Portal 52

Three families shared the living space at 6 Via Blata when my mother-in-law lived there. It was a common custom for multiple generations of Italian relatives and extended family members to live under one roof, especially during tough economic times. It just made sense to share the workload and costs of living. The labour was divided, with all able bodies taking turns to work the land, milk the cows, make the meals, and care for the donkeys, pigs and other animals. My mother-in-law’s father was a butcher, so he offered his services to the other village residents when it came time to make the salami and sausage.

The kitchen is the heart of most Italian homes. I learned very quickly after marrying into an Italian family, that food – or rather, the sharing of it – is nothing short of an expression of love. Stepping through this door takes you directly into the kitchen. On the floor, in the centre of the kitchen, is a large fire place (fogolar) used both as a source of heat and place to cook their meals. The screen-less window to the left of the door opens directly onto the street as well.

I was fortunate enough to visit the birthplace of my mother-in-law while we were travelling in Italy. The reference photo for this painting was taken from across the narrow Via Blata, of San Lorenzo di Arzene, in the province of Pordenone.

I felt a dull pressure in the middle of my forehead, right between my eyebrows, as soon as we turned onto the highway to Sedona. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough for me to notice. I’d been expecting to feel it again at some point along the way but was admittedly surprised to feel it so soon into our journey. Having been to Sedona twice before, I was familiar with this sensation. I took it to be an indicator that I was in the presence of concentrated earth energy; a vortex, as it is commonly known.

Maybe this PORTAL 52 project has infiltrated all of my brain cells, because portals keep showing up everywhere I go, and connections are being noticed in such varied circumstances.

Today is the first day of the year, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, so Happy Chinese New Year!

I was inspired to paint this picture of my grand-dog, Jax, as soon as I learned that 2018 is theYear of the Dog. Jax, baby, this is your year to shine!

After completing his examination of my eyes, the doctor sat back and provided his diagnosis: PVD or Posterior Vitreous Detachment. He then explained the anatomy of the eye and what is happening with PVD.

After the blog and art piece, ‘Diagnosis’, was published last week, the inquiries about my health started; a private message appeared on my screen within minutes; “I just read your post, is everything okay?”; a phone call, “You alright?”; a text, “What’s up? Let’s do lunch later this week so you can tell me in person.”

“Hearing the words spoken aloud is shocking, jarring to say the least. Suddenly, everything in my peripheral vision blurs and my focus is reduced to a small spot on the floor. The spot becomes a hole. The floor opens up underneath my feet and I drop to the bowels of the earth in a fraction of a second. I fall down, down, down into the depths, spinning, twisting, free-falling… I’m dizzy, nauseous, wondering if this descent will end. Life, as I know it, is radically altered. Life will never, ever be the same.”

This painting almost hit the garbage twice during its creation. The first time I felt it had been overworked, but decided to just ‘experiment’ with it, using it as a practice piece before attempting another one. The second time I was about to toss it, it was because I had become tired of struggling to make the Fibonacci spirals appear in the centre. Layer after layer of paint was applied, but nothing seemed to get me closer to the desired result.