THE PADUCAH PORTFOLIO…10

The Portfolio express has been temporarily derailed by my wife’s illness.  She recently spent 5 days in the hospital recovering from a severe case of Salmonella poisoning.  (No, we don’t know where it came from.)  Fortunately she is now home and well on her way to full recovery.

But before I can get back into my routine I have prepare for next weeks opening reception for my daughter’s exhibit of her felted critters, paintings, and drawings.  This means it is time for my annual  “ clean up the studio, throw out stuff, and make space where none exists”.  Before I can set up Sara’s work I have to move some of mine out of the gallery.  Before I can do that I have to move stuff out of the studio so there is room for the work from the gallery.  And before I can dot that….you get the picture.  I can’t tell you how sorely tempted I am to give everything away, and start all over.

If my life wasn’t so good, I would complain!

The last thing I completed before this unexpected break:

The Colonial...markers and pastel

PAVAROTTI AND MOM

My mother was a big fan of Luciano Pavarotti.  She had a modest collection of his records and tapes that she listened to, and was delighted when Patience and I told her we had purchased tickets for all of us to an upcoming concert in Philadelphia.  

The concert was in a sports arena, which has since been torn down, and as we were walking up toward our seats my father, slipped and fell, face down on the concrete steps.  His face was bruised and bleeding; an attendant quickly arrived to help and offered to take him to a first aid station, to which my mother replied, “oh he’s ok, lets get to our seats”.  She had NO intention of missing any of the Pavarotti concert for a few bruises.

Yesterday I watched a Tribute to Pavarotti on a DVD, which included video of one of his concerts, and all I could think of was my mother, and how much she would have enjoyed the opportunities our new technology provides us.  It was another reminder of the good fortune I enjoy, that was not available to her.

1985

1985

 For "good measure" I have to include this photo of me from the early 80's when I still had hair and it was brown.

A Pavarotti Wannabe

THE PADUCAH PORTFOLIO…9 The delight of working with pastels

DOMES ON BROADWAY

I don’t know why I don’t work with this wonderful medium more often.  Wait…yes I do know why.  It is difficult to exhibit and/or store pastel paintings without framing, and as prolific as I tend to be, the cost soon becomes prohibitive.  But since some of the work in this portfolio is small, I am giving in to the pull of the pastels.

Unlike my precious work, I am working directly, with pastel pencils, on toned paper.  I love the way white or light colored structures jump off the paper when rendered this way.

I have completed several small paintings, and several more in the pipeline.

SLIM'S BBQ

FORMERLY HUGG THE DRUGGIST

PIZZA BY THE POUND