Art cascades like water into every crevice of my life: music, painting, writing, illustrating.... even using earth as my canvas, plants and stone as my brushes and ink.

MUSIC

I began writing songs when thirteen to the rhythm of walking through green hills near my home. A wide range of influences have informed my music since then, from classical composers to Ali Farka Toure. But the strongest musical impressions came from my Mother. She loved to sing (and also did little jigs in the kitchen). As a family, we'd harmonize together at gatherings, when making dinner or riding in cars.

It's challenging finding a category for my music that is a true fit. I feel most aligned with 'Troubadour', one who sings their own songs and brings news from village to village. I am a storyteller. If I've lived or imagined it, I've probably written a tune about it. From singing in front of cafes on busy Paris boulevards, with my baby sleeping peacefully on my back, to performing before intimate audiences, festivals or over radio, I love to sing. Nothing makes me as happy as singing for people, moving listeners to tears (twisted huh?), sharing a story or five, or in my best dreams, inspiring further thought or action.

The name of my current band is 'One Sky'. I share the stage with the brilliant T.G.Vanini playing violin. We feel a sense of urgency, as our planet feverishly treads water, waiting for each of us to act more forcefully to protect the Earth from the consequences of our polluting it in so many ways, while our society exists in a virtually perpetual state of war. It's time for songs of peace.

I have been writing a lot of music recently. Two songs came to me this fall, after I learned there are two swirling masses of floating plastic, each twice as big as Texas, one off the coast of California and a larger one off the coastline of China. We have no more time to be complacent or imagine issues like this one will be resolved easily or without unity amongst the people of this planet.

Please go to my Music Page to listen to all my songs:
including
- 'The True Tale of the Great Swirling Plastic Vortex'
- 'Plastic, Plastic No!'
- While you're at it, my links page will take you T.G.Vanini's video 'Seven Deadly Plastics'
a deadly serious, but funny song.

ART

Recently, I have received two grants from The Puffin Foundation. One was for my Eco-Feminist art, and a second for 'Art for the People'. This last grant helped me produce this website and digital images of my art. I find it exciting to know art online travels the globe in an instant, and that one's art show, formerly only able to be seen in person in a gallery space, can now be viewed across the planet.

My lover of 16 years died recently after a sudden illness. The lessons this tragedy taught me was : I don't have infinite days ahead to share my stories. Our lives might be cut short leaving one's life work untapped. This is the reason why I have begun to finish my memoir, 'The Sea and the Rainbow'. It is the story of my travels from New York to Californian communes; then Belgium, Spain, Algeria, Morocco to the edge of the Sahara Desert, singing in the streets with my beautiful baby peeking over my shoulder.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

I have illustrated and written two books for children that will be published this spring [2011]. My intention was to create coloring books which would bring comfort, helpful information, humor and beautiful illustrations to a family facing divorce or separation.

The Silly Book of Divorce is a collection of short stories and a coloring book for older kids ages six to sixty, full of whimsical characters doing wacky things. Please take a look at some illustrations, or listen to a few tracks from the CD for The Silly Book of Divorce.
It features Gus Mancini's musical wizardry, and myself on keyboards.

Great Stuff About Divorce is for little ones ages two to seven. A lovable dog, Tallulah, and her friends - a flock of goofy birds and a snake - demonstrate how good things occur all the time, even in the midst of a divorce or separation. This book also includes a CD read-along.

Next year, I look forward to finishing The Litter Bitty Dragon, about a young dragon who eats only litter, thus cleaning up her town. This holds great possibilities for solving the problem of pollution all over the planet.

The books will be released by Peace Like a River Press by summer 2011.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

I am my own patron of the my arts. I do so through my company,
Nightshade Fine Gardening. We care for properties in Dutchess, Greene and Ulster Counties. With able assistance from my team of landscapers, we create artful and relaxing landscapes to soothe the fevered twentyfirst century soul. Whenever feasible I apply basic principles of Feng Shui to facilitate prosperity and happiness.

My proudest creations are my two wonderful children and my lovely grandchild, raised beneath the softly rolling Catskill Mountains of New York State.

Oh yeah, I just got back from a huge world tour with Buddy Holly, May West, Janis Joplin, and Jerry Garcia....

Land of Xee is under construction.

Please return from time to time to check out my paintings, constructions, collage, children's books, and a lot more music as my site evolves.

Drop me a line... I'd love to hear from you

Thank you so much!

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