the usual

the pleasure
of showing you the Poems
is the usual procedure

. . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure commentary is 'punta riversa.' This fencing term is from the Italian, but does not - the Oxford lads point out - appear in any Italian dictionaries. Perhaps OED really stands for Obscure English Dictionary.

This is the final version of painting posted yesterday (larger version on Flickr) and my entry to Waterworks 2012. With deadline tomorrow, no time for a new sketch!

with heart in mouth

little ornithological acrobats,
the Tit-mice

Watching,
with heart in mouth,
out of the window

. . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure poem | commentary is 'acrobat.'


Still finishing up this painting of a Portland bridge on the Willamette, but it's close.

weeds

weeds -
saving little Flowers in them
was the noblest reward of June

. . . . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure poem | commentary is 'obsidional,' which means relating to a siege. I love Sir Walter Scott using it once to mean "Inclined to bore people by staying too long."

This collage didn't photograph well, but I hope those acquainted with Portland might see how I was inspired by the bridges on the Willamette for this horizontal design exercise.

a warning

for the weak,
afraid to look
this thing in the face,
old poesie is a Warning:

Don’t squander Peace

. . . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure commentary is 'palter' and even the Oxford lads can't figure out how we got this word for babble or mumble.

This is the last of my Portland series. Larger version on Flickr.

appreciation

silly selves…
appreciation should be obvious,
run much deeper

. . . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure commentary is 'nonsensicality.'

Portland's Steel Bridge was a challenge. I ended up cutting a piece of newspaper -- not unlike a string of paper dolls -- to handle most of the lower structure before painting the rest of the sketch.

a dear person

you are a dear, delicious person
in a big and magic universe

by the light of the moon
Fortune was a beckoning smile

. . . . . . . .

I was suspicious when I saw that the OED word of the day for the erasure poem | commentary was 'runcible,' a nonsense word made up by Edward Lear. So, I checked Wikipedia, and sure enough, he was born on this day in 1812.

Forget about Ed: today is Jeff Boone's birthday. Happy birthday, little brother!

old skool

design —
old skool talent
is Welcome
to Spark
Nu style

. . . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure poem | commentary is 'nu school.'

Many reasons to like the Mark Spencer Hotel in Portland, but a big one is the free NY Times delivered to your door every morning, which has both all the news fit to print AND great color images to cut up for collages.

Amtrak

once ordinary, now extraordinary — an Amtrak trip

experiment

art —
at a critical moment
If you will courageously resolve to experiment,
it  becomes greater

. . . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure poem | commentary is 'Rubicon.'

This Portland landmark was still being restored when the Urban Sketchers Symposium was here in 2010, so glad I found it this time! Grateful for the tiny shelf outside C Burger for water & paints.
 

visually driven

the curious eye
endeavors to  glimpse
the light and the Color
Behind the dark

the Habitual squinting
of the visually-driven

. . . . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure poem | commentary is 'nystagmus.'

Sketches

With some Sketches
the struggle is
the working of doubt,
and ceases
when belief is attained.

A line
might influence
man's view of prayer

. . . . . . . .

The OED word of the day for the erasure poem|commentary is 'premise.'

Back from the 1st Annual Urban Sketchers Symposium in Portland. My sketches from three days in the Pearl District are online. It was a high energy event, and great for all of us to connect in person 18 months after Urban Sketchers was birthed online.