Landscape of Virginia

Way back when, this little Jewish girl painted my portrait because she just liked me for some wonderful but unknown to me reason. Today, she teaches at Tyler College of Art and Design in a northern city not far away, and she is well from what I hear and just was awarded a prize for her art. She is an abstract painter, in her own very thoughtful way she out did over three hundred fifty other very good painters in order to win her recognition. I am tickled to have this painting by this little Jewish girl who asked me to sit against the wall of my apartment so she could paint of all things me. Congratulations go out to her and I do thank her and keep her in my thoughts in a good way.

Back years ago there was a place on the downtown bricked over mall which was the Main drag there is a store which was a restaurant. It was quite a nice wooden structure that housed a burger and sandwich joint plus some upper balcony art galleries and such. My favorite was the chocolate shop that came in and would always make my mouth water whenever I walked in for lunch with a friend. The chocolates were right at eye level and I could never leave that place without a sample of them on my person. Having said that, a few years ago they closed up and the building was sold and turned into a clothing shop for some trendy wares of one kind or another. Now whenever the name of that restaurant comes up people wane nostalgically; one person who is the daughter of a former co-worker had a prom date in it and just the name brings up regret towards its' demise. And so I painted an oil of it because of her request for me to do so. It turned out I had some drawings of it in the

Another day worth living and appreciating all those who continue to make it possible for me to be free and enjoy my life in all it's expressions. Much is done in my life as an artist and I often hear artist relate to the fact that there ability could thrive as it does without a good basis in drawing. And so I have taken on drawing as all so important part of my life working in art, as well as the business end which is often overlooked; I work with my gallery in taking on work that allows them to steer me in one direction or another. Because today I can put faith in another's outside point of view and take it for what it's worth...either taking it up or not, it's still helpful to listen to it and then decide if it's doable or not. But often ideas of mine stem from my idle drawings which come from deep within. It's all good, I enjoy myself whether I'm working on someone else's ideas or some of my own. I put as much quality as I can into either