Left hand blue, right foot green...

Ugh...I have been battling sciatica on and off for close to two weeks now. This morning, I felt like a forgotten crumbling old pretzel found underneath a refrigerator. Though several aspirins later and walking about all morning and afternoon, it is much better now. In fact, I think that I may be able to join George for the quick overnight trip to Collingswood that we are going to take later this afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing how my garden bulbs are progressing. If I like what I see, I'll post pics here. Now, on to something very different. This link was sent to me by my very thoughtful sister. It's a fascinating online documentary about 9-11 entitled "Loose Change II". It's thought provoking, and, over one and a half hours long. So far, I have watched only the first 30 minutes, but guess what I will be finishing later. Here is the link http://www.policestateplanning.com/loose_change_ii.htm

All's well that ends well...

It’s about 6:30 in the evening here at the beach right now. Two things have changed in connection to that fact since last Friday. First, if it were last Friday, it would be dark right now. Secondly, if it were last Friday I would be in the green room of the Milton Theatre waiting to go on stage in thirty minutes.
I am frankly, quite pleased that both of thee changes have occurred. I love adding an extra hour of light to the day and I am very pleased not to be going back on stage.
I want to make it clear that I am not implying that I had an unpleasant experience with the production. I was glad to do it. I met some nice folks, deepened some already existing friendships and learned a few new things. Plus, it was good, at least locally, for a bit of extra PR, which, in my opinion, is always a good thing. Here are a few pics from the Director's Cast party...


That's me on the far right seated next to the wonderful new friend of mine - Kim, who played Lady Bracknell in the production. Next to her is my dear friend Suzette who played Gwendolyn in the show and she is seated next to Brian, a very nice fellow and a professional cyclist.


Here is an image of the lovely and young Allison who played Cecily. Next to her is her charming boyfriend Roger. If I try very intently, I can't actually recall some fuzzy dreamlike memories of being the age that they are currently.


Here I am with the wonderful Liz. This fun loving Brit has brilliant talent to boot. She played Lady Bracknell.

I have 50 other pics, but I won't place them here. So, now I am ready to get back to the business of my art - and I can't wait!

"I SAID bring me some more BONBONS!"

Though I haven't posted a WTF in the while, I found the words leaving my lips this morning after this experience.

It's a little after 6:30 AM, I'm watching CNN and one of the lead stories is about super model Naomi Campbell throwing a phone at her maid. Why would anyone beside her, her attorneys, the maid and her attorneys care about this drivel?



Though, when I study the image of her above, I can actually see her thinking, "interrupt me again bitch and you're going to eat this phone".

On a different note, tonight begins the last run of "Earnest". We will be having guests in from out of town and two cast parties. I'm wondering now if the actual performance won't be the least fun of this coming weekend. So, after the disastrous incident that occurred during Act I last Sunday, please, if you're reading this, wish me a "break your leg".

To bid or not to bid...

I just read this online and thought it was fascinating...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4860066.stm
Particularly when you learn that Macbeth would't even exsist today had it not been for the book.

Is Your Back Back Bad Today?

Though it is a beautiful early Spring day, I somehow managed to begin the day with a terrible lower back ache that has be hobbling about like an ancient old man.



Well, it's actually not quite that bad, yet, but it seems to be approaching that area.
I wonder how much of it has to do with the fact that the final weekend of the show kicks in Friday. I must admit, shamefully, that I wish this how had only a one weekend run. It's not that the show isn't enjoyable - the crowds really seem to enjoy the performances. I just have much to do in other more important areas of my life. However, this chapter will end after Sunday's show and then back to normal.

Her name was Lola...

It's early Wednesday morning. I awoke around 5:45 and it is now 6:42 AM. I slept very little last night - all types of thoughts running through my mind. Much was accomplished yesterday in regards to the studio renovation.



As you can see form this exciting photo, all of the insulation has been put into place. Insulation has a very strong odor, not unlike that of gasoline.



It really won't be long now at all until this is finished and I can begin painting again. I am very anxious for this to occur.

I was pleased to see upon arrival Monday afternoon, that all of my bulbs that I planted last October are starting to come alive with the warmth of Spring.



This is something that fills me with wonder each year. I love growing plants in the garden. It is very grounding. Last night, George, Tom, Larry and myself went into Philadelphia and ended up on South Street where we had burgers and margaritas at Copabanana. While there, a very drunk young lady who identified herself as an airline attendant approached the table. She said that she was looking for a guy. No one in particular, just any guy. She drunkenly asked if we were gay - which seemed to bother Larry somewhat because he asked her if she had coma all the way over to the table just to ask us that. She said no, but then claimed that her work as an airline attendant made her ability to recognize gay men stronger than most for some reason. She was actually very nice in a drunken cute way. She loved my hair, proclaiming it as "fucking great" and kept running her hands through it. My stylist would be pleased.

But I don't like the duck....

Tuesday morning, early. It's close to 8 AM but I have been up since 4:45 AM - though I spent the first 15 minutes laying in bead bleary eyed listening to the pre- dawn bird chorus. It seems, in my experience at least, that that is not a sound that I can connect to Winter. It either seems to start in Spring, or perhaps only I begin to notice it then. In any event, it is a sound that I always enjoy listening to. It is timeless, natural and innocent.


My head was also a little fuzzy after the wonderful chunky monkey martinis that Tom made. Tom and Larry are here to help George and I work on the studio. Late in the afternoon/early evening before dinner Tom introduced us to the elegant and sinfully delicious combo of chocolate, cream, banana liquor and vodka in a icy martini glass. They went down a bit too easily.
Prior to that element however, I walked with Tom and Larry and their dogs to the lovely Knight's Park which is a short jaunt up the street.



I saw the most immense tree there. It had to be a least 200 hundred years old.This image really can't do it justice, but it must be the largest tree in the park out of many.



I also managed to see this somewhat creepy children's play item...


I can only assume that in it's heyday, this duck was considered cute and likeable. Somehow, it seems now that it has crossed over into the valley of the maniacal and disturbing. It looks angry and is surely the one critter in the park that only the bravest of children would dare get upon.

This can't be happening...

It always amazes me when, during a theatrical performance run, you can have one great night and then the next day, something, well, much less than great. Yesterday, during the afternoon matinee, I had one of the worst experiences of my life on stage. I think it’s called a “deer in headlights” moment.



From what the other loyal and very understanding cast members told me, most of them have had one at one point in their on stage experiences as well.
The thing that really bothers me is that I don’t know why it happened. I mean, I do know why it progressed the way it did, but as to what caused the initial car to derail, I have no idea.
The scenario is as thus, I had just delivered the line that starts, if Gwendolyn accepts me, I shill kill my brother”. My character is speaking metaphorically about killing an alter ego of his. It gets a laugh from the audience. My next line starts with “ If I should marry a charming girl like Gwendolyn” which came out all well, but then FOR SOME unknown reason I repeat, “I shall kill my brother”. And that is where the first domino fell. I knew that I had misspoken my line. So, while staying in character I then said, “No, what I mean is” and then it happened. My mind went blank. Eric and I ( he is playing Algernon – wonderfully I might add) just froze and stared at each other. My forgetting the line threw him to he point where he forgot his follow up line. So, we just stared at each other blankly for what seemed like an eternity. Then he finally said, “Well?” and he began to adlib a line. Now panic sets in, so at the point in time anything that comes into my mind, EXCEPT the next line of course, is going to be blurted out. And it was, which is why I said “I’m sorry, I think that we should ring the bell”.
All of this is being said in character of course. The reason that I suggested that we ring the bell is because the next characters that come on stage are supposed to be Lady Bracknell and her Gwendolyn. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought in a nano-second that that would trigger them to ring the bell offstage. Well, Eric does ring the bell but he calls for Lane the butler. He enters and Eric adlibs again about the missing cucumber sandwiches (if you have ever seen “Earnest” you know what I’m talking about). Lane then says “do you want me to go get some?” The whole time, a voice is my head is saying “this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening”. Fortunately, it was at that point that the bell rang, and in came Laby B and Gwen. And we all got back on track. Lady B was so shaken however, while offstage, by what had happened on stage that her teacup was shaking the entire time like a leaf on a tree.
ARGGGHHHH.
I was told later my the tech crew that it only seemed like a brief pause form the audience and that most of them thought that the bell had malfunctioned. It seemed like an eternity on stage.

All I know is that I NEVER want that to happen again. Fortunately, George and I are off to the lovely Collingswood today to work on my studio. Larry and Tom will be joining us and I won’t even have to think about “Earnest” until next Thursday evening.

Eh? Speak up boy!

Here it is late Sunday morning. I have to be back at the theatre in 2 hours for the matinee performance of The Importance of Being Earnest. The curtain goes up at 2:00. I must admit, we had a great show last night. The house was packed and very responsive. If you’ve ever been on stage performing in any way whatsoever...



you understand how important that is. I had a whole crew of friends in the audience which helped tremendously as well, not to mention my partner George who quite honestly praised the performance of the entire cast. Believe me; if he thought it was weak, he would have said so. We also had our beloved Marnie as a houseguest for the weekend. She loved the show and we her visit. Of course, I would probably feel a bit better now and much less fuzzy had I not stayed up to 1:30 AM drinking wine, eating and laughing with her and a few other guests from the cast. But, hey, that’s what weekends are for.



That is a photo from a scene from last night's performance. This would be ACTII where I first learn of Algy's visit. I'm on the right in the dark "mourning" suit. Now, it is time for me to chill for a bit before hitting the stage this afternoon. I must admit, I'm not a big fan of the matinee – for one reason, you have to speak so much more loudly on stage for the majority of the audience…

The vital importance of being earnest...

Wow- finally another entry. Does anyone actually read this blog any longer? OK, I hit a very busy period that ran from February until, well, actually I’m still not over it. Last night was the opening night for The Importance of Being Earnest. Devoting yourself to any type of theatrical production can be time consuming to say the least. So. Lets just say thatt is the main reason that I have been behind in updating this blog. Let me also state that I will strive to keep this updated on a daily basis from this point on, for the most part.
I seem to have crossed over into somewhere beyond the valley of the rambling.

Of course, this sometimes happens during opening week of a stage show. I'll have the script running through my head constantly, not to mention the adrenaline of the performance as well as all of the post show entertaining. So, bear with me over the next few days those of interest. Though, I will do my very best to keep updating this blog on a regular, if not daily, basis, especially after this arrives in a few short days....

Lover Boy, True Love, Be Mine

I can't believe that somehow I didn’t realize that today is Valentine’s Day until I happened to move the cursor over the time and date info. I thought today was the 13^th. I’ve been scattered in too many directions.

Oddly enough, I’ve met several people over the years that had birthdays on this day (Happy Birthday Carl if you happen to run across this!). I always thought that if one had to have a birthday fall upon a holiday, that Valentine’s Day would be the one to choose. At least, if we are able to choose, and who knows – perhaps we are.

In any event, there are several projects that I must add to my “to do” list for the day now that I’ve made the connection. These would involve purchasing flowers, a touching card and perhaps candy, though both my partner and I are trying to lay off such treats. I wonder, can raw baby spinach ever be considered romantic?

Monday and the snow

So, I've had coffee and now I will literally dig my car out of the 20 inches of snow so that I can begin my trip back to the beach. I'm only going because I have rehearsal this evening, Act III of "Earnest". Here is one last pic of this storm that I want to post. I took this as we were leaving the house last night around sunset on our way to a friend's for dinner. This was taken from my front porch.



And here is the cast pic from "The Importance Of Being Earnest".


That is I in the lower left corner. We are all gathered about a print of my painting "Wilde" which I will autograph and which will then be auctioned off as a fund raiser for the Theatre.

Shameful absence and Winter Storm

I have to admit, loathe though I am to do so, that it has been a shamefully long time since I have updated this blog. I had every intention of documenting my month long journey back to the state where I was raised for my exhibit at the Capitol Arts Center in my hometown. This didn’t occur however because my laptop ( which I now refer to as my crap-top), just stopped allowing my access to the web just as my journey began.
I will state that the trip was wonderful and successful for me on may levels both professionally as an artist and interpersonally as a human. I am quite sure that I will be peppering this blog with tales and images from the experience because there are many of both.
However, at this moment it’s Sunday afternoon and there are 20 inches of snow on the ground. I awoke this morning to the sound of thunder and a flash of lightening which caused me to glance to the window with bleary eyes to behold a massive snow storm swirling through the air.

I grabbed for the digital camera and took the above pic through my window around 5:30 AM. Here are a few more that I took as the coffee was brewing...





And here are some I took while I was shovleing the 20 inches of snow from our walk...





That one is the snow piled in front of our house...

There are other images, but you get the picture. If all goes well, I will be able to dig my Beetle Bug out of this mess and make it back to the beach in time for rehearsal tomorrow afternoon for "The Importance Of Being Earnest" - my latest theatrical endeavor for the Milton Theatre Group for which I am co-producing as well as for which I have been cast in the lead role. Act III tomorrow.

Hit the New Year Running...

It's the evening of the first day of 2006. While I had quite a bit of fun last night, I spent the day packing up my artwork and my bags in preparation for my solo exhibit back in the town I grew up in, the ever quaint Bowling Green, KY.

This will be my first solo exhibit in KY, and in my hometown to boot. I've had very successful exhibits up and down the east coast with no anxiety at all. What is it then, about returning to your hometown after so many years, that makes this show so different for me? That's going to be one of the aspects of this practically month long visit that I intend to examine.



Obviously, this is going to be a important trip for me on many levels for many reasons. Though, above all, for myself, it's important to remember that beginning the new year with a solo exhibit, is a damn fine way to hit the New Year running...I hope to document as much of it here as I can - however, am I totally exhausted at the moment and I am going to drift off, hopefully, to a deep slumber.


Stay tuned for much more - the journey begins tomorrow.

So long Father Time...

Well, here it is, the day before the last day of the year. Not that anyone has a choice in the matter, but I am ready for this year to move on and let 2006 begin. I have good feelings about what this coming year may have in store and I'm anxious to begin them.

So much has happened during the year that when I stop and process it, it's seems amazing that my partner and I made it through as well as we did. Of course, keeping yourself focused mentally has much to do with it.

In spite of all of the many changes that occurred over the last year, in all honesty, I must say that at this moment, I am much happier than I was a year ago. At this very moment as a matter of fact, I am sitting in the new front porch swing on the porch of our newly purchased home right outside of Philadelphia.



Of course this is a weather rarity, but also at this very moment, the sun is shining brightly on my face and it must be at least 60 degrees.

A year ago, I didn't even know that this wonderful little town where I am now sitting on the swing on my front porch even existed. Amazing what can happen in a year isn't it? A year ago on this day, we were still unpacking in the newly constructed townhouse at the beach - a place that I later learned to dislike tremendously. Of course, without the sale of that place so quickly, I wouldn't be where I am at this very minute. Basking in the sun on my new swing on my front porch listening to Carly Simon's wonderful new CD "Moonlight Serenade"

slinking out of the open window. I do love it here - and am ready to take on the new year bright eyed and determined.

No time like the present....

Really, how shameful. Tsk. Tsk. Its been close to 2 months since I've updated my blog. Though, to be fair, in that time, I've finalized moving into 2 different houses, been involved with 2 different solo exhibits of my work in 2 different cities ( DC and Baltimore) and have been working on getting my next solo exhibit (which opens on January 6th at the Arts Center in my home town) together.
I still have much to do. In the interim I will post some little photos taken with my great next Xmas toy - the Nikon Coolpix 7600!

All thanks to the incredible George...
First, here is the hip neo-retro white Christmas tree in the living room


I have yet to end my love affair with the white tree. It just sparkles with Winter Solstice!

Here are two very large water towers not far from my house. I love the robin's egg blue color of them and the font used in the lettering. In the foreground is the local Firehouse built in the 1860's.


Here are two views from the lovely and massive park which is about a 10 minute walk from my house. I often speed walk the parameter of this park for exercise which, when walking from my place, seems about 2.5 miles total.



And last but not least, the front of my house outside of Philadelphia...



My dear friend Suzette calls it the "Butterscotch Castle" which she says is a Captain and Tenille song though for some reason I can't recall it.
Alas.

Get Happy...

Well, it seems that the days between my blog postings are getting closer and closer together. I'm going to label that a good thing.

The symbolic dust is beginning to settle somewhat from the moves and I should find myself on a more normal schedule. One thing that I did find the time to do over the last week while waiting for repairmen and cable guys was to read a good book.

The book that I read was "Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland" by Gerald Clarke.


This book was published in 2000. I had every intention of purchasing the book 5 years ago, but it was just one of those things that slipped further and further down on my to do list. Last Monday, while exploring the neighborhood, I found myself in front of the local library. I hadn't actually checked out a book from the library in years, and there I was, standing in front of one. I walked in, got my card, walked upstairs and saw this book standing upright on a shelf right in front of me.

If you are a fan of Garland, as I am, you'll love this book and understand how she became that troubled, amazingly complex and astonishingly talented person. You can find this on amazon.com by clicking here

The flow of painting...

While it has shamefully been close to 3 weeks since I last updated this blog, I can't say that it was out of laziness or boredom. In the last 3 months, I have had two separate major solo exhibits in two major cities ( Washington DC and Baltimore) and all the while been in the process of moving the contents of one home into two homes 130 miles part from each other.

I had a great time at both art events ( the show in Baltimore is still up until November 26 at the Light Street Gallery) . The Fine Art publishing company that prints my work ( Ariel Of France) released a new line of my work within the last couple of weeks as well. I'm curious to see how these go over with the public. I'm very fond of these works, and the head of Ariel chose these out of several new works of mine. Here are the new works that they have published.


Espy


The Recital


Ethereal Visitation I


Ethereal Visitation II


Wilde

Now, what's interesting about artwork often is the story behind the works. For example, the work Wilde is actually a print of a work that I was commissioned to create as a birthday gift. Though I am a fan of the theatre and literature, I normally would not have painted a portrait of Oscar Wilde. The person for whom this was created was, so her partner commissioned me to paint it. The lettering in the work is actually based on a letter that he had written to a fan of his in Louisville, KY who had seen him at perform a poetry reading there during his American trip.
After I finished the work, I really liked the results. I photographed it as I do all of my work, which is how the President of Ariel Of France saw it. So, now it is in print production and could end up anywhere across the US, Canada or parts of Europe.
The two "Ethereal Visitation" works actually began as three failed portraits. I started them, didn't like the way they were going, stopped working on them and began other projects.
I kept them around the studio however and came back to them about a year and a half later. I then added color washes and lettering and presto - new works that I was happy with. So, let that serve as advice to beginning artists out there - if you're having problems with something your working on, don't force it. Put it away, take a break, clear your head or start something else. It doesn't matter if it takes 2 hours or 2 years, you can come back to it with a new perspective and watch it come together.
As with life, there really is a flow to painting. You can either go with the current or go against it.