Snow Palette is not dead… its editor is just taking a break.
I’ve been disenchanted with my magazine of late. I didn’t have any submissions for the January issue, though there was some interest I think that the requirements for the new format were too intimidating. I am thinking of changing the magazine to be an annual, that way it will give artists time to work on their submissions for the magazine. I’m afraid, however,that so much dead time will cause people to forget about Snow Palette. I wish I were better at advertising. Word of mouth is the best way for people to get interested in the magazine. Not to worry, I will pull myself together and work on a new issue. Thanks for your support.
My birthday as a China tea picker
I was in China when I had my birthday. Howard and Agnes bought a delicious cake with mango icing and iced flowers. We were staying in Mah An, a village named for the horse-hoof bend in the river. It was a peaceful place. There was a beautiful covered bridge that went to Mah An. I took a lot of photos of it and the countryside. We stayed in the village and watched the cultural dances they perform for tourists. I had a cup of rice wine. It was unexpected they tipped the cup to my mouth and I felt the burning of the alcohol warm my face. To complete the day we climbed up into the terraced fields to pick tea. Yes, I picked tea. It gave me a better appreciation for tea, which is my beverage of choice. Its not like we could just pick leaves off the bushes. We could only pick the tender greeen leaves that were still slightly curled.
Checkmate
Its a work in progress. You should see what it looked like when I first wrote it. It was a mess, not even recognizable as poetry.
With clarity you play your game
And send your pawns to war.
Watching from your tower, a cold black queen guarded by a blacker rook.
Your affection is a bitter breeze,
Like autumn chilling frothy seas.
I poisoned myself, unsatisfied, concealing a sacrificial king.
Bow your head. Bend your knee.
The white king wears a ghostly shroud.
He guards an empty throne.
I let your enemy slip inside to steal away your crown.
I beg my Queen, surrender now
Before he claims your head.
But you twist from your traitors grasp and stumble back aghast.
Bow your head. Bend your knee.
A white king’s crown on a black rook’s head.
Surrender yourself to me.
My Niece
I’ve been visiting my sister to celebrate the birthdays of her and her two children. They all surprisingly have their birthdays on three consecutive days. My niece is the sweetest three year old. She hugged me and she said “Aunt Mallory is the best” which of course just tickled my heart. For her birthday her daddy gave her a stethoscope so she could listen to her baby dolls heartbeat. She loved it. Then Grandpa told her that he didn’t have a heart and she smartly told him, “Grandpa, all peoples got hearts.” She is just so darn cute!
First Post (isn’t that sad)
I decided to start this blog because I thought that being the invisible editor of Snow Palette might give me a rather bland reputation. I hope you will find these posts interesting. I never really blogged before so wish me luck.
Why did I start Snow Palette?
I enjoy making art and being part of a community of artists. The truth is I am most suited for appreciating art. I spend hours looking through galleries and admiring artwork. Sometimes I feel upset that I am only an intermediate artist not quite able to depict what I envision. I won’t deny that I am on a long frustrating road to improvement, but most of the time I am inspired by other artists. Snow Palette was an idea I discussed for awhile with some of my college friends. I don’t think my friends thought it would last this long, but Snow Palette will soon be celebrating its first birthday. Snow Palette is my baby and I would like it to thrive along with the art community.
