The Hope of Spring

Spring has always been a very special season for me. One reason, I am certain, is that my birthday falls in April.

I have such fond memories of white birthday cakes in the shape of an Easter basket, topped with yellow and pink floral icing…the sound and smell of a thunderstorm passing through…the smell of freshly-mowed grass…the chirping of birds creating beautiful melodies that echoed through the woods surrounding my home…the sound of the stream…white dogwood trees…a cornucopia of flowers…tulips…daffodils…hyacinths…all filling every nook and cranny in the woods…such childhood memories I will always cherish…

Then there is the memory that lives with me every moment of my life…I have, yet, another birthday in April. It was twenty-four years ago this coming April 27 that I took my last alcoholic drink.  Yes, alcohol was taking over my life at the age of 43. But by God’s grace and the love of my daughter and son, an intervention was called on me by my family.  I knew I had a problem, but was embarrassed to ask for help for so long,..that afternoon my help came…within a few hours I entered the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, CA…my life was about to turn around…I had hope again…for thirty days I lived and studied and worked and fellowshipped with other women like me…I knew I was not alone, that alcohol can grab ANYONE when they least expect it…it is insidious…it destroys relationships…it destroys lives…

Today I live a sober life. but not a day goes by that I don’t thank the Lord for my sobriety or ask Him to keep me sober another day…and does this mean that my life is forever sunny?…absolutely not!…but it does mean I can always “smell the raindrops” along the way.

A Gifted Black Artist in a White Dominated Art World

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Self-Portrait, 1984, acrylic and oil stick on paper mounted on canvas, Yoav Harlap Collection © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/Licensed by Artestar, New YorkNew York City, New York.

Jean-Michel Basquiat is considered to be one of the most influential African-American artists of the late 20th century. The black figure was typically the center of his artwork; as he stated: "Black people are never really portrayed realistically in... I mean, not even portrayed in modern art enough…” His African-American, Caribbean heritage was of the utmost importance to him. He also drew upon South American, Asian, and Western European art. Yet, he wanted to be known simply as an artist.

Basquiat explores himself, his internal struggles, as well as the conflict in the human experience through his paintings. He uses color to communicate to the viewer—his vivid colors are energetic, confrontational. Basquiat depicts himself in this self portrait with eyes, nose, and ears in red, neck and mouth in black, torso in red. His mouth and jagged teeth are emphasized. His hair is wild. He appears comical and depressed at the same time. Basquiat wanted to show us that organs such as the mouth can either make or break life—we all need to watch what we say, to use our minds correctly.

Despite Basquiat’s success, his emotional instability never wained, resulting in using cocaine and heroine excessively. Many speculated his fame, the volatile nature of the art world, and the pressures of being a black man in the white-dominated art world killed him.

It has been the case through the centuries that many creative geniuses, whether artists or composers or writers, etc., have lead tragic lives, often ending in premature deaths. Jean-Michel Basquiat, a gifted artist, never found his place, his specialness and uniqueness, in the art world. Admirably, he was a person who did not see “color”, a person who saw humanity as one.