Preface
It was a clear, Spring afternoon, at least in my imagination. I was busy with a drawing - add
lines, blend colors, fix shapes in a seemingly endless chain.
Larry, my guide, my friend, and, in another life, my rival walked up to my table in the coffee shop.
He put his hand on my shoulder and gentled spoke, “Mike, know when to stop.”
At last, I had permission to let go of this drawing and to move on to the next.
I have been developing this book for years now. Some of the photos go back too long ago for me
to remember. My first copyright date was 2017. Now, I am near the end of 2019.
Mike, know when to stop.
Of course, stopping includes finishing the really difficult work of the book, the writing. Well,
here we go.
“A Light in the Valley” - I am now in my 72nd year of living in what we now call the Silicon
Valley. In my imagination, I am a great adventurer. In my drawings, I create the mountains of
my day-dreams. In actuality, I live in the Menlo Park house that my grandfather designed, the
third of five generations of my family to call this place home. In my fantasies, I am a man of the
Mountains. In my reality, I am a kid from the Valley, searching for the Light in a world of doubt
and sorrow.
“Passages” - Well, that sub-title is certainly an improvement over the previous “Series 001.” As
I write these words, I am acutely aware of the inexorable passage of time. Even as my personal
end draws closer each moment of each day, I see Life more and more as a journey, a passage, that
will end, but will never be complete.
“Passages” - Larry used to look at my art work. Of course, he always saw the weaknesses. How-
ever, at times, he would point to a section, a passage, of the painting and say, “Something is hap-
pening here.” He did not tell me what was happening; that was my responsibility. The images in
this book are “passages” of my work, places where I see “something happening.” Occasionally, I
will tell you something about my vision, but the real value of the images is the impact or lack of
impact that you experience.
In the end, I can only point and say, “Something is happening here.” The rest is up to you.
Embrace and treasure the journey.
- Always, Mike [2019-11-30]