Homage to an Artist

Jackie Owens died in August. She suffered from a long-standing heart condition and COPD but I suspect that she died because she was 83 years old and ran clean out of passion. In another culture, she might have wandered into the woods or crawled into a cave or onto an ice flow and commanded her spirit to leave her earthly body. Instead, she checked into a hospital room, gave her children fair notice by a few days that she was about to go and then succumbed to the “great stillness.”

For any of you who did not know her, Jackie had short hair, a round face and was about as big as a peanut. She liked intense conversation about big subjects. After getting your point of view, she would pull her nearly 5 foot frame up close, take a deep breath, spew out the most amazingly incendiary, politically leftist manifesto then erupt into giggles.

Her liberalism was not surface decoration. She continually championed better live/work conditions for women, demonstrated against war early and often, was an enthusiastic supporter of the Women’s Museum and constantly found original ways to aid and abet those in need.

For her 50^th birthday, she initiated an anti-war billboard, gathering together enough investors to pay for the printing and installation of the original artwork by Bob Conge. “Disarm or Die” haunted Rt. 490 for at least a month during the summer of 1977. (1978?)

I think that was when I first met Jackie. We crossed paths as exhibiting artists – we were both on the outdoor art circuit in those days – and for some reason Jackie invited me to the barn/home/studio she shared with then-husband Roy to listen to her proposition. The place was full of talented, creative people – a stew of juicy personalities the likes of which I had never spent casual time with before. I liked these people. I admired their intellect and sense of justice and I wanted to stay a part of the group.

So much for my "real" job hunting! I never left (metaphorically) the party and I still hold admiration and reverence for artists. They have shaped my adult life. I have Jackie to thank for the introduction.

````````````````````````````````````````

Jackie’s daughters held a small reception and invited a few friends to take home a piece of Jackie’s artwork to remember her by. I picked this little drawing. It is not one of her best but it is one of her last.

Our Aunt Patsy who died 4 years ago painted the oil landscape. Patsy was a perennial student and took art lessons until she died at age 87. There’s something so optimistic about that!

I cherish these two pictures and wonder: has business extinguished the emotional value of art?