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Several years ago I was introduced to the work of Maynard Dixon by way of an ongoing exhibit that not only contained his works of art but also his poetry. There was a particular poem that caught my attention in this exhibit of which I read and was forever moved by... it stuck with me much like a painting has a way of doing. For me, this poem brought forth a sense of the artist as a person and the spiritual connection to the land that inspired him.  Although the poem was written to commemorate the death of a friend, the words didn't resonate in me as something lost, but rather something to be found...  I suppose in a way it reminded me of my own inspiration and love for the desert, the desire to express the magic of it all, those unspeakable moments brought about by overwhelming beauty. The inward emotions of witnessing such a thing, tangled with an obsession to channel it somehow. That's the beauty of the arts... they stir us up...remind us...a simple poem for a lost friend written many years ago can stir a person today to remember the magic and wonder of the desert...

I'm returning once again to southern Utah for Maynard Dixon Country 2018 at the Thunderbird Foundation, a place that has an abundance of that beauty and magic, and where Dixon made his home and studio in Mt. Carmel. I feel honored to take part in this event, and I in turn feel that to partake in this event is an act of honoring... honoring the spirit of art, the spirit of Maynard Dixon, and the spirit of the land. It's times like these that have me feeling truly blessed and grateful, for the opportunity to celebrate what I'm passionate about and to share it with others who feel the same. Perhaps I will see you there... and I look forward to it!

I conclude with Dixon's poem...

AT LAST

At last,

I shall give myself to the desert again,

that I, in it's golden dust,

may be blown from a barren peak,

broadcast over the sun-lands.

If you should desire some news from me, go ask the little horned toad whose home is the dust,

or seek it among the fragrant sage,

or question the mountain juniper,

and, by their silence,

they will truly inform you.

~ Maynard Dixon

Witness - 6x12 oil Available during event

Desert Glory - 16x12 oil Available during event

For more information on the event www.thunderbirdfoundation.com