The Grand Journey/places and people
Greetings Everyone,
My journey back to the US took me to many places over a short period of time. I was fortunately able to see many good friends, and in a few situations, when my schedules abruptly changed, and being somewhat dependent on the transportation of friends, regretfully, I missed seeing a few people I had planned on.
It was a rich experience going back to my home roots in Georgia and South Carolina. One of my goals was to try and locate the numerous dwellings I lived in as a child. With me were my two surviving brothers. I was able to photograph about one-third of the various places from my childhood growing up in the low-country of Georgia and South Carolina.
As I traveled from West to East and back to West, I took many portraits of fascinating people from whose friendships I’m constantly nourished. Here’s a few.
The legendary Alvin Neely, Savannah, Georgia
Merch Pease, with whom I produced the wonderful Morris Graves book by Richard Svare
Artist, Stephen Yates, in his beloved garden, Port Townsend, WA 2015
Artist, Anne Hirondelle, at her studio in Port Townsend, WA, 2015
Architect and humanitarian, REX HOHLBEIN, founder of
Interior portrait of writer/poet PETER WELTNER, San Francisco, CA, 2015, ‘Portrait of the Poet, shaping a line from a poem about two men disappearing and a blackbird left to ponder what is and what is not.’
Peter has recently published Stone Alters, a book of poetry with photographs by Nathan Wirth, published by BrickHouse Books
Portrait of Poet, William O’Daly, at work in his kitchen, Auburn, CA 2015
While in lovely Port Townsend, I had the pleasure and honor of reading the poems from MAENAM, Of Water, Of Light, signing books, and visiting many good friends I had not seen in a few years.
This was followed by a successful full-house screening of PANOM The elephant documentary at Port Townsend’s Rosebud Theatre.
A quick trip over to Anacortes, WA for a visit with SAM HAMILL, linked here with one of his participating poems for the Maenam Project on YouTube
and the recent Kenyon Review of a new publication of his collected poems: HABITATION
and on my last morning in Port Townsend I was fortunately able to visit with MARVIN BELL
His most recent publication is VERTIGO
portrait of Marvin Bell by Galen Garwood, ca 1999
The Palm Springs Inspection Team: Walker Novak, Jim Jackson, and Friends
I spent my last few days in Palm Springs and then Walker and Jim took me to LA for a last fine meal before my flight back home.
After leaving Seattle, I ventured down to California, visiting my good friend Gene Ramey in Crocket, CA. Gene lives a lovely, quiet life drawing his days into the evenings. Here’s a sample of one of his lovely drawings.
Drawing by Gene Ramey,
After leaving Gene’s, I visited my good friend Debbie and her husband Charlie; they live in the magnificent Sonoma wine country in a lovely home surround by vineyards.
This is the guest room suite, surrounded by their vineyard, Toby Lane
It was a wonderful experience and at first I wasn’t sure how I would get there from the Bay area, but she kindly
sent a driver to pick me up– Aaron Costa.
He is the owner of Healdsburg Vino Tours, and a great resource
for anyone wanting to visit Healdsburg and the surrounding wine country of Northern California
Just before departing, PETER WELTNER and I put out into the world a small book of his poems
and photographs from the Dream Sea Series entitled WATER’S EYE
And also, some of the new Dream Sea photographs were included in a wonderful new book of poems by poet
William O’Daly, The Road to Isla Negra , published by Folded Word Press, 2015.
A recent Interview with WILLIAM O’DALY
And the Dream Sea Photographs, a new publication by Marrowstone Press is
now also available at a number of book outlets.
The cover image is currently being exhibited at Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, for a special exhibition and will run through
the end of July. It was printed and mounted by The Color Group in Seattle at 30″ x45″; they did a magnificent job.
To all my friends and family who so kindly extended your generous hospitality on this important journey, I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone.
And again my gratitude for support on the Maenam Project
It had been five years since my last visit. I’m hoping the next journey will not be so long.
COMING SOON
Dream Sea Series II
New paintings
A new video with Cellist and composer, JAMI SIEBER, and photographer, NICK REID
based on a poem from my 1992 multi-media ADAGIO in celebration of my seventy-first year.
plus
The creation of the Panom Memorial Pond
Blessings from the River
Galen Garwood 2015
