Two shows kick off at near the same time!

“Order/Disorder” is an online show, and it is up and running. I was so excited when jurors Virginia Becker and Giselle Obermeier picked Cat’s in the Cradle because it was one of those images I loved but that got passed over by show jurors several times. I don’t necessarily value my work according to whether it gets invited into a juried show or not, but it is always gratifying when someone else sees what I see.

Cat’s in the Cradle is one of a series I call “Tracking Tide.” The series results from a walk on a Dauphin Island beach and paying attention to what was under my feet. Being attentive always pays off and on that occasion, I saw the textures and the colors of the sand like I had never before.

But the crowning observation was how the foamy edges of the waves leave distinctive but ephemeral lines on the sand. Indeed, as I was working on how to frame one such pattern, another wave came in and wiped it out. So… don’t go looking for this pattern in the sand. Or do! But… it might never happen exactly like this again.

“Order/Disorder” is an online show hosted by B Extraordinaire Gallery. See it here.

For the 7th year in a row, the River Oaks Arts Center in Alexandria, La., is staging a “5x5x5” show, and I’m delighted to be invited again. The title of the show describes the size of the works in the show, but that doesn’t count frames. My piece in the show, Palm Psalm III, is in a plain white frame that measures 10×10 overall.

River Oaks does these shows to provide small works for holiday purchasing, and to raise funds to support their nonprofit community arts center work. It’s a great cause and I’m pleased to be a part of it. So if you’re looking for a unique gift at a reasonable price, you can’t do better.

Since the show is in central Louisiana just about an hour and a half from my home, I’ll be able to attend the opening reception. It’s scheduled Friday, Nov. 11. I can’t find a starting time right now, but 5:30-ish would be typical. River Oaks is located at 1330 Second St., Alexandria, La. Hope to see some of my central Louisiana friends there!