December 2022 Looks to Be...

 ...a fairly normal month. Which is to say that, yes, anything can happen.

It's thickly foggy outside my studio window this morning, Saturday, 26 November, 2022. I have been delivering food orders for my dearest's business, Tinwings, for a couple weeks now and despite that twice-weekly addition to my schedule I do miss my painting classes with graphics master Charles Brindley, which are suspended until the first week in January. I took a lovely full day Brindley workshop on underpainting and paint application techniques a couple weeks ago, and did enjoy the drive up to his home in Adairville, Kentucky to do so. I'm just rambling here so stop me anytime. 

I finished my penitentiary painting (because at some point you just have to call it done) and I'm pretty good with it. 

After a still frame from Brian Siskind's brilliant video portrait of the abandoned Tennessee State Prison, "On the Inside"

The day of the painting class in KY I started a new canvas, which is an attempt to capture the mood of a photo I took up at my friend Rocky's ridge. Here's the photo:

Sunset on Rocky's ridge

The colors are beginning to work, as I apply layer after layer to the canvas. I think this will be a long effort. Yes, I expect it will. One pervasive challenge is implementing the transition between what is seen and what is not seen until it is painted. Charles says "We artists paint what is seen and what is unseen" and has said that "visual literalists must be the unhappiest people in the world." I smile.

My Life's Love Lee Ann and I went out last night! We were invited to go downtown on a Friday night, and though we don't normally venture out on weekend nights, our friend Michael Sharpe's Sinatra tribute set in the gorgeously decked out bar within the Hyatt Holston House last night was early in the evening, and we wanted to see the show mainly to support him. We were thoroughly entertained! Michael's voice is perfect for the iconic Rat Pack crooner style. Technically on target, he pays effective respect to his phrasings and is pitch-on throughout. I believe that those long pitch-perfect word endings can only be achieved by hours of rehearsal and a perceptive and self-critical ear. The trick in that is to do the trick without it sounding like a trick, and he's certainly mastered it. Michael also brings an infectious joy to his show--a little self-deprecating banter here, a sizable helping of music trivia there, the well-placed prop; he's got it all.

Michael Sharpe in a li'l Happy Holidays pose with my sweetie, Lee Ann

I have a rare day off with my honey today--Tinwings is traditionally closed on Thanksgiving and the following weekend. We have ambitious plans to relax around the house. A little day-drinking may well be involved. A nap. Certainly a nap. 

I hope things are well in your world and I say come on, December, come ON!

Montana Trip 2022

Final update with pics from July 9, 2022--Done!

So, I think I'll just let the images describe this leg of our summer Montana trip, 'k? Click on the image above to view our dynamic annotated album from July 3, 2022 to July 9 when we head on back home to Chez Merrique in Nashville. Click on the first pic and navigate through the photos with the arrows on the sides. This album will stop growing but remain as long as the Internet loves me (and you). Check back often as I'll be uploading and adding brief comments to most pics until the end of the trip. 

BTW, the alarm is armed and neighbors are watching at home, so don't even think about it. Cool.

Happy Birthday, Lee Ann

Today is my beloved's birthday. Yesterday, because of an annual neighborhood festival called Light the Nations, I gave her an early birthday present that I found at the Tennessee Arts and Crafts Fair a couple weeks ago. It's a set of white silver dangly earrings made by Louisville, KY Silver Smith, Phyllis Minnery. They positively light up in natural sunlight.

Lee Ann, on the other hand, has lit up my life in so many ways for the past 35+ years that I can't begin to enumerate them. Hers is the heart that makes my heart sing. Literally.

In honor of her birthday and of that little light metaphor, I share a little ditty I composed and recorded for the occasion. Please enjoy...

The Best Mom Ever

I tried to post this on Facebook but I guess they don't want to become GIFbook. So here it is and I'll link to it from there. That'll teach 'em.

My daughter and my son and their much loved mom were dancing out on the patio one night last November (according to the filename on the camera upload in my bloated Dropbox picture folder. I snapped away, never dreaming that on Mother's Day 2014 I'd post a .gif created (at imgflip.com) from the little picture series on me bloggie.

Here it is, though, as proof that dreams undreamed can come true, and as testament to the best mom ever. It has been the joy of my life to share it (my life) with my dear Lee Ann.

Dance on...