Pastels, ArtPoems, And More:

Recently completed some pastels in my class at the Bonita Springs Art Center, teacher Jake Hands; still learning but here are two from class and one of a sunset of Sanibel Island used in a project with ArtPoems.org.

 Lakes Park

 Cashiers, NC

 Sanibel at Sunset

This one is inspired by the poem After My Evening Meal by Holly Lee McEntyre. She provided 5 poems. I then drew this in pastel chalk for the selected poem. At the same time, I provided 5 pieces to another poet, Jamilla D Brooks, who will create a poem for one of my 5 art works that she will select. Can't wait to see which piece she selects and then the corresponding work she will create. There will be 3 shows where the pieces and poem will be on display and for two locations the poems are to be read. The tandem pieces will be for sale. The first exhibit will be Wednesday March 7 at the Alliance For The Arts; the second Wednesday March 28 at Big Arts on Sanibel Island; the final will take place at Arts For ACT Gallery during the month of April 2018 with the reception to be held on Friday April 6 during Art Walk in Fort Myers.

Speaking of which...we joined Art Walk on the first. It was also the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony for Fort Myers. Included was an outdoor concert in front of the The Sydney and Berne Davis Art Center downtown. The featured band at this end of First Street was the Beatles tribute band Nowhere Band. They were pretty good. Probably 500 watching. When they played a Christmas Carol they cleverly started with a Beatles chart that morphed into the carol. Think of the lead in to 8 Days A Week; after the ringing notes on the Rickenbacker, instead of oooh I need your love babe, they rolled into the traditional Deck The Halls in that key. Worked perfectly. 78 Degrees, slight breeze off the river. Afterwards we stopped in at Bruno's of Brooklyn, our first visit. Excellent. I told the waitress that my pear shaped pasta filled with four cheeses and a pear puree in white sauce sautéed with peas, portobello mushrooms and shallots was as good as any dish I have ever eaten. Really. 

 black and white to feel like 1964 all over again.

Then last week we saw a couple of productions at the Florida Rep. Last Night of Ballyhoo, which we also saw several years ago at the Missouri Rep on Webster College's campus. This one seemed better, more cohesive, and for some reason did a better job of bringing out the Jewish story.

 Set for Ballyhoo

And on Wednesday we saw Disgraced, an award winning play. Pretty good acting, set design. 

I promise to cover our TransAtlantic cruise in the next addition but it is getting late. And, I hope to have another pastel and oil by then. I will finish with a photo of me and my sister Val at the top of Perch 360 in Punta Gorda as we ate and drank with Val's daughter and her boyfriend in from Houston, and a new neighbor of Val's. 

P.S.

Christmas Tree 2017

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