Drama Queen

I wanted to share my piece and the artist statement I completed in September for the annual invitational art show, this year entitled "A Curiosity of Doors." The work is acrylic on a wooden door, with watercolor on paper behind the glass of the door's window.




“Drama Queen”

During the last couple of years, I have become a serious poker player. My game is cash Texas Hold’em. The joy I get out of the game has even surprised me. I’ve been thinking a lot about why I play so avidly and I can only surmise that it comes from the fact that each game contains a novel’s worth of drama.
Yes, poker challenges my brain. It makes me think both mathematically and psychologically. My ageing brain needs the workout to stay even. It is frightening to age and lose that part that makes us ourselves. Poker is my brain workout.
Yes, poker serves the need I have to compete. I am unabashedly competitive. This part of me has made me a successful athlete, scholar, businesswoman and now poker player. Frankly, I am not nearly as good as I would like to be so I have goal to reach.
But most importantly, poker adds a dollop of drama to my otherwise middle-class, middle-age existence. I don’t need romance novels, cop TV shows, Angelina Jolie movies or even make-drama fights with my husband. Every game pits me against worthy adversaries and I either meet the challenge, aided or not by luck, or I fail and learn another lesson. I’m up against old geezers or young bucks, never knowing whether they have the goods or if they are bluffing. And I can bluff…am supposed to bluff. I can hide a good hand and the right touch of acting can reel someone into my trap. Yes.
But sometimes I lose. I’m a nit, an ATM, a donkey, a fish, or a mark. I’m on tilt.
Poker and what it gives me is a door to a fuller middle age. My coming years are no longer a dreaded time, but something I am anticipating. I intend to grow as a player and enjoy the learning curve.
Of course we have our favorite cards and as a woman, l associate with the queen of hearts. My door shows both sides of the queen. I have love from my husband, family and friends. I have luck illustrated by my radiant health, my amazing home and my gifts. I have also faced devastating loss. The flip side.
When life deals me a bad hand, I can survive because I know that patience will bring another hand. I want to keep the door open to new possibilities.

Annabelle Baker