Happy Beltane

As Samhain is for drawing in, Beltane is for branching out. All around us the world is blooming forth, inviting us to be joyful. If we can set aside the worries and distractions of that other world the "media made" world. Then there is the world you experience with other people, friends, family. But what about when it is just you? Spend some time in the beauty of the natural world, and let springtime speak to you.
Sadly, Durham's own Ernie Barnes has passed away. Ernie was best known as the artist who painted the artwork for the TV show Good Times. He also did the cover for Marvin Gaye's Sugar Shack. I grew up watching Good Times, and I remember being so proud that the artist came from here. His distinctive, elongated style earns him being called a pioneer of the neo-mannerists. For more: http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/05/culture-beat-remembering-famed-sugar-shack-painter-ernie-barnes.html