New Art = New Blog: Bigger and Better Than Ever Before

Enjoy the photos, you should be able to click on to open them up and even pinch open further.

Very satisfying, 60 people viewed my last post during the first three days!

And, I Shut down my website, claudlylesartworks.com for a couple of reasons. 

I dropped Instagram. Privacy and waste of time concerns :)

I hope you enjoy the updates to my art and life as presented in this blog. IF you don't like the political stuff and don't want to receive future blogs just say so, no hard feelings. So far, only two have taken me up on the offer. With that in mind, remember:

Below the Fold below is where lies controversial stuff, if you don't want to go there, stay above.

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I present:

New Art: Actually a re-work from months ago. I give up. This is as far as I can go. The scene is from Koreshan State Park in Estero. An interesting project in placement, human  interest, light and dark, paint coverage (I sanded it down once because it was so thick).  If you have been there, at least you will recognize the bridge. 

8 x 10" oil on canvas board of Mt Olympus as you head into Estes Park on US 36, from a photo I took two summers ago.











Honor:  Recently I ran across a photo of Joan Miro in his studio. I have framed a poster of his 1978 show at the City Museum in Madrid, Spain. Furthermore, I received one of my few "A" grades in college, on an Art History paper I wrote describing how he used color for composition vs line or shape.

Cooking: Linda made some cookies for a special 90th Birthday...no, not mine! 4-day project.

Humor: Justin Smith must have read my Lifting book...and he was only 22 years old. 

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Remember when all of the guys wanted to date Madonna? Lookin' good Gal

Banking humor...clients should not look

Reading: Forbes Magazine...I liked this thought during these tough times. Hats off to the whole White House Team, what an effort they put forth, and obviously the docs, nurses, hospital staff.

Listening: The quiet Beatle. Recently I read an article in the Smithsonian magazine which described what was probably George's last normal weekend. Several months after Love Me Do was released in England in March 1963, the four took two weeks off. John went one place, I think Paul and Ringo went to Greece, and George with his older brother visited their sister Cathie in Benton, IL, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis. They flew in to Lambert where she picked them up. She spent the days hawking her brother's new band in England and their single. They went camping in a state park. Went to a drive-in movie "They wouldn't have these in Liverpool - all you would see is your windshield wipers working." He stood in during a 100 person music night at the VFW. One person didn't make friends with the guitarist when he told the band they should recruit this kid with the strange haircut' "He's pretty good". No one here had heard of The Beatles. Being a coal mine town, the men especially, associated long hair with poverty. Think of it, this was surely his last normal weekend. From now on crowds, demands, press, almost non-stop touring and recording. No more would he be just Cathie's little brother. So, It made me curious on which songs George sang lead. Some are obvious, but some were a surprise. All four guys were heavy smokers (I wonder if Paul is still) and as we know, George died of lung and two other cancers at 58, way too young. 

Watching: Florida sunrise April 23, 2020

Below The Fold---------------------------------------

Enter at your own risk:

Just saying..."In fact," Isaac adds, "we're the only highly populated nation to meet the World Health Organization's standards for safe air. Of developed countries, only Canada and Australia have cleaner air. It's worth noting, however, that both of their economies are considerably smaller — smaller than the state of Texas's economy alone." So we are back to cost vs benefit, right?

A, you have a G, and you have another A. Ta-da!

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And...

BIG NEWS!

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Her name was Mia and she was born a year after my father. The original artwork was redesigned in the 50's according to the Wall Street Journal, by an Ojibwe artist named DesJarlait. "I'm sorry to see it go," his son told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "We live in a politically correct time..." "But in our family, my dad's work is a source of pride for us. He broke barriers as an Ojibwe artist from Red Lake. Back then you didn't find native people in those kinds of jobs, and this gave him the opportunity to put his spin on a well-known native image." ...In America in 2020, a box of butter is never just a box of butter, went on the editorial.

Spring Art Fair

On April 16 I finished a blog that I did not send out because it was dated - It was going to be the spring training issue but that got called off and the blog just sat there for a month. So, if interested, page to that one after you finish this. I do want to show one art piece here in case you do not view both blogs.

Remember, you can click on the photos to enlarge, pinch them open.

4 x 6" oil on Masonite board, framed ready to hang!

NEW ART:

Acrylic on 8 x 10 Masonite Board

Late night - couldn't sleep, playing around with markers

5 x 12" acrylic on Masonite board

Three pieces done from photos I took during my last visit to Estes Park.

5.5 x 10.5" Pastel over gauche, Highway 36 heading into Estes Park

Entrance into town of Estes Park,  CO

Well, there is one more oil painting for Estes but it is not yet ready and I want to get this blog out so you will just have to wait for it.

ART PURCHASED:

These horses were purchased from our favorite consignment shop in north Naples; the first is leather. 

Two metal bottle openers

Purchased through ArtLoupe - Art St Louis. Oil by Michael Anderson 14 x 11"

FLORIDA: I just love it...

These 3 are from the Naples Botanical Garden, Go, Go, Go if you get down this way $20 admission is worth it, has a pretty decent cafe - at least before the Covid-19 shutdown. 

Not much  I can add to this morning view west on my street.

Old Florida, visit nearby Matlacha

READING:

I will lead off with a "read" that turns to watch if you are game. Terry Teachout has again heaped praise on our Florida Repertory Theatre. He is a regular theatre critic for the Wall Street Journal. I believe he is from Missouri, and his wife recently died. Due to Covid the production for A Doll's House, Part 2 was shut down. We usually attend on the 2nd evening of each production. Fortunately, they taped the final dress rehearsal in front of an audience made up of their staff. Therefore, you get a sense of a live show. Below is a link to his review. And, you will note that you can go online and purchase a viewing for $39.00. He said that even though it was a rehearsal there were very few blemishes. Enjoy his review with photos.

‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ Review: Small Screen, Small Stage, Big Impact

 Interesting history of early land development in Florida with all of the names you would recognize. Some cons but mostly hard-working, dreamers, meeting the need of a country getting use to the automobile, etc. A little preachy backdating "climate change" applications.

 Not reading, however, I purchased this for Linda at the Dali Museum in St Pete a while back. She is enjoying puzzles. This one was tough, especially all of the rectangles of similar color. But, she got it done.

Very light reading, rambling chapters, lots of pills, brandy, weed as this on/off again press agent for the Beatles and on a limited basis other groups and singers such as The Byrds (who he really liked), Beach Boys, Paul Revere, etc. recalls in 26 short chapters scenes over a period from 1963 until 1972. Best summary is from from another book when George, viewing some ancient footage of milling fans, declares that he would like U2 to see this. That way they could understand what it was like to be really famous. This is a re-issuefrom 1973.

And this was a DVD but it felt like reading vs watching, it is not the Academy Award nominee but a 2-hour documentary. Actually quite touching and great to see some old TV clips. 

HUMOR:

For Art History aficionados

I just asked a simple question, 45 minutes later...

REMEMBER WHEN:

Classes were a little bit larger back in the day.

This took two teachers, the girls were in one building and we were a block away - and liked it, early social distancing, no chance of getting cooties. I'm the guy with the halo.

And, houses were smaller...When two adults and 8 children lived in one house?

GUESS WHO:

She is kind of shallow, but Radio GaGa is one of her favorites (and the only Queen song that I will listen to).

WARNING: This is BELOW THE FOLD. If you don't like what some might be considered controversial, don't go there. As always, if you no longer want to receive this blog just tell me and I will remove you from a very privileged list...no hard feelings. so far, only two have done so.

Nuts, just nuts. It is inconceivable that California taxpayers and educators put up with this.         Totally nuts.