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What? You don't even work anymore.
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Yes I do - I paint, clean cat boxes, feed rabbits - I also clean the house on occasion and remove snow when it does that... snow I mean.
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Well, what of it?
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Well I took yesterday off - I rarely take a day off. I went to mail a package and visited a new art store afterwards, and then I stopped by a junk shop looking for frames and other weird stuff I might use in my art.
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Oh? How was it?
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The thrift store? I felt as if I was in the Twilight Zone while there - such strange people - and it was crowded. Really weird people however, like those one would expect to see in a George Tooker waiting room. Very spooky, very odd. While browsing the picture bins I came across original art by unknown artists... nicely framed... expensively framed... The highest priced piece was $16.00.
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I came home quite depressed.
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Art: "The Waiting Room" - George Tooker
George Tooker is a fantastic artist. I LOVE his "The Waiting Room" among other equally impressive works. Did you know he converted to Catholicism? I'm not sure how far he came into the faith, however.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not mistaken he's also gay.
a very interesting painting.
ReplyDeleteI never take days off either.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with that? :)
Terry, good for you!!! We were in the Cities on Wed told fr jm that we should have met you for lunch.
ReplyDeletesr petra
Tom - yes he did become quite a good Catholic - he painted an altar piece for a Church out east - someday I'll post on it. I called him once, shortly before he died.
ReplyDeleteSF - It's because you are a wife and a mother and a saint.
Sr. Petra - sorry I missed you.
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteIt really is different for artists, isn't it? A writer can always hope for a better print run and a composer can always get better musicians to perform or record his work, but once a painting or sculpture is gone, it's gone.
Terry - don't lie! You really didn't take the day off - you and I went fishing for Angela! LOL!
ReplyDeleteFor many years when I was a starving college student, then my ten-year stint in the military I frequented thrift shops and discount grocery stores..you can find the neatest things in them and I still frequent them..I found several old Engineering resources, a couple of Latin textbooks, old rosaries, a rather beat-up Latin Missil..pawnshops too.....I mentioned in a previous combox post that I trolled thrift shps for frames for my Art Class I had to take in college to frame our weekly assignments...wonderful finds.
ReplyDeleteI too feel sorry for the artists whose nice works end up in thrift shops...a few years ago I picked up some sweet little watercolors of hummingbirds among flowers...I put new mats on them and reframed them and they are just adorable...gave them to my mother for Mother's Day as she loves hummingbirds...I wish the artist could know how much joy their works brought to us....
Sara
Sara
P.S. I LOVE to people watch..the older sections of town have the most interesting people, unlike to snotty neighborhood I live in where people won't even give you the time of day. the thrift shops, discount grocry stores, biker bars, veterans shelters, soup kitchens, funky little coffee shops...I love to bring my Spirit of Carmel and a smile and my dollars to these folks..my neighbors and coworkers are shocked to say the least... :)
ReplyDeleteBut growing up my grandma showed me the hippies and the artsy-fartsy folks on the beach in Oregon where she lived so I'm warped for life :)
Just last week I found the neatest little pottery studio..some perfect little pots to put some clemantis in..that the grocery store was going to throw out as they were a bit wilted...will look lovely on my desk at work. Just a bit of water and TLC and they have the prettiest pink blooms...
Sara
Sara - I stopped in the thrift store because of an earlier comment of yours about art students finding frames for their work there.
ReplyDeleteLarry - now I'm really embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone noticed the man in the glasses looking at the viewer in Tooker's painting? Now look at my painting "Watchmen" in the sidebar - notice the man in the glasses behind the model?
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought this was one of your paintings.... because of that figure. Yes, I recognized him. They are both interesting works, though they make me feel uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteYou are describing, to a "t", my stops at Wallmart...oh, dear Lord, I absolutely hate them (my stops there, not the people!), but I have to, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI just pray for the people I encounter...it's pretty pathetic, I try not to judge, but, you know, it's just pathetic.
That's it.
Terry, did you say George Tooker passed away?
ReplyDelete"I called him once, shortly before he died."
I was unaware he was deceased. Even Wikipedia (among others) shows only that he was born on Aug. 5, 1920.
Tom - I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone - I was told he died. I had called him to say how much I admired his work and the fact he had become Catholic. I brought that up in conversation once and the person I was discussing his work with told me he died. I'll have to investigate further - if he is still alive I shall call him again - he would be in his 90's again. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteTom - you are correct - he is very much alive - I am sorry for the mistake. I found an excellent article on him here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/03/01/reappearing_act/
No problem, Terry. It's a misunderstanding that can happen to anyone:0)
ReplyDelete