Revenge of the Sleepless Man

ANYONE who thinks of the strongly evocative Rural Idyll might include in their rumination a lovely rooster and it's crowing that begins the new day. Picture it- a pretty farm setting where the sun is slowly rising over the pasture, and in the distance a rooster announces the glorious new day with a proud “cock-a-doodle-doo”. Yeah, right. How 'bout an unbelievably loud screechy crowing starting at 4:45 AM and continuing NON-STOP until well after you've left for work? Oh yes, this neighbor with the rooster also placed their coop against the property line as close as possible to our bedroom. During summer with the windows open, the crowing has been loud enough to keep ME awake, and in my sleepless state, insidious courses of action start to form in my groggy brain. How 'bout chemically-altered chicken feed? Nope–don't want to hurt innocent chickens. How 'bout a blow gun with– no, wait, I wouldn't do anything like that. BUT, it has inspired me to obtain a bit of cathartic release by creating some art of a different sort. So, here's my preparatory “sketch” for my next oil, “Revenge of the Sleepless Man”. Thanks go to my daughter, Katie, for her help with the title.

It's MY dream, so I get to have a nice train and a giant bug-eyed rooster. Don't forget the comfy floating bed. The canvas, 48 inches wide, is in the early stages.

I could show this to my neighbors, but I KNOW they wouldn't get it.

de Young and de Restless

TWO weekends ago I attended the "Birth of Impressionism" show at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. I really don't have words (c'mon, use your words, Gary) to describe how excellent it was to see some renowned art "in the flesh" (canvas?). Monet's La Gare Saint-Lazare was certainly a highlight for me–hey, it's a train station for crying out loud!
Discovering some perhaps lesser-known artists is always fun. I loved Tarbell's Blue Veil for his beautiful brushwork and use of complimentary color.
The following day, we saw more Impressionists at the Legion of Honor Museum and it's exhibition, "Impressionist Paris". I'm embarrassed to say I didn't recognize the artist Jean-Francoise Raffaelli, but I was stunned by his large canvas Boulevard des Italiens, Paris! All in all, this was very inspiring stuff to see. Now, back to the old easel. Next up–I begin my new painting inspired by my neighbor's "lovely" rooster, entitled "Revenge of the Sleepless Man." (I'm not kidding...)