ETERNAL TRUTHS SERIES by Kevin L Miller

I offer my series of “Eternal Truths,” signed original digital art prints, because it is time to affirm the fundamental values that unite all of humanity.

“LOVE” by Kevin L Miller, 2016

“WISDOM” by Kevin L Miller, 2016

“HOPE” by Kevin L Miller, 2016

“PEACE” by Kevin L Miller, 2016

“JOY” by Kevin L Miller, 2016

“CREATIVITY” by Kevin L Miller, 2016

“Truth” by Kevin L Miller, 2017

“GRATITUDE” by Kevin L Miller, 2017

“ETERNITY” by Kevin L Miller, 2017

The “Eternal Truths Series” of original digital art prints are available as a set of 5″ x 7″ signed prints in an 18″ x 24″ frame, or as signed individual prints – 5″x 7″ or 8″x 10″ or 13″x19″ all printed on heavy glossy photo paper.

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“Let’s Save Our Pretty Pretty Planet!” at Manheim Township Public Library, April 1 – May 29, 2015

 Art by Kevin L Miller

Here are some images from “Let’s Save Our Pretty Pretty Planet!” an art exhibit at Manheim Township Public Library, April 1 – May 29, 2015. Drive one mile north of Rt 30 on Fruitville Pike, turn right on Granite Run Drive at the Overlook Park Sign to 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Call the library at 717-560-6441 to ask if the Morgan Center (Kevin’s show) will be occupied or open to the public when you plan to visit, but Robert F. Allen and Kevin L Miller are exhibiting 65 – 70 major works of art throughout the entire library. Half of those will remain in place after May 29. When you visit, ask library director Katrina Anderson for a free signed poster, “Art Can Help Us!”

“The Tipping Point is at Hand,” Kevin L Miller, 2007, signed poster $15 + shipping

“Save Mother Earth,” Kevin L Miller, 2014, 13×19″ signed posters $15 + shipping

 “Free Our Mother Earth,” Kevin L Miller, 2015, 13×19″ signed posters $15 + shipping

“Don’t Mess with Mother Earth!” Kevin L Miller, 2014, 13×19″ poster $15 + shipping

“Poseidon’s Prophecy,” Kevin L Miller, 2013, 13×19″ poster $15 + shipping

“St. Nicholas and the Earth” Kevin L Miller, 2007, 13×19″ unframed poster $15 + shipping

“Pig and Giraffe” Kevin L Miller, 2004, unframed signed 13×19″ poster $15 + shipping

“Let’s Save Our Kids, Cows, Birdies, Piglets and Polar Cubs” Kevin L Miller, 2014, unframed signed 13×19″ poster $15 + shipping

“The Dog People Remember the Colonel” Kevin L Miller 2011, unframed signed 13×19″ poster $15 + shipping

“Requiem” Kevin L Miller, 2013, 13×19″ poster with title and subtitle $15 + shipping

“Hawaii” Kevin L Miller 1990, framed signed poster with water bottle flowers $1,000 + shipping

“Hawaii” Kevin L Miller, 1990, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping

“Drought and Gathering Storm” Kevin L Miller, 2013, unframed poster $15 + shipping

“Drought and Gathering Storm” Kevin L Miller, 2013, inkjet print $15 + shipping

“The Musician and the Tree of Life” Kevin L Miller, 2013, signed poster $15 + shipping

Left: “Global Warming Apocalypse” Kevin L Miller 2013, unframed poster $15 + shipping

Right: Utopia with Stinky and Squeak” Kevin L Miller 2013, unframed poster $15 + shipping

“Time’s Up!” Kevin L Miller, 2011, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping

“Wings and Sails” Kevin L Miller, 1995, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping 

“Mountains and Pines” Kevin L Miller, 1995, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping

“Profit and Sustainability” Kevin L Miller, 2014, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping

“Panther Warns the Others” Robert F Allen and Kevin L Miller, 2004, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping 

“Angels of Our Better Nature” Kevin L Miller, 2007, unframed signed poster $15 + shippiing

“Farms and Gardens” Kevin L Miller, c 1980, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping

“Help Johnny Appleseed…” Kevin L Miller 1970 & 2011, signed poster $15 + postage 

“The Revelations of Eve and Adam” Kevin L Miller, 2004,signed poster $15 + shipping

“Calla Lily Garden” Kevin L Miller, 2011, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping

“Pennsylvania Landscape” Kevin L Miller, 1969, unframed signed poster $15 + shipping 

“Pennsylvania Landscape” Kevin L Miller, 1969, unframed signed print $15 + shipping

“The Old Mill in Florida” Kevin L Miller, 1970, 13×19″, optional headline, $15 + postage

“Aix-en-Provence” Kevin L Miller, 1970, 13×19″, optional headline, $15 + shipping

“Woodland Spirit Guides” Kevin Miller, 2010, optional headline, 13×19″ print $15 + shipping

“Firebird Visits the Elders” Robert F Allen and Kevin L Miller, 2010, headline optional, $15 + shipping

“Captain Agape and the Children of Tomorrow” Kevin L Miller, 2010, optional headline, 13×19″ poster $15 + shipping

 

“THE TIPPING POINT” – How to Feel Optimistic about Stopping Global Warming

by Kevin L. Miller

above: “The Tipping Point,” digital poster by Kevin L Miller, 2015

In his wonderful blog post “GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: How Optimistic Are You When It Comes to Climate Change?” Feb 27, 2015,  at http://TwoOldLiberals.com , Paul Lewis expressed the way so many of us, including me, feel about our prospects for addressing the existential threat of global warming: “If you’re like me, you oscillate back and forth between depression and a guarded though still hopeful optimism when it comes to global climate change.” Paul recaps five hopeful trends reported in the Environmental Defense Fund’s “Solutions” magazine article, “A Plan for Climate Stability:”

1. The November China/USA plan to limit global warming pollutants
2. 10 years of industrial emissions decline
3. A strong increase in clean energy adoption
4. The existence of cheap technology to cut methane emissions by 40%
5. Overwhelming support for climate action among young voters

It may be more than the young who support climate action according to a striking 2015 poll published in the New York Times about a month ago. The New York Times / Stanford University / Resources for the Future poll was conducted January 7-22 with 1006 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. The New York Times reported:
 
“The poll found that 83% of Americans, including 61% of Republicans and 86% of independents say that if nothing is done to reduce emissions, global warming will be a very or somewhat serious problem in the future.”
 
77% of Americans say that the Federal government should be doing a substantial amount to combat climate change — 90% of Democrats, 78% of independents, and 48% of Republicans said the government should be fighting climate change.
 
These results can be compared with Stanford University’s 2011 poll that asked if people believed climate change was caused by human activity. In 2011 72% believed that it was at least in part due to human activity. In this new poll 81% felt that it was. That’s a leap of nine percentage points in four years. If you believe that mass social and behavioral change of the magnitude required by this climate crisis must proceed largely from the grass roots up, then you will feel heartened, as I do, to know that we seem to be approaching a tipping point.

You know what a “tipping point” is: In chemistry, we know that some liquids will suddenly turn solid by adding the right catalyst. But we wonder how much catalyst is required. So we start adding the catalyst drop by drop until, BOOM! Suddenly the liquid turns solid! The same thing can happen with mass consciousness. We may be very close to the day when one more person will wake up to the moral imperative to take action on climate change, and BOOM! Mass consciousness will be solidly united in demanding that governments, corporations, the fossil fuel industry, all sectors of business, and all individual human beings make the changes required to arrest and reverse global warming.

above: “Poseidon’s Prophecy,” 4×7 ft oil on canvas by Kevin L Miller, 2013 – poster, 2015

My tipping point optimism may seem like a fantasy to many people. It is partly based in a current practical example that proves the possibility of unlikely sudden change in mass consciousness. My wonderful, talented, handsome partner Robert and I have lived together for over 18 years, and until very recently we would never have dared to imagine that we might be able to become legally married. But it happened last June. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania made same-sex marriage legal and we were wed by an ordained minister of the faith in which I was raised, in the best and most fun wedding either of us has ever attended. If you had told us just a year earlier that this would happen, we would have said you were crazy. It became possible because mass consciousness reached a tipping point on the issue of same-sex marriage. Public policy can shift and group behavior can change direction very suddenly, like a flock of birds, when just enough catalyst is added to change one more mind.

   “The Revelations of Eve and Adam,” 16″x20″ acrylic on canvas by Kevin L Miller, 2003 – poster produced in 2015

In his insightful Feb 27, 2015 “GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS” post on http://TwoOldLiberals.com Paul Lewis also recaps the Environmental Defense Fund’s recommendations for ways in which we can all help combat climate change:

1. Make your home as energy-efficient as possible. (I’d add your work place, too.)
2. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
3. Buy gas efficient vehicles, walk, bike, and take public transportation.
4. Wash dishes/clothes in cold or warm water — not hot. (I’d add: use a clothesline.)
5. Sign up for EDF action alerts to stay engaged at every level — Federal, state, and local ( www.edf.org/climateupdates .)

Paul is absolutely right to point out that EDF has neglected to mention the imperative of population control in combating climate change. The Earth is grievously overpopulated and buckling under our weight. We must adopt zero population growth behaviors — no couple should have more than two children. But we must also reduce the population of domesticated animals — a huge factor in our collective carbon footprint. One of the most effective things anyone can do, therefore, to combat climate change, is to become a vegetarian or vegan, or at least make the effort to eat less meat and fewer dairy products. Even if we all eliminated meat from our diets for just one or two days a week, it would make a huge difference.

above: “Free Our Mother Earth,” digital poster by Kevin L Miller, 2015

The main suggestion I’d like to add to the list of ways everyone can help, is just that we all consider becoming willing to talk about global warming openly, and do something — anything — about it. Let’s all ask ourselves three questions:

1. What CAN I do?
2. What am I WILLING to do?
3. What am I QUALIFIED to do?

Make a list of actions that fit all three criteria and then choose some of those things to do, and start… one step at a time. TELL others about what you have decided to do and why. How can we begin to feel more optimistic about stopping global warming?… By taking creative action… By adding more catalyst to the solution, drop by drop, until one more drop finally brings mass consciousness to the tipping point and humanity suddenly lines up solidly behind the moral imperative to stop climate change for the children of tomorrow.

 

Healing Earth Pain Through the Arts — a photo documentary

Rev. Jerry Lee Miller emceed “Healing Earth Pain Through the Arts,” Earth Day Weekend, April 20, 2013, at Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster, hosted by HIVE of Planet Loving Activity (see the HIVE Facebook page.) Above Jerry plays his harmonica during the Streetbeet’s benediction performance of his composition, “The Earth is a House.” Participants’ thoughts, prayers and haiku written on colored papers, hang in tree branches. They blow in the breeze to spread the messages of Earth healing into the world.

On a beautiful fresh spring day after a night of sweet rain, about 25 souls greeted each other and gathered in the sunlit sanctuary of the Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster to listen to the sweet music of Streetbeets (Jerry Lee Miller, Paul Montigny, Kati “Kanga” Gruber, and Tom Tucker;) to repeat affirmations and meditate silently together; to melt into the melodious poetry of Chris Hoover Seidel; to thrill with the excitement of the danced and chanted performance piece offered by Kesse Humphreys; and to wonder about the mysteries pictured in Kevin Miller’s large paintings. We laughed, cried, prayed, listened, chanted, spoke, danced, talked and shared ideas. Then we all wrote poems, prayers, haiku, thoughts, laments, and intentions on pieces of colored paper and moved into the garden to hang them in a young tree, allowing the wind to blow our hopes for earth healing  into the world. Four of the writers keep their thoughts private. The rest are copied here in bold italic among the photos of that day:

COLORED PAPER MESSAGES HANGING IN THE TREE OF HOPES AND  BLESSINGS (shown in bold italics throughout the photo essay — contributed by all the participants at “Healing Earth Pain Through the Arts”)

MUSIC A GATEWAY,

Opening our hearts to LOVE

In Loving we act…

Rev. Jerry Lee Miller (center) opens “Healing Earth Pain Through the Arts” with Streetbeets: Kati “Kanga” Gruber (left) and Tom Tucker (right.) Percussionist Paul Montigny is not shown in this photo.

Write songs of the Earth voicing her pain and her offer to help us…

Kevin Miller greets the group with a pranam, meaning, “My soul bows to your soul.” Kevin’s paintings, “Fallen Angels” and “The Flood” are displayed behind him.

 Thank you, thank you, thank you, for filling me with gratitude.

Kevin invites the group to repeat an affirmation, followed by a brief period of silent meditation.

 I hope for a healing for myself and the Earth. To deal in hope and inspiration not despair and destruction. To remember the trail magic I experienced and take that into the world. To sing. To dance. To love the stories.

Kevin talks about creative action as a way of seeing, knowing, being, and healing. We are here to collaborate in “Healing Earth Pain” — our own pain as we move through life on this Earth, and the pain of the Earth itself as it suffers the violence caused by human greed and ignorance.

 We must Change Hearts to Save the Earth from Global Warming.

Jerry greets the cubist egg containing performance artist Kesse Humphreys, before he emerges to dance and chant his compelling message.

 Everyone hears the sweet call of the Universe, feels their heart beating and moves swiftly to do the right thing.

Paul Montigny of Streetbeets provides percussion accompaniment to the moment of suspense leading to the hatching of Kesse Humphreys and his emergence into the world.

Kesse hatches out of his incredible cubist egg, into the world.

BE THE CHANGE

(TAKE IT PERSONALLY)

Covered with the black dust of ashes and dirt, an exotic bird of black plumage rises to chant and dance “When the waters rise all around, forget not you have wings to fly!” — Kesse Humphreys

Kesse takes flight.

Ashes to Ashes

Resurrect

In the New Earth

 

Resurrection of the Phoenix.

From pain come the vision

From the vision come the people

From the people come the power

From their power come the change.

After the Phoenix flew, Chris Hoover Seidel calmed us with the melodious tones of her voice and the thoughtful notes of mystery and hope in her poetry.

We are listening to the “yes”

          in yesterday.

We are composing an “or”

          for tomorrow.

By touching the egg of the Phoenix, Kevin finds the courage to lead participants in a 3-part round, singing “White Coral Bells upon a slender stalk. Lilies of the valley deck my garden walk. Oh, don’t you wish that you could hear them ring? That will happen only when the faeries sing.” (We sang, and they rang!)

“Heal the Earth,” she said,

“Why?” he said.

“Because it’s the best use of the time we have left,” she responded.

“But isn’t that God’s job?” he asked.

“He never meant it to be this way” she said sadly.

Kevin leads a lively discussion about his 12 large canvases displayed in the sanctuary, and hears clues about some of the mysteries he has pondered in the paintings over the years.

 First Snow Drops, crocus, Wind Flowers, Daffodils, Weeping Cherries, and Tulips. Soon Irises, Lilacs, and then the Roses of Summer.

Left to right, Kevin, Tovie Mirot and Fran Gouveia are part of the group discussing “Captain Agape” and “The Revelations of Eve and Adam.”

 Clean Water for All and Future Generations…

Kevin hears the thoughts of Fran Gouveia and the rest of the group, about what the meaning might be in some of the symbols and images in “The Musician and the Tree of Life.”

 I will knit green hats –

          not green berets of the military

but soft, easy slouchy hats

All green, many hues,

          for my planet-loving friends.

Will you wear a hat with me?

 

Church people stand straight!

I wear sneakers and love my

Seven Sunday weeks!

 

“Etz Chayim!”

(Tree of Life)

Kevin explains how he and Robert Allen collaborated to paint “Deep Woods.”

I pray “The Susquehanna is for Lovers (& ALL OTHERS!)” is Healing Earth’s Pain and Creator helps me (us) do it!

Kevin explains how he will expand this print of “Woodland Spirits” extensively to both sides and below, adding many more animals and figures to create a new painting called “Woodland Spirit Guides.” Behind him is “Apple Man.”

 Greed is manmade. Money, debt, hatred, intolerance – They don’t come from the earth, but we do. Amidst all of the destruction and pain, still we are born. Still we come into this world filled with beauty and light. They frack our water, they poison our soil, they patent our food – and STILL we fight for justice – STILL we wake up and love the world all over again. Lucky enough to be young, wild, and free, happy healthy, loved. We still exist. There is something still right in this world if people like us continue to be born into it.

At the end of our healing time together, we all wrote out thoughts, haiku, poems, lamentations and intentions on colored papers and hung them on a tree in the courtyard. Here Rich Humphreys (center) reads his thought before adding it to the tree.

 This Dandelion curled into a ring.

Reviled, More Delicate than gold and brown decay.

The mind wanders, Hope, base, distraction and despair.

Sounds good.

Jerry Lee Miller watches as all the participants share their writings and hang them on the Tree of Hopes and Blessings.

 Blessed be the creator and the Creative Spirit that brings healing to our earth and our lives.

Rev. Jerry Lee Miller leads Streetbeets in a performance of his signature composition, “The Earth is a House,” as our benediction for “Healing Earth Pain Through the Arts,” and our beginning to Earth Day Weekend.

 Thy Kingdom Come

Thy Will Be Done

On Earth as it is in Heaven!

On this beautiful spring Earth Day evening, my wish for the world is that a miracle will happen and we will all wake up with the compelling conviction that we can arrest global climate change and save many of the life forms on Earth by immediately switching from fiossil fuel extraction and consumption to clean renewable energy. My prayer is that we will accept our moral responsibility to leave a habitable planet for future generations.

It is time to become our higher selves and take creative action for the sake of life on Earth.

Love, Wisdom, Peace, — Kevin

My thanks to Alison Stein for providing all the photos for this essay and for helping me so extensively with the logistics for my art display at “Healing Earth Pain Through the Arts.”

Our thanks to the Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster and its congregation for sharing their beautiful, sunlit facility with HIVE of Planet-Loving Activity to produce this event.

 

Kevin’s BlogTalkRadio.com interview 7pm EDT 9/18: Eco-Anxiety — What to do about it?

Kate Loving Shenk will interview Kevin Miller on “Eco-Anxiety — what to do about it?” tonight, Sept 18, 2012, at 7pm EDT. Listen to the interview live at 7pm EDT today at http://m.blogtalkradio.com/kateloving/2012/09/18/eco-anxiety-what-to-do-about-it

The interview will be archived for listening at a later time or day. Here’s how:

1. Copy and paste or retype this address into your browser address box: http://m.blogtalkradio.com/kateloving
2. When Kate Loving’s page comes up, click on “shows & blogs.” You will see “Eco-anxiety” at the top of the list.
3. Click on “Play” several lines below “Eco-anxiety.” You may need to wait briefly for the recorded interview which starts with a musical interlude

For background information read Kevin’s post below on this blog: “Bill McKibben at F&M…” Additional climate change articles by Kevin Miller are available at http://TwoOldLiberals.com including “What Can You and I Do to Save the Earth?”

ArtWalk Weekend: Connect the Dots of Extreme Weather and Climate Change

“ADVENT-URE NIGHT” Holiday Music, Friday Dec 16, 6-9pm

“Last Christmas,” Allen Miller 2-artist collaborative acrylic on canvas

“ADVENT-URE NIGHT” Holiday Music, Friday Dec 16, 6-9pm Featuring: “Voices of Cecilia” 12-woman chorus, “STREETBEETS” with Jerry Miller as host and MC and “Grandma Shake” with Rob Seltz & Kristin Lauer and others

117 E Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA 17602

FREE! Wine, soda, snacks & Holiday Spirit!

“MOOSic” and ART at Allen Miller Arts, Friday, Oct 21, 7:00 — 8:30 pm

BENEFIT CONCERT for MOOS: Mornings on Orange Street

a before-school program to provide food and safe activities for children

Featuring Singer/Songwriter Joseph Strider,

Daryl Snider — singer, guitarist, and soprano sax player

STREETBEETS, and Amber Thomas & Jessica Rieger,

MOOS Students and MORE

Jerry Lee Miller and STREETBEETS will perform Friday, October 21, at Allen Miller Arts. In the gallery Jerry has often performed his song, “The Earth is a House.” Kevin Miller made the “JunkArt” installation pictured above to celebrate and illustrate Jerry’s song for ArtWalk, October 7-9.

Join MOOS: Mornings on Orange Street for a night of

“MOOSic” and the ARTS — Friday, October 21, 2011, 7-8:30 pm

ALLEN MILLER ARTS

117 E Chestnut, Lancaster, PA 17602 — enter thru courtyard

Free Admission — Donations Encouraged

Refreshments  

“JunkArt” by Kevin Miller

"Randy Valentine," Kevin Miller, 20" x 24" acrylic, mixed media, and junk on canvas

Kevin Miller will exhibit his first pieces of “JunkArt” finally emerging from two long years in concept phase, into manifestation for exhibit at ALLEN MILLER ARTS — opening October 7-9, 2011, along with the paintings and furniture of Robert Allen, featured on the cover of this year’s official ArtWalk postcard:

ARTWALK at ALLEN MILLER ARTS: 117 E Chestnut, Lancaster, PA

• Visitors receive a FREE “Art Can Help Us” POSTER
• Friday, Oct 7 — 5 to 9 pm
• Saturday, Oct 8 — 10 am to 5 pm
• Sunday, Oct 9 — noon to 4 pm
• Wine, sodas and snacks will be available 

 

 

Singer/Songwriter Amanda Wells Performs 3rd Friday, Aug 19, 6-9 pm

AMANDA WELLS performs at ALLEN MILLER ARTS, Music Friday Aug 19, 6-9 pm

Singer/Songwriter Amanda Wells released her first professional album, “Ebb and Flow” in October 2010. Her first childhood guitar was pulled from a dumpster at the construction site where her dad worked. With that guitar she began to teach herself how to play and sing, learning from anyone who shared her passion for music. Later she attended PA College of Art & Design for several years and is now a respected and sought-after performer in the Lancaster area. Allen Miller Arts is honored to present Amanda Wells, hosted by “Streetbeets” who will also perform, on Music Friday, August 19, 6-9 pm. The evening is free of charge. Refreshments will be available. 

Read a recent article about Amanda Wells at http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/429799

August, 2011 events for Amanda Wells include:

• Aug 19, 3rd Friday, Amanda Wells will perform at ALLEN MILLER ARTS, 117 E Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA (near Duke) 6-9 pm. The evening will be hosted by “STREETBEETS” who will also perform. For more information, call Kevin at 717-927-9405 or 215-837-8171.
• Aug 20, Amanda Wells will host Shank’s Tavern Open Mic
• Aug 26, Amanda Wells will perform at Lancaster Dispensing Company