Winter seems to have happened overnight here. Coolidge of course doesn't even act like he's noticed it. Rain, fog, snow and sun are all beloved environments for Mr. C. There is a privileged snugness to the beginning of rain season, one that leads always to the even cozier heart of winter. The rechecking of rain gear, what still fits, what doesn't - packing jackets and gloves, burrowing in scarves and bringing out extra blankets.
Snow doesn't happen often in Eugene, but when it does my heart lights up all the way home to my New England roots. The quietness snow brings is unlike any other. To me it is a holy sound. The whole world hangs in that silence and the streets feel fresh, made anew.
The first paper cut I ever made was a winter scene - a bear's den in the middle of winter, all you can see are it's paw prints leading home to rest. On the horizon is a pair of bears looking for their own nest, or perhaps coming home to that same den. For me, themes of family, home and nostalgia are everywhere and make up much of the world I create in my art.
When I was a child I couldn't fathom the ways in which I might change, or that my family might change as well. We are changing all the time, of course, but only in certain junctions do we really feel it. I think winter makes me feel closer to all the dens and homes I've had and made for myself in my life. Perhaps that is why I am so drawn to it in my cuts.
Coolidge and I are both looking forward to the winter ahead.
