Sunday, January 3, 2010

Beers and Sears


At a New Year's Day family gathering at my house, my father-in-law turned to me, and said, "So, when are you going to paint?"

"Paint!? My god," I said, "it's all I want to do but I never find enough time. Do you know what it is like to always want to paint and hardly ever be able to do it?"

That's when he gestured to the door we'd hung a few months ago, but that I'd yet to paint on the inside.

"Oh, that," I said.

I painted the door the next day.

But today I had the chance to color a picture that I sketched in my Moleskine on site at Cantina Dos Amigos in Satellite Beach, here in Florida. I wasn't too crazy about the food, but from our booth we had a great view of the bar and of the bartender and of the couple she was serving. Wonderful place! Who needs good food anyway?

I've been reading so much on all of your blogs about the cold and the snow and the ice and I just can't imagine it myself. So I send a shadow shot your way from sunny Florida for Shadow Shot Sunday so that you can look at it for just a moment, close your eyes, and dream. This seems like some exotic locale, but it was just some palms against a Sears department store. (And no, I'm not trying to be cruel. Consider it a gift.)

My cousin Ellyn, when she visited from Boston several years ago, said I live in paradise. I laughed, but as time has passed I realize that it is true.

21 comments:

  1. Looks warm there- I'm jealous! Great bar sketch!

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  2. Doors make great canvases. I enjoy your writing, your drawings, your paintings, and your shadow shots.

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  3. 'When are you going to paint?' I have heard that line before, even just today when I was reminded the master bedroom needed painting in the near future.

    I like your illustration and thank you for reminding me to take my sketchbook with me tomorrow as I will be passing along the California coastline after dropping my daughter off at SCU.

    Thank you for sharing.
    Egmont

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  4. I love reading your stories ! Maybe you could try a sort of "trompe l'oeil" on that door ??? Your bar sketch is great!

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  5. Your illustration is great, Dan! You captured a mood and a scene that most of us could relate to. The palm trees look enticing. I'm one of those who currently live in a freezing snowy climate and long for a nice hot sunny beach. Lucky you!!

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  6. I can very much relate to your sunny warm shadow shot because I'm having a hard time imagining snowy cold conditions also. I live in tropical Queensland (I've been told our temps are quite like Florida). Seeing all the snow on blogs lately is kind of surreal to me. Fun though!

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  7. Your wee painting is wonderful - I can almost smell the enchiladas! I really enjoy reading your stories and observations, seeing your art and your photos. Yes, the palm trees against the brilliant blue sky look enticing, but up here in the mitten we can cozy up to a nice, crackling fire in the fireplace and sip hot tea while the world outside is magically transformed to a wonderland of wintry beauty...... but the warmth of the sun would be delicious, she said wistfully. nancy

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  8. Your pages are so solid - composition, color choices, technique - and then there are your great stories. So glad you share.

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  9. Oh Dan, don't let your father-in-law come here! My doors have been waiting to be painted for .....

    Do you never get snow? I have just been out to the shops and the ground is frozen with a crisp covering os snow that crackles when I walk on it. The sun is shining in a blue sky, the air is sharp and fresh - and it is heavenly! Shall be ready for some warmth soon tho'!

    You do make a great post!

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  10. Glad you got that door painted. Your bar sketch is full of atmosphere, it's wonderful. Thanks for the sunny palms. It was a balmy 5 degrees here this morning but the 20+ mile an hour winds have kept it from getting too unbearably warm :-) Wish I was there!

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  11. Painting a door is not nearly as fun as painting in a sketchbook. (I say that confidently as I have more than one door that needs a new coat of paint!)

    I like the group at the bar. Nice work.

    And the photo does warm me on this very cold day in NYC.

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  12. Aaah, thanks for sending that gift of sunshine and palm trees. I can feel the tropical heat emanating from it! (said from chilly Michigan!)

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  13. Love the colors in the cantina! ( I love the word "cantina") Great positions of the people too...so well drawn! That tequila is just inches from a smooth swallow!Great job, Dan!
    .
    Look at the beautiful color in the shadows of the palm. Just gorgeous! I bet Sears doesn't even know what it's giving to the artist's eye.

    BTW, I can't even watch snow scenes on TV. I chill up. I can't connect to the cold either. I guess some folks are cut out for it ad some aren't. I'm not.

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  14. Ah- those little reminders that artists think in a different way. Your father-in-law focused on the door and your assumption he knew of your inner burning passion. A little sad to me that you did indeed paint the door- I think you should have made a painting of the door unpainted- but then I probably would have painted the door too. Your drawing is spectacular! Thanks for the story too!

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  15. Don't know about you but it's a little chilly here in FL right now, at least by our standards. I'm not used to dressing in layers anymore. But, we still have the palm trees, and sunshine. Hope the oranges and strawberries don't get frozen tonight.

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  16. Great pic of the couple at the bar!
    And just go ahead and admit it...it's fun to brag about the winter weather in Florida.

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  17. Love the sketch of the couple and bartender! All this talk of warmth when I am actually getting cold weather here, in Houston of all places! Had to go check your weather and I see that you're finally getting a dose of it too!
    I also think you're onto something with the violent slashing. I've reserved a couple of books on Wyeth from my library! I've seen his work, but I've never really studied it before.

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  18. I love your painting! I like your use of color and technique and composition. :) and reading your stories is fun. I used to live in Florida, I used to think 60 degrees was cold! After we moved to Washington my ideas changed, I currently live in Virginia and its been SO cold. And thank you so much for your comment on my blog, it made my day. :D

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  19. BTW, I read once that Wyeth would work six months on a paintng. I was amazed. I wouldn't even have a clue what to do after the first week or so. I'd just be making idiot marks. Obviously he did know what to do because he was fabulous.

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  20. I was absolutely delighted by your comments, both here and in the posts! Thank you so much. Since the post, of course the temperature has dropped precipitously here - my suspicions would be on some of you if I didn't know better! Nancy - it does sound wonderful and magical (except for the cold that is, don't know if I could handle it.) I feel for all of you right now. BTW, I have never been in snow. Yes, that's right. Sheltered. Raena - competitive spirit? ;) Ellen - me neither!

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  21. A great page Dan - and really good story too as usual - and as usual I am behind on my comments. I will not talk about the weather (Ann put it well enough above), but you do bring back to my mind my two years in south FL. I think I wore a jacket once. I would have loved to see the look on your Pa-in-law when you waxed poetic about painting tho!!

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