Sunday, November 13, 2011

Chillin' in Winthrop


















Julia and Olivia cross-country above Winthrop.



















John, in denim and sage . . .


















Looking up the Methow Valley . . .

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Go ahead, ask him anything . . .














 . . . anything at all! 

Check out Spencer's great "design-and-friends-and-neat-stuff" blog.
http://designhurd.tumblr.com

Still Painting into November

















A well insulated studio!!!!  Second "Bri" painting in work.  Cigar smoke in the air.  Heater ablaze.

Monday, November 07, 2011

And a Happy 35th, Eliot!






























November 6, 1976

Friday, November 04, 2011

From Brac Seeds

The blossoms on our hollyhock from Brac lasted into November this year.

Thursday, November 03, 2011

Uli Day Writes on the Adventure of Quilting

Moorish quilt tiles by Uli Day















See her colorful blog here:  http://uliday.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Picasso and the Nazis

Introduction


By the middle of the 1930's Picasso was the most popular living artist in the entire world.  If you didn't know his work you certainly had heard his name.  Picasso had his way with women, the art world, intellectuals, investors who wanted to purchase his art and most of all with the spirit of Modern Art.  Picasso had the perspective.

            The Nazis had a different perspective.  They despised modern art and wanted to eradicate modern art and modern artists in order to create space for their idealized vision of romantic art to flourish.  Hitler gave an important speech in 1937 where he basically said there were only two reasons why artist's painted abstract paintings.  Either the artists were mentally ill and needed to be castrated so they wouldn't reproduce or that the modern artist was a devious terrorist who needed to be exterminated.  There are not too many good choices out there for you, if you are a modern artist, and if Hitler should be driving his army over the borders of your country and into your neighborhood.

Charles Grimes

(Ed. -- This is the intro to a fun, fanciful and factual book on 'Picasso and the Nazis' that Charles has been working on.  So far, he has about 8 out of 9 chapters roughed out.)





Monday, October 24, 2011

Happy 60th, Unkie / Bro'

Just call him "Mister" Tim!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Spencer Writes: 'Liquor Literature'

(Ed:  This is cross-posted from Spencer's new blog at http://designhurd.tumblr.com . . .
This is a product of the weekly Trivia group that he participates in, "Tequila Mockingbird")

Liquor Literature



Todd: Liquor Literature
Todd: Let’s make a big list cause I want to do a poster series.

James and the giant Peach Schnapps
Tequila Mockingbird
A Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose
Fahrenheit 151
Catcher in the Mai Tai?
Huckleberry Gin?

Niels: The Old Man and the Seagram’s
Alan: Hah. Good ones...

Maybe a few more-

Mad Straw Dogs 50-50
Se7en & 7
Dirty Martini Harry

Spencer:

100 beers of solitude
Slaughterhoused 5
for whom the wells toll ( this is a stretch maybe .. )
The Grapes of Wrath ( no change? )
Yeast of Eden

Spencer: Another,

Lord of the Ryes

Alan:

 Catcher in the Rye (needs no modification)
The Gin and I
Everclear and Present Danger
Taming of the Brew

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Happy Birthday, Arthur

20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891


Morning of Drunkenness

By Arthur Rimbaud
Translated from the French by John Ashbery

O my good! O my beautiful! Atrocious fanfare where I won’t stumble! enchanted rack whereon I am stretched! Hurrah for the amazing work and the marvelous body, for the first time! It began amid the laughter of children, it will end with it. This poison will remain in all our veins even when, as the trumpets turn back, we’ll be restored to the old discord. O let us now, we who are so deserving of these torments! let us fervently gather up that superhuman promise made to our created body and soul: that promise, that madness! Elegance, knowledge, violence! They promised us to bury the tree of good and evil in the shade, to banish tyrannical honesties, so that we might bring forth our very pure love. It began with a certain disgust and ended—since we weren’t able to grasp this eternity all at once—in a panicked rout of perfumes.
      Laughter of children, discretion of slaves, austerity of virgins, horror in the faces and objects of today, may you be consecrated by the memory of that wake. It began in all loutishness, now it’s ending among angels of flame and ice.
     Little eve of drunkenness, holy! were it only for the mask with which you gratified us. We affirm you, method! We don’t forget that yesterday you glorified each one of our ages. We have faith in the poison. We know how to give our whole lives every day.
     Behold the time of the Assassins.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Barrel Racing in Granite Falls

Lori and Allie at Granite Falls



















 Julia and I went to see Lori barrel race in Granite Falls last Sunday.  Lots and lots of people at a small arena and horse farm there.   It was a chilly day and Lori was just getting over the flu.   I'm not sure how many contestants there were but I know it was more than 50.  Lori placed 4th.  It was kinda funny . . . there were 13 riders before Lori rode.  They all did ok, but when Lori came out, wow. . .  she was in a totally different class.  There was no comparison between her and the riders before her.  Even I  - knowing nothing about riding and racing -could see that plainly.  They all had sorta muddled through, riding just fine, but Lori was precise, serious, professional, smooth and fast.  It was pretty amazing to watch!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

UPDATED: All Buttoned Up

View of new arrangement and painting of Brianna in work

















Underneath studio:  R-19 covered by plastic and lath

The ceiling:  Functional, not so charming

Entry:  still charming despite R-13 in walls!




























Got the studio wrapped tight in insulation . . . buttoned up, rearranged, and ready to paint.....

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Chaz Shares: Fall at Lake Michigan



Melanie at Lake Michigan in the Autumn Sunshine.

Saturday, October 08, 2011

Sunday, October 02, 2011

Slavko Sends a Milna Webcam Greeting!!

"It's on the house just below the cemetery.

This September was the hottest ever from the time records run, and I can
tell you it's pretty annoying, can't wait next week when's supposed to
cool down."
(Click here or on image to go to webcam.)

Saturday, October 01, 2011

Help!

1400 square feet of insulation to put up (and down) in my studio . . . 

Eternal Struggle Against Entropy

Lori displays world-class trophy waterline she caught














The second water line leak on the farm in two weeks.  Tough to find these things.  Dug up and replaced one 24 foot length of pipe with six separate splices already on it . . . 24 clamps! . . . still leaking . . .

Friday, September 30, 2011

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

It's Official! Day 1.


Eliot starts at Seattle Center, and gets "swag" . . .
and
more swag . . . (as he says) . . .

Baker Lake Camping Photos -- September 24 and 25


Saturday, September 24, 2011

My Personal Needs

I have been asked to evaluate

My needs and to start living

With some purpose & clear traits

 

After deep consideration I have identified my personal needs

Which are As follows:

 

I need to be in Love

I want to always be spun

In the magic of being

Allured by Love

I am willing to sift through

The heartache and outlast

The betrayals of the heart

And soul but I will do this

Only to remain in Love

 

I need to be in Love

 

I need to be able to do my art

At least one hour a day

And to add two or three starts

Over the weekend days

To write or paint or to stare

At paintings of Rembrandt

Are essential needs for my care

 

I also need to watch and listen

To my media of choice

At whatever volume I need for my zen

As long as my love is agreeable

With my personal yen

Being in love with my love is

Still my number one need

 

Being able to eat on a regular

Basis is my next most important need

 

So there you have it my friends

Four needs to satisfy my passions

And to bring to an end

Any misunderstanding about

How to manage and understand

A simple and lovable lout

Like me

 

Charles Grimes

Friday, September 23, 2011

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Slavko Writes: Back in Milna

How damn good it feels to be back in Milna, a month has passed in Solin usually working whole day, and scorching on the hottest few weeks out of whole year. What a luck! We rented a place not far from us, an on the outside it looks like Norman Bates motel, each time we go in and out we checked if anybody's passing the street (from embarrassment)! Now we have a bedroom and running water. Here are a few photos of it. Didn't have time to finish Ulysses, nor I've seen Internet, so enjoying myself last few days. Nice salmon on the grill, and will try to get hold on the museum guide. If you haven't been in archaeological museum in Split it's about time to visit it, I've seen stellas on the outside, and should be seen what is going on inside. Ha-ha, haunted by the figs, see you subconscious on work, looking good!

P.S. Let name some of the photos:
- Look for me on www
- O I wish I had...
 - My darling in rosemaryes
- I have a hill, too...
- Moonrise at home
- Looking through my window, watching!
- Fall resemblance

Stay well John, hope to see you soon
Many regards from Nada and me,

Slavko 

Monday, September 12, 2011

Our Rose of Sharon






















. . .did very well this year in spite of the nitrogen-robbing raw wood shavings I ignorantly piled around it this spring.  Remember when?

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Olivia's 75th Birthday at Our House
























The Magician delighted children, teens, adults . . .

Sadie's painting: tulips, sunflower, pine and hearts . . .


The Bonfire



Long time friends:  Leona, Olivia, Judy Baker



















































Friday, September 09, 2011

Chaz Sez: Picasso

At times we meet 
Those who find themselves 
Horrified by the personal lives of 
Artists & writers I personally am neutral 
On this subject 
I personally Say yes they are such twits 
But man look at this ART 
I don't care about these themes 
When I think about Picasso 
I just would like to spend a 
Few days with him and his boys 
Working on art 
Talking about  Painting & 
Geometry & and Girls 
Having crazy famous and brave 
People dropping by in the mornings 
Afternoons spent our on the 
Veranda with Dora & Lee & Nusch
Sunning ourselves and comparing 
Stories about the 
Minotaur and walking around the studio filled with canvases 
And being shown the magic pieces     

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Meanwhile, back East . . .

More flooding from a second tropical storm to the west and a hurricane to the east, a foot of rain the past day or so.
Just a bit of water backing up in a basement drain and water in the garage, hopefully that will be it.
Looks like we will top what Agnes did in 1972 and have the wettest year on record, this after no rain in June and July.

Tim took the photo of the Delaware River on his way to a meeting at Columbia Law School in New York today, we shall see if he gets back to Baltimore tonight for a flight to Boston tomorrow morning to meet with New England Journal of Medicine again I think.


Lynne