down the hallways that day too. Most of us were dazed and confused.
I remember going to lunch that day. I remember the restaurant I went to, where it was, what it looked like. The lunch crowd was there so we had to wait for a table. We waited outside. We sat on the stone fence in the parking lot. I remember the weather was nice that day. The sun was shining through the leaves on the trees across the parking lot, making them glow neon green.
Normally I would have thought the sunlight shining through the leaves was a beautiful thing. And, intellectually, I knew it was. But that day I could not experience the pleasure, the joy, that usually comes with looking at something visually beautiful such as that. I was emotionally numb.
So many things, little details like the leaves at lunch, that I remember that day. But one thing that really stands out in my mind was when I went back to work after lunch. Back to the hallways of zombies.
But suddenly one coworker stood out. He came bouncing down the hallway, a spring in his step, a smile on his face. He looked happy as a lark. I stopped him and asked him how the hell he could be so happy on a day like this. He replied that he'd just learned he was going to be put on a new project at work and was excited about it.
This was back when I worked for a video game company. Sure, if we'd been working on cancer research and he'd just found the cure, I might be able to understand his excitement despite the day's events. But we're talking video games here!
Video games seemed like total trivial garbage to me at the moment compared to the real world.
So I asked how he could be so excited about a stupid video game project when thousands of people had just died. He shrugged and said, "I don't know anyone there. It doesn't affect my life. What do I care? I'm just happy to be on this project!"
That is just beyond comprehension to me. I was bewildered. Confounded. Flabbergasted. How can someone be so totally unaffected?
To this day I still can't understand this man's behavior. As far as I know he was not a bad man. Never caused problems at work. Never committed a crime. Never beat his wife or even kicked his dog as far as I know. How can such a seemingly ordinary person have zero reaction to the events of 9/11?
I was, and still am, truly baffled by his lack of emotional response.
Perhaps it's a defense mechanism. His way of avoiding the pain and anguish most of us experienced that day. Maybe it caught up with him one day down the road. I don't know. I don't pretend to understand. I just know it's something I'll never forget.
What are your most vivid memories of that day? Share them in the Comments section below.
Let me explain.
I was not directly affected by 9/11 in that I was not there, nor did I lose any loved ones. But I was still deeply affected emotionally, as I'm sure most of the world was.
It's amazing how much detail you remember when an event in your life is emotionally charged. Those of you who are old enough to remember 9/11 know what I'm talking about. You know exactly where you were at that moment, what you were doing, and how you learned of the event. You can probably even vividly remember unrelated details like what the weather was like, or what color shirt your son had on that morning. It's as if you can still see that day today.
It's amazing what the brain record when emotions are involved. We were all involved in other activities just before that time, but we don't remember. Do you remember what you were doing an hour before? The night before? Probably not. They were unemotional events. But inject an ordinary daily activity like drinking coffee with extreme emotion and now you will never forget the smell or taste of that particular cup of coffee for the rest of your life.
Weird, isn't it?
I remember quite well what I was doing that morning, as I'm sure most of you do. I don't remember a darn thing I was doing just before the event. But when I heard about it, and the rest of the day afterwards, are pretty well etched in my memory.
I was on the computer at the time, living in a rental townhouse in Bothell, WA. I learned about it when someone on Yahoo Messenger messaged me with "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
I asked what was wrong.
He replied, "We're being attacked!!!!!!!"
I said, "What are you talking about?"
At first I thought he was joking. But then he said, "Turn on the TV! Turn on the news!!!"
So I did. And I was shocked by what I saw.
I haven't lived in that townhouse for over 12 years now. I don't remember much about it. But I still remember how that room was laid out that morning, where the computers were, where the TV was, how the morning light was shining through the window.
I remember going to work that morning and feeling like a zombie walking down the hallways. I saw other zombies walking down the hallways that day too. Most of us were dazed and confused.
I remember going to lunch that day. I remember the restaurant I went to, where it was, what it looked like. The lunch crowd was there so we had to wait for a table. We waited outside. We sat on the stone fence in the parking lot. I remember the weather was nice that day. The sun was shining through the leaves on the trees across the parking lot, making them glow neon green.
Normally I would have thought the sunlight shining through the leaves was a beautiful thing. And, intellectually, I knew it was. But that day I could not experience the pleasure, the joy, that usually comes with looking at something visually beautiful such as that. I was emotionally numb.
So many things, little details like the leaves at lunch, that I remember that day. But one thing that really stands out in my mind was when I went back to work after lunch. Back to the hallways of zombies.
But suddenly one coworker stood out. He came bouncing down the hallway, a spring in his step, a smile on his face. He looked happy as a lark. I stopped him and asked him how the hell he could be so happy on a day like this. He replied that he'd just learned he was going to be put on a new project at work and was excited about it.
This was back when I worked for a video game company. Sure, if we'd been working on cancer research and he'd just found the cure, I might be able to understand his excitement despite the day's events. But we're talking video games here!
Video games seemed like total trivial garbage to me at the moment compared to the real world.
So I asked how he could be so excited about a stupid video game project when thousands of people had just died. He shrugged and said, "I don't know anyone there. It doesn't affect my life. What do I care? I'm just happy to be on this project!"
That is just beyond comprehension to me. I was bewildered. Confounded. Flabbergasted. How can someone be so totally unaffected?
To this day I still can't understand this man's behavior. As far as I know he was not a bad man. Never caused problems at work. Never committed a crime. Never beat his wife or even kicked his dog as far as I know. How can such a seemingly ordinary person have zero reaction to the events of 9/11?
I was, and still am, truly baffled by his lack of emotional response.
Perhaps it's a defense mechanism. His way of avoiding the pain and anguish most of us experienced that day. Maybe it caught up with him one day down the road. I don't know. I don't pretend to understand. I just know it's something I'll never forget.
What are your most vivid memories of that day? Share them in the Comments section below.
Sep 8, 2014
Washington State Fair Fine Art Show
I'm happy to announce that two of my paintings were accepted into the Washington State Fair Art Show in Puyallup, WA. The fair goes from September 5-21 this year, so if you are in the area during this time be sure to check out the art exhibit.
Here are the two paintings of mine that will be in the show this month.
Here are the two paintings of mine that will be in the show this month.
Apple Harvest Chickadees
20"x16"
Oil on Multimedia Artboard
Bluebirds and Peaches
20"x16"
Oil on Multimedia Artboard
Both of these original oil paintings are for sale and available for purchase at the fair. If you can't make it to the fair, or aren't in the market for an original oil painting, fine art prints of these images are available through Fine Art America. You can find them here: Crista Forest's bird art print gallery.
Of course, although art is the best thing to see at the state fair, there are many other things to do there too. There are all sorts of attractions there. Rodeos, parades, games, stage shows, music concerts, horse shows, farm animals, and lots of bad-for-you but tasty foods like corn dogs, cotton candy, and candy apples that you can throw up after going on all the wild rides! ;)
Sep 6, 2014
Time For Something Personal - OneRepublic
Every once in a while I do a "Time For Something Personal" post because I'm told people like to know something about the artist besides their art. They like to know who the person is behind the paintings. Is that true?
So, here I'm sharing a non-art related topic. Oh, well, some people would argue that music is art! Yes, but not the kind of art I do. I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket! So, for me, this is not art in the sense I know, it's just something to share about me, things I like outside painting animals.
I've admired the band OneRepublic ever since their song, Good Life, came out. I've been listening to them for a while, following their music, and watching their videos. I've enjoyed them all.
But, I have to say, I think this video is their best ever. I love the artistry. (whoops, I'm not supposed to be talking about art!) I love the dramatic colors and lighting. I love the African dancing. I love the horses. I love the little old lady with the adorable cute smile!
And put it all together and it's hard to resist. :)
What do you think of this video?
What do you think of this band?
What do you think of my "Something Personal" posts? Do you like them? Or does it annoy you when I post non-art-related topics? Should I stop?
Please comment below.
Sep 2, 2014
Coloring Book Page - Buckskin Mustang
I just realized it has been a really long time since I posted a coloring book page for the kiddies. So here's another one, finally!
How about a buckskin horse this time? Of course, your children can color it any color they'd like. What's their favorite color of horse? Black? Brown? Chestnut? Pinto? Even purple!?
But I say 'buckskin' here because that is the color of the horse I did in the original oil painting. I'm including it below for reference.
As with the previous coloring pages, have your kids download it, print it out, and color it or paint it any way they want. (Click on the image to see a larger version. Then right-click on the larger image and select "save image as..." to save it to your hard drive.)
How about a buckskin horse this time? Of course, your children can color it any color they'd like. What's their favorite color of horse? Black? Brown? Chestnut? Pinto? Even purple!?
But I say 'buckskin' here because that is the color of the horse I did in the original oil painting. I'm including it below for reference.
As with the previous coloring pages, have your kids download it, print it out, and color it or paint it any way they want. (Click on the image to see a larger version. Then right-click on the larger image and select "save image as..." to save it to your hard drive.)
