Art, Music, Travel, Reading, Watching

Link to my website: Claude Lyles Art Works

Reminder that you can click on photos to enlarge and pinch open even further.  April 4, 2019.

New Art:

larger pieces

Early stages of a few works. I started painting with the Lee Plein Air Painters on Friday mornings. I am not accomplished enough to complete the pieces on site so I bring them home and work out my (art) issues. 

2 different outdoor locations

20-minute pencil

And, resumed my Wed afternoon model drawing in Bonita. It will run five weeks and will help me work out the drawing technique rust.  These are two from the first class this week. 

One-minute sketches

from flower session at Edison Ford Estate

Painted on site, finished at home - 12" x 12" oil on wood board

Bunche Beach looking toward Bowditch Point Park, Ft Myers Beach

"Low Tide" 12" X 9" oil on canvas board

Bunche Beach: This was the Negro beach back in the day. As you might be able to tell, not very nice (compared to, say Vanderbilt or Sanibel beaches). Lots of scrub, very shallow water, just a road to the beach, until recently no formal parking spot or restrooms. But, this is where they had to go if they wanted to enjoy the sun and water. 

Old Art: 

Added some final touches of arbor view

Douglas David painting demo for his workshop

 What I am up against...I entered into the members show at Bonita Spring Arts Center three recently completed paintings you saw in my last blog: The statue in the garden, Bocce Balls, and Three Pots. As I dropped them off another member dropped off this one, it is 2 ' X 3', just gorgeous.

These are from my earlier drawing class and will go on exhibit for two months in Bonita's performance center. Everyone who participated in the Monday or Wednesday sessions was invited. 

Listening To: 

Albums/CDs: Epoch Tycho, Joan Osborne Rightous Love, Cheap Trick Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band LIVE. Singles - Two Princes by the Spin Doctors, Be Here Now by Ray LaMontagne. AND, I never knowingly listened to a Metallica song, however, I watch the making of their Black Album on MTV's Classic Albums and found it fascinating, four guys starting out at 16 not knowing what they were doing...when the video was shot many years after the album was cut, they said every year they sell a million copies of that one album. The segment on how Nothing Else Matters was great. I would like to see more of the series; years ago I saw how a Clapton album was created. Peter Gabriel's So! was on later but I had to go to bed. Maybe next re-run. 

Reading: 

Finished my 12-week class on spiritual, graceful aging. I mentioned the class in an earlier blog. Lot of food for thought, good interaction among approximately 25 of us, enthusiastic teacher/moderator. 

 Lots of practical guides for matting and framing.

Recently published. Did not know a lot about her other than her Album Anywhere...Anytime and marriage to Kris Kristofferson. Whole lotta inside stories on music makers in the 60's and 70's. She was born in 1945 so she was on the front end of the Boomer generation, thus she chose to participate 100% in the drugs, sex and rockstar lifestyle. Memo to younger Me Too Movement: things were A LOT different back then, truly anything goes. Not everyone partook, but women were told to breakout, do what you like, no need to hold back and she did. She was combatting the male preponderance in the music field back then, but, lets face it, Rock is a guy thing for the most part. She sang and toured with hundreds of recording artists, Built up her own career. She said in the book what I was thinking as I read it..."It might seem like I slept with every guy in town, but..." trust me, it is a long list. Anyway, an interesting view of what went on in the late 60's and 70's. 

Watching:

This link will lead to a fun interview with artist David Hockney. It will take you to YouTube. Give it a minute to load.

David Hockney interview

Florida Rep - Million Dollar Quartet.

Might be my favorite Florida Rep show over past 5 years. Started out a little "campy" but by the end of the show I was into the Sun Recording session with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins (remember the Beatles Matchbox?). The guy who played JLL, Brady Wease took a cartoonish character and by the end of the show, in the last two numbers put on a full singing, dancing, piano-playing performance that was suburb, exciting, capturing, on and on. Just great. Also, Jeremy Selovitz who played Carl Perkins is quite the guitarist. Captured the 50's sound. 

Nostalgia - baseball style: 

If you are about my age and a Cardinal fan, you might remember Wally Moon. Recently he died. I was reading a casual obit and was too young at the time to know that:

Was the runaway NL Rookie of The Year winner in 1954 outpolling a field that included Ernie Banks and Hank Aaron! He hit 304, scored 106 runs (in 154 games), 76 RBIs in a NL high 716 plate appearances. In '57 he hit 24 homers and made the All-Star Team. Hurt his elbow in '58 and was traded for Gino Cimoli who only lasted one year with the Cardinals. Bad trade. With the Dodgers he was an All-Star in '59, won a Gold Glove in '60 and played on two World Series championship teams in '59 and '65. 

Humor: 

Poor Joe Biden, caught living in what was once an acceptable world to now revised rules applying to old actions. He was always goofy but now he's what, a BAD man, predator? I will say, he should have left Lady Liberty alone, though. Kind of Creepy, don't you think? Like a blow-up girlfriend. (Special thanks to Suzanne).

Screen shot: 

Problem (Still):