A Diplomatic Artist Former Ambassador of St. Lucia Focuses on Painting, Poetry by Gary Tischler Joseph Edsel Edmunds is not your average diplomat. A former ambassador, scientist, poet, painter, artist, drummer, and self-described "citizen of the world and humanist," Edmunds is proof that renaissance men still exist. Following him around his home, from the living room to the basement, into the backyard and then up to his private study and finally into the garage, the renaissance qualities of this former ambassador become strikingly apparent. His art is everywhere. Edmundís life spills out from every corner in his house: in the paintings on the walls, in the family photographs of his wife and sons, in the citations and honors, in the white eagle sculpture signifying the Martin Luther King Jr Legacy Award for International Service, in the outdoor sculptures in the backyard, and in the materials he retrieved from Suriname. There may have been a timeóduring his tenure as ambassador of St. Lucia to the United States and the Organization of American Statesówhen Edmunds considered his paintings and poetry as a hobby, even when he was exhibiting in various places, including a well-remembered exhibition at Riggs Bank in 1997. Today, having retired from official diplomacy, the art and the writing are his focus. If serious artóas opposed to the hobby varietyó-has some criteria, it has to include originality, intensity, beauty and something that reflects the passion and personality of the artist. In that sense, Edmunds and his work easily qualify. Some of the originality of his work lies in his unique choice of materials and forms, in particular his use of ice, humus and aluminum foil. He uses blocks of ice as a kind of brush with which to apply paint. The result is a vivid, supercharged intensity and outward-flowing energy, which distinguishes works such as "El Inferno" and "Van Goghís Inferno." "When I use ice, thereís always a certain unpredictability," he said. "You do this with anticipation, because you donít know exactly how the paint will go." These paintings suck you in. They throb with color and life. Other paintingsó such as the haunting and spooky "From Early Man to Modern Man," is about Afro-centric evolution, or "The Holy Shroud," which exudes stillnessóhave different qualities and reflect Edmundsí different gifts and interests. "I think my scientific training certainly informs my art," he said. "It informs what I have done in diplomatic terms and my outlook on the world." By profession and education, Edmunds is a trained nematologistóhis field is the study of tiny organisms that destroy plant life. The way he looks at the world at large, however, is expansive. Examining his record and writings in the diplomatic sphere shows a generous nature, beyond the usual liberal cliches of world brotherhood. "I am a humanist," he said. "I donít mean just the brotherhood of man and things like that. I think the more advanced nations must make it possible for the less favored to not only survive but thrive, to share in the worldís bounty. Sharing is about understanding each other, it helps us nurture and celebrate differences. Yet, we still see nations at war, striving for advantage at the expense of others, the powerful having unrealistic expectations of those with less power. Consider that the so-called developed nations took hundreds of years to achieve what they had today, and yet, it is expected of the less advantage peoples, countries and regions to adapt immediately. Thatís not true free trade." His poetryócollected in "Many Horizons," a selection of his works over the past 40 yearsóreflects outward-looking concerns. Paintings such as "Let Us Make Our World," "Interdependence Must Prevail," "For All of Godís Children," "For Our Indigenous People," "Can There Be Free Trade" and "We Are All Homo Sapiens" also have similar concerns. Many of the works flow outward, seeking to escape borders, boundaries, and frames. Perhaps these works reflect the outlook of a man raised in an island culture, with achingly beautiful landscapes but at the mercy of the great ocean. Perhaps they reflect the perspective of a man raised on one of the islands that forged its own identity after a long period of colonialism. There is a kind of idealism mixed with pragmatism at work: science and art, history and the here and now. One of his paintings is of a St. Lucia scene of bay and mountainópristine, natural, beautiful. "It is full of seaside hotels now," he said and then shrugged. "Change and progress. Itís natural." Edmunds retains a certain ambassadorial formality. Wearing casual clothes, his language and words are carefully chosen, but heís also easily given to laughter. Sometimes, you can hear him on the drums and the percussion instruments in his living room. "I like to play sometimes," he said. Now, this his hobby. The paintings, the poems, those are the art of Joseph Edsel Edmunds. Gary Tischler is the arts writer for The Washington Diplomat.