Artists

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In my travels through the ether I have been, at many and various junctures, amazed, awestruck, envious, and quite simply blown away by the depth of talent I've seen. Artists, poets, storytellers, photographers, graphic designers, and a host of other very generous individuals are maximizing the potential of the world wide web to entertain, enlighten, and educate. It is to these very special artists that this portion of "Small Reflections" is meant to pay tribute.
I recommend a bookmark for this page ~ each of these artists and wordsmiths will capture your heart or your imagination, and you'll not want to miss any of them.
Heather L. Long

The Poetry of Donn Deedon gives a brief glimpse into the heart and soul of L.A.'s best romantic poet. Known by reputation, and introduced at poetry readings as the Rennaisance Poet, Donn is a popular feature at most of the Spoken-Word and Performance Poetry venues in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. He has read internationally and has published two Chapbooks, Rage and Other Moods and Last Love, as well as Roads Taken, a Spoken Word CD.
Continually seeking personal growth and the opportunity to hone his craft, Donn is also the co-host of L.A.s most popular poetry venue, PoeticLicense, at Home Los Feliz in Hollywood. Meeting Donn, and hearing him perform has added an important dimension to my search for my own poetic voice. Quiet words can speak loudly. Please visit The Poetry of Donn Deedon by entering through the graphic image below.

Cercropia

You have a glow behind your words that burns like a flame
Over the tomb of an Unknown Soldier dying to be free.
Cercropia moth, big and beautiful, drawn to you is what I am.
If I die in your fire, at least I will have died in your arms;
But little deaths only manifest the fusion of our souls.
We become more than we are though individually true
And Life begins to make sense again as we smile across the miles.
Canadian heather grows in my So Cal back yard where,
When the moon is high and the nights are long, I make my bed.

Donn Deedon © 06/15/99

"Cercropia" copyrighted and used with the kind permission of poet, Donn Deedon
Image compliments of Flutters

His own protestations to the contrary, Kevin John Taylor, of Canada's west coast is an extraordinary wordsmith who presents a diversity of poetry styles for his listeners and viewers. poet-ch'i offers the opportunity to simply read and enjoy, or, you may choose to listen to Kevin speak his verse through the Real Audio download provided.
In his own words, Kevin writes poetry "...to amuse, anger, inspire, tease, and uplift" -- and he delivers in spades. Sharing his talent and his sense of humor so freely to move and entertain the visitor is what makes Kevin Taylor's world a journey not to be missed.
A sampling:
.

O Magi

O Magi
how shall I atone
for sins so deep
that Satan
weeps

Abandoned Poems

Abandoned poems
stand in runes
as Druids at the Solstice
Sun
Bent back
and bare against the wind
in thoughts I'd once begun

Poetry copyright Kevin John Taylor - 1998
Excerpts used with permission.

jaffe word studio is the on-line home of Larry Jaffe, one of Los Angeles' most talented and energetic poets. As well as performing around the country, Larry co-hosts PoeticLicense, the best high-energy, spoken-word venue in Southern California.
Jaffe's appeal is wide-ranging, and his latest book Jewish Soul Food has recently been published by Dead End Street Publications. Whether appearing at the Austin International Poetry Festival or at the Moon Dog Café, the Hollywood home of PoeticLicense, Larry's commitment to bringing poetry to the people is all consuming and, in a word, awe-inspiring. I encourage you to visit jaffe word studio to read what motivates him by entering through the graphic link below.

ella sang

ella sang,
willow weep for me
and i cried
i told her
i named my daughter willow
cause she was born
reed strong
and willow thin
her dark brown hair
haloing her face
each feathered lock
gold tipped
this angel miracle born
and ella fitzgerald sang
willow weep for me
and i cried

Image and poetry copyright of Larry Jaffe.
Used with the gracious permission of the author.

Once in a great while, fortune will guide you to a special place. A place that defies description ~ that speaks quietly yet urgently... in whispers... to your spirit. William Shiloh Danan was placed at the crossroads as I was passing. The moment of the meeting is sacred and I am honored for the friendship.
Through Shiloh's voice ~ "The Garden of the Netherwhen, then, is a place in-between time, where only the real moments live. It's a place in-between thoughts and dreams, in-between words and actions where only the real truth of the story breathes. It's everything just underneath the surface of what is obvious, all that lies seemingly unsaid, undreamt, unsung. The Garden is... a thrumming spirit that speaks a language that is a not-so-forgotten lullaby. It is a place of things that are dared not uttered, a place of secret souls." The Garden awaits ~ and invites your entry.

Quote used with the gracious
permission of the author, William Shiloh Danan.
Photograph © 1996 by Aisling Willow Grey

Now writing from his home in northern California, Martin Murillo, has enough miles and experience under his belt to know truth when he hears it, and to recognize beauty when it crosses his path. As Long as Forever Is presents a sampling of Martin's poetic voices, strained through fine mesh, and pared to the bone of detritus. From the ponderings of Prometheus to the comfort of community, Martin's words should strike a chord. As clean and spare as his title page appears, there is an abundance of enjoyable moments to be found in the poetry. The title graphic below will grant you entry.

.
Poetic Freedom

I grant my poems freedom to be
whatever they wish to be
Freedom, even, from time to time
to drop the shackles of end rhyme
they can speak with the voice of another
dance complex patterns or simple folk steps
move
extempo
       rane
              ous
                     ly
enshroud themselves in mists of mystery
or spell things out A B C
they are free to be brilliant
and, alas, banal
theirs is the right to be misunderstood
and Article XII permits them to thumb their noses
at faultfinders and naysayers
but there are topics my poems dare not discuss
for there are shadows on my soul
and freedom is never absolute

Poetry and graphic used with the kind
permission of their creator, Martin Murillo.©

A Western Canadian artist of incredible talent, Jonathon Earl Bowser presents a range of subject matter from Goddesses to the natural beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and has mastered a variety of mediums in order to share his artistic vision with the world.
Please grant his gallery the attention it deserves (a bookmark is a must). I invite you to enter through one of my favorite images below.

"THE WAITING"

Image copyright Jonathon Earl Bowser - 1988
Used with permission of the artist.

A self-taught artist, David Chastain, most recently of Boulder, Colorado, is a rising talent. Representing the irreverent, David is an artist, poet, an illustrator and a cartoonist, and his web site is an experience to savor.
By entering through the tarot image of "The Fool" below, David invites you to take a tour through his imaginative and entertaining black and white world. Don't forget that all images are copyrighted - but send him an e-mail if you like what you see. He loves feedback!

Reaching for heaven is always worthwhile
just
for
the
blistering
friction
of
the
fall

Image and poetry copyright David Chastain - 1998
Used with permission of the artist.

Putting her B.A. in English to good use, Michigan's Rochelle Burns is a wonderfully talented and resourceful science fiction writer, and avid graphic designer to watch. In the words of Rochelle's Scribe, "They say I live outside of time. I hear the echoes of the past and voices of the present with equal clarity... I even hear the telepathic whispers... of beings from other worlds."
Her talents are almost too diverse to categorize, but Hollywood is going to knock on this lady's door one day - why not say you knew her when! Please visit, and enjoy the experience of Teknobrat's Digital Paradise by entering through the graphic image below.

Image copyright Rochelle Burns - 1998
Used with the kind permission of its creator.

London, Ontario poet Tyler Stone is passionate about many things, but his love of words and their ability to touch the human spirit shines through in his web offering, "The Poetry of Tyler Stone."
His respect for the talents of those who have gone before is evident and with each day he grows. In Tyler's words, "Being a romantic isn't easy, but I learn from love; whether it be when it burns me in its brilliance, or befriends me in its glory - blessing me with the fortune of a possession which is more valuable than all the light within the boundary of heaven." A statement or a wonderful self-fulfilling prophecy.... enter through the image of Tyler's anthology, Disenchanted, below, and judge for yourself!

Excerpt from:

"in remembrance of an autumn breeze"

with clipped white wings of snow, I awoke
to your pale touch of penance. Once bound,
a creature devout to the newly upturned sky;
azure ponds now joining lonesome eyes
through the lonely flight of your words.

Image and poetry copyright Tyler Stone - 1998
Used with the kind permission of the artist.

Jaguarwoman, aka Dana Peach, is many things, all of them exceptional. She is the webmistress of The Authoratative Matchmaker, the artistic genius behind jaguarwoman webdesign, a former family therapist, as well as a novelist and public speaker - and that just scratches the surface!
Her free graphics, licensed designs, and linkware are exceptional, and her professional design services are a lesson in collaboration and creativity. Why not send Dana a note to tell her what you think of her redesign for "Small Reflections".

If you know an exceptional talent you would like to see featured on this page,
please drop me a note (through the inkwell up top) and we'll talk about it.