In March of this year I took a trip to Iceland. My reasons were many, but one of the various motivating factors in venturing to the land of ice and fire was to look to the skies. To see the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. My interest in this natural phenomena was born out of two things. First was a series of vividly colorful dreams I had been experiencing since last summer. At least two nights a week I would awaken in the wee hours of the morning after floating through a sea of undulating colors over an indigo background. I say undulating because they were always pulsatating, rhythmically and relentlessly - like an electronic dance soundtrack, but with no music. It was mesmerizing and felt like a palette trying to communicate with me.

The second experience was a close replica of those color-dreams. They occurred during Acupressure appointments with my friend Sandy. At my first session, as I lay back with my eyes closed, she coached me that Acupressure affected everyone differently and to just relax and go with the energy flow. I don’t know what I expected, but it was not the visual explosion that commenced behind my eyelids at her first touch. I remember that I inadvertently took in a sharp breath, especially as the tones and hues changed with each change in her finger placement and pressure. It was a mirror to my dreams. I remarked to her afterwards that it was like a private light show or Aurora. And the seed was planted.

So, off to Reykjavik I flew. To be clear, this wasn’t totally a “if you build it, he will come” moment. I had always wanted to visit Iceland - for the ecology, the culture, the art and everything I’d read about for years. But, searching for a panoramic version of the dancing lights did add a certain panache to my agenda. Alas, to my chagrin, the arctic weather didn’t cooperate, each night of my otherwise wonderful stay was socked in with deep cloud cover and rain. I would have to settle for what showed up between my ears apparently, and plan for another try in the future.

So, imagine my surprise and delight when, a few days ago, the celestial light show made an historic and extremely rare appearance right in my own backyard! I admit, I was poised for more disappointment, especially as the third period of the Bruins game wound down with the home team in a spiral of defeat, but no, a short walk up my street and at the edge of a fallow field, were the colors of my dreams. They twirled and fluttered above the horizon. They pulsed smoothly in and out of a light cloud cover, and they made me smile.

Just as you cannot predict much in the natural world, the solar flares that initiate the Aurora will not be rushed. The croci will emerge from the garden soil when they are good and ready. The bluebirds will nest when they feel like it. The hummingbirds will return in due time. All we can do is be patient and have faith that all good things will come eventually.

Firelei Baez Show

Untitled (United States Marine Hospital), 2019 - Firelei Baez

Last week I ventured with my friend Michael, into Boston to the Institute of Contemporary Art for a day of rediscovery. I hadn’t visited the ICA since the Seaport District popped up seemingly overnight (to me) and enveloped the museum. The last time I had been there, the building sat alone in an ocean of vacant lots. There was no real plan (there rarely is with Michael) and we were excited to see something new and refreshing. We were far from disappointed.

Firelei Baez was a new name to me and after experiencing her vision, I left with a renewed hope for the medium of painting in an art world crammed with immersive and conceptual work. There are certainly elements of those disciplines in her work, for sure, but the storytelling and myth-building of her large, diverse paintings is truly captivating. The body of work, for such a young artist (born in 1981) is equally astounding to me, especially given the size of her paintings. Most are wall-size - 20’ x 12’ or so - and rich with color, iconography and intricate detail.

The show runs through 9/2/24 and I highly recommend checking it out.

You SHOULD Know Jack

Speaking of checking out some art, I’d like to give a shout out to my friend Jack Phaneuf, who currently is mounting a show called “finally out!!” at the Flora T. Little Gallery in the Bridgewater Public Library. Jack is a true “jack of all trades” showing mastery in a vast amount of mediums and styles, including plein air oil painting, geometric compositions, shaped canvas’ and even thoughtful, soulful tee-shirt designs. Retired from teaching art at Bridgewater-Raynham High School for 31 years, he is at the center of the local art world and mentor to many emerging art careers. His show runs through the end of May.