A POEM / COMMENT
(And, the rest of the World…)
/
SCULPTURE / CASTING /
My latest endeavor…
“MELINDA”
December 2019
100TH RedactedRedux CARTOON /
I began the RedactedRedux Cartoon Series in 2007 as a way to continue my penchant for satirical humor that, at times, reflected some of the absurdities that go on around us in our lives… I really didn’t have any idea if the cartoon, let alone the humor, would float… Well, that was then and this is now…
This 100th RedactedRedux Signed/Matted/Certified Cartoon titled: “The Meaning of Life” is now available…
Inquire at contact@marksladestudio.com
NEW AT "FROZEN MOMENTS" - PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY /
Living in the California Wine Country has had its challenges over the past few years with wild fires and floods. And yet, everywhere you look you can see the stoic nature of the countryside’s beauty. My newest “Frozen Moments” postings in the Photography Gallery reflect that beauty and the miracle of rebirth that defines the season. HAPPY SPRING!!
AND, SO IT GOES... /
I first started collecting discarded Lotto Tickets because, even though they were useless, there was certainly a story behind each and every one of them. It seemed a rather melancholy statement to see a dollar or two’s worth of abandoned dreams crumpled up on the ground or torn in half in the trash.
I really didn’t have a clear objective in mind; just a rather vague vision that ‘someday’ I might do ‘something’ with them. Maybe, give them a voice of sorts…
Well, years later, here it is, all 4ft x 6ft of them falling pell-mell into the abyss…
“AND, SO IT GOES…”
THOUGHTS BEHIND MY CHOICES /
Welcome to my new blog. I hope to be able to answer some of your inquiries regarding my work and explain some of the thoughts behind my choices. First off, I wanted to discuss HANGIN' WITH THE TRUTH, my latest novel... "Why did I choose this particular time and place?"... A really good question.
The premise of the novel is based on a poem of the same name from my previous book SOMEONE'S STORY. I wanted to expand the characters and was intrigued by how their story might evolve. The choice of where and when came solely from the characters themselves. They required a wild territory where banditing was a lucrative career, and where idiosyncrasies were more common than not. The South Dakota Territories in the late 1800s, after the Civil War, provided me with a wealth of history and opportunity. It was a time of free land, gold, gambling, lawlessness and a country looking for the promise of a better life; free from the constraints of society. And, it was in this place and time that many adventurous souls sought their fortune.
The more I researched, the more I was able to meld the story of Bob Slye and Sally Mae Boudine into the events of the time. I was able to "bend" historic fact, folding it around my characters; interweaving their tale with real people from that era. And as I wrote, I found such amazing similarities between generations and centuries, each playing out with its own colors and textures.
WELCOME TO "IN THE STUDIO" /
Welcome to the new IN THE STUDIO blog. We have relocated to Sonoma County Wine Country, where surrounded by tall redwoods in the nearby hills and miles and miles of Alexander Valley vineyards, there is plenty of inspiration to get the mind working -- and those musings freely flowing. Although I will still be posting on Facebook, IN THE STUDIO will allow me to be more detailed in my posts. I hope you will come back often.
