Movies Galore

What an abundance of good films showing in theaters now.  Three rewarding, satisfying, heartfelt and thoughtful escapes from the ordinary for everyone.  "The Lunchbox", "Finding Vivian Maier" and "Le Weekend".  I can't pick a favorite.  I loved them all.

Tick-Tock

Tick-Tock

Thirty years we have lived in this lovely home,
And now we have a mouse in the house.
But I love it (the house, not the mouse).

I worry that it might come up from the basement,
Or invite others buddies in for merriment.
So, it's one step forward to the glue board (Stuck!),
Or two steps backward to the cheddar cheese (Snap!).
Otherwise we could Google a better mousetrap.

People are going GaGa over mid-century decor,
But our house is still dressed in Grandmother's finery.
The furniture just needs to be reupholstered with tapestry,
And the clock repairman tells us to have no fears,
"This grandfather clock is made to run for another 300 years."

Folks have come and gone on our concrete front steps.
One harsh winter we had to add a wooden patch
When a huge chunk fell out of the top stair.
Fortunately, each spring renews our hope that
We can get by with another superficial repair.

A woodpecker drummed with such diligence
That holes dotted the hollow Doric columns of our front porch.
But the quick-setting Bondo solved this nuisance.
The robins still build a sturdy nest above our oval window,
But we can coexist with them and their song, "Cheer-o, cheer-o!"

The Scottish terriers ("Down, Barney!") have also shared our home.
Their unconditional love enriches our daily routine.
But thank goodness for the Green Cleaning Machine.
When it gets humid in the summer I fret
That the floors are telling stories I would rather forget.

We contemplate moving to a new home on a cul-de-sac road,
But how can we leave behind our beautiful abode,
And the foyer when it is visited by rainbows,
Created by the sun on the beveled glass
As it shines through our stained glass windows?

And do you hear that click?
It's not the computer mouse
Or the mouse living in our house.
It's the signal from the mahogany grandfather clock:
It's getting ready to chime the time.  "Tick-Tock..."

The Grand Duke

We like our opera light.  There is a nice production of "The Grand Duke" by Gilbert and Sullivan playing in Minneapolis.  One of my all-time favorite movies "Topsy-Turvy" by director Mike Leigh is about Gilbert and Sullivan.

"Tim's Vermeer"

I enjoyed the documentary film that explores the theory that the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer used a souped-up camera obscura to create his artwork.  David Hockney is featured in the movie and had done a BBC TV series on this topic years ago.  However, the fun part is watching Tim Jenison's painstakingly objective (paint like a machine) approach dissolve into tears when he finishes his reproduced painting of "The Music Lesson."  He, like the artist in the 17th century, had used a helpful tool to create the painting, but it was his heart and soul (not just the craftsmanship) that he invested in the artwork that payed off the biggest dividends.

For Russ

I did a mash up of a painting for a friend, Russell Lunak.  He's standing at the front gate to the J. J. Hill House in Saint Paul with Mt Fuji across Summit Ave.  The Japanese characters say "Thank you".

Poetry Contest

Last year we enjoyed attending the Sunday afternoon event where the ten finalists for the first Love Letters  Poetry Contest read their poems.  Garrison Keillor hosted the event.  It left such an impression on me I decided to give it a go this year.  Here is my try:

Fourth Honorable Mention

I take after my Dutch grandfather.
I am pragmatic to a fault.
I worry about making mistakes.
But what about love?

As the years go by, people seem to be telling me,
I've reached the crest of my hill.
I remind them I still have my giddy-up-and-go.
But what about love?

I go to work like a soldier,
At the same place for 30 years and more,
Never questioning why or what for.
But what about love?

I enjoy pushing paint around on canvas.
With some pretense, I joined the artists' tribe.
I once won the prize for "Fourth Honorable Mention."
But what about love?

Most of the time I have had the companionship of dogs.
I take Barney for a neighborhood walk twice a day.
I'll cry like a baby when he dies.
But what about love?

Live music and theater can nourish my soul.
At times in my life I need them more than I know.
They bring me joy, a gift that pays off in spades.
But what about love?

I like to go to movies on Friday night.
It helps kick off the weekend.
(Hopefully nothing too violent or sexy.)
But what about love?

I purchased a new key from the Ace Hardware Store.
It fits the lock like a glove.
But it still takes a little jiggling to open the door.
But what about love?

I wander around in the bookstore and library.
There are lots of good choices for my pleasure and enrichment.
I usually end up with more than I can handle.
But what about love?

For my health and fitness I participate in a Community Ed. class.
It meets once a week on Wednesday evenings.
Sixteen of us are getting ourselves in balance with T'ai Chi.
But what about love?

Of course, I have my lucky numbers.
I always check on page 2 of the Pioneer Press to see if I won the Daily 3.
I never actually gamble my hard-earned cash.
But what about love?

There's a tree branch in my back yard.
I have to stoop under it to take out the trash.
I could trim it off, but it reminds me to honor Mother Nature.
But what about love?

Lake Superior is like our inland sea.
Grand Marais is the lake's safe harbor.
There are lots of beautiful scenes to paint on Artists' Point.
But what about love?

Traveling near and far can be fun and exciting.
Stonehenge was a spectacular ring of standing stones.
The pickpocket in Paris had considerable dexterity.
But what about love?

After asking the same question a dozen or more times,
It deserves an honest answer:


I met a dear person 40 years ago.
Her middle name is Lou.
I saw the writing on the wall.
It said, "Love is buried deep inside you."

When it comes to my final checkmate,
I will have won the prize without cheating.
It will roll off my tongue.
"I will always love you."

For ever and ever.  Amen.

For Sara

I had a co-worker move to L. A., CA.  I enjoyed having a good excuse to paint something as a send-off.

North Shore of Lake Superior

I enjoy sitting on the rocks at Artists' Point in Grand Marais, MN.  There's no other place I would rather be on a hot day in July.

Warm, Windy and Waiting

A simple pleasure I enjoy is sitting in the back yard.  I think Mother Nature provides therapy that can rival the best psychiatrist.  I wish all the troubled people in the world could find a favorite spot in nature to relax.

Duluth Two Mile Walking Race

We were in Duluth recently for the big race.  No, not Grandma's Marathon, the Park Point 2 Mile Walk.  The field of 38 walkers included this team of seasoned strollers.  Chris finished in 3rd place with a time of 24:04.  Linde finished in 8th place with a time of 26:42 and I was 2 seconds behind her in 9th place.  While I'm recovering from the blistering pace the first and second place finishers, who are 67 and 69 years old, are giving me some hope for my improvement with age.   

Meadow Flowers

I saw a nice photograph taken by Travis Melin from Ely, Minnesota.  He took it in a meadow near Tom's Logging Camp on scenic Hwy 61 near Two Harbors, Minnesota.  Richard Abraham, an artist, said he recalled the words of a customer of his who remarked while looking at one of his paintings, "no sky, no buy".  Well, that seems like a challenge to me.  I also remember a photographer, when we were visiting Paris, say to me "remember...close-up, close-up, close-up".  So, I'm off on a series of paintings, that at the moment, I don't seem to be tiring of yet.

Homage to Rydberg

In 1976 I bought a poster created by Steven Rydberg for the Minneapolis Children's Theatre Company.   I'm hanging some of my painting at the Ginkgo Coffee shop in St. Paul on December 9 - mid January 2013.  There is a nice large wall there that can accommodate larger work.  So I used Rydberg's poster as inspiration to make a large image that is a homage to his beautiful work.  It's 40" x 30", acrylic on canvas.

Quick Paint

As part of the Grand Marais, MN Plein Air Painting Festival last week about 50 artists gathered on Artists' Point for the challenging Quick Paint.  We had 90 minutes to complete a painting.  Our inland sea, Lake Superior, offers beautiful views of water and rocks that sing with the ever changing patterns of color and light.

Night Paint

Also, as part of the Grand Marais, MN Plein Air Festival last week I attempted my first night painting.  I sat down along the harbor under a street light and donned my battery operated cap from Home Depot that has three LED lights on it.  I looked back towards the downtown area and quickly edited out all the hard stuff to paint like sailboats and buildings and added in the fun stuff like the stars and a shooting star.

Frog Bay Tribal National Park

On the south shore of Lake Superior is a beautiful new park.  The Frog Bay Tribal National Park recently opened to the public.  It's on the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation near Bayfield, WI.  It has a nice trail that goes through a dark, mossy forest down to the shore that opens up to this view of the Apostle Islands.

Gunflint Trail

We have often stayed in Grand Marais, MN over the past years.   But, this is the first time we took the time to drive north on the Gunflint Trail.  Near the end of this beautiful 60 mile drive there was an area near Seagull Lake that had burned down in a forest fire a few years ago.  The landscape was slowly recovering from the fire that destroyed all the trees and one benefit was that wild blueberries were growing here now.  I painted this scene looking down this sandy, gravel road that led to the wild blueberries.

Tombolo

Each year when we travel to the North Shore of Lake Superior we find a new favorite place to visit.  This summer we took a walk along the only section of the Superior Hiking Trail that follows the shore of the lake. It's a few miles east of Grand Marais.  We came to this nice, human scale structure that some people refer to as a tombolo.  I enjoyed trying to capture the feel of the place in a small 11" x 14" plein air painting.

Art Perchance 2012

It's time for the annual summer fundraiser of the Friends of the Institute at the MIA .  On Thursday, August 16th from 6 -9 p.m. each time you win a carnival game you'll win a chance to go home with one of the works of art donated by artists like me.  This year my painting is an abstract titled  "Over the Sofa".  www.artsmia.org/art-perchance-2012/

Grand Marais, MN

We enjoyed a trip to Grand Marais.  There's a nice overlook of the city up on the start of the Gunflint Trail on Pincushion Mt.

Downhill Ride

We rented this gray-haired people mover in Lanesboro, MN.  We set off on the Root River Trail and went to the small town of Whalan about 3 or 4 miles away.  We turned around and pedaled back to Lanesboro.  The odd thing was we were having so much fun that it felt as if we were going downhill the whole ride.