Pelican Bay

We are staying in the Pelican Bay area of Naples, FL. A lovely sterile, antiseptic area with never a piece of trash to be seen anywhere and where each blade of grass looks as if it is combed and the leaves are blown off the walks daily by the traveling worker bees who swarm everywhere.


It takes some time to get used to the traffic patterns as Pelican Bay allows no left turns. Everything here leans (veers?) to the right. Using the word “left” is frowned upon unless used despairingly against members of an opposing party. Someone told me that to buy property here you must swear that you and your entire family are Republicans, have always been Republicans and will always be Republicans.

There are many lovely homes here. Some newspaper listings show bargains for only $12,900,000. Hurry down. And condominiums can be purchased for only $2,000,000 and up. They sport fancy names such as Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Saint-Raphael, Les quelques privilégiés (French for The Privileged Few ), Je suis riche, vous n'êtes pas (French for I’m Rich, You’re Not) and others.

As you can imagine, security is very tight. Almost all residential areas have iron gates next to a guard house. I’ve never looked into a guard house but am sure therein are vicious dogs and guards armed with AK-47’s. Republicans must attack each other a lot.

On the community bulletin board are the usual notices, Bentley For Sale, Maids Needed along with some more interesting notes; Invest in WaterBoards R Us –not just for Terrorists anymore. Kids misbehaving? Wayward Spouse? Get in on the ground floor. For more information, call Dickhead Chaney at 555 – xxx-xxxx.

Kite Man

Kite Man


Tonight we met the kite man. We were having a glass or two of wine (Happy Hour, $3.00 a glass, 4:00 – 6:00 PM) waiting for the sun to set with all the other Happy Hour attendees using the sunset as an excuse when on the beach appeared a man with two bags. One I thought would be a tripod and the other I expected to carry a camera. But Bill (we found out his name later) started pulling rods and brightly colored cloth and worked for thirty minutes or so assembling what turned out to be a very colorful kite.

When all was put together, he sat himself down on a chair, gave the string a yank and a beautiful kite arose. Drink in one hand, roll of kite string in the other he watched as the kite unfurled its tail seemingly waving at the people on the deck (Happy Hour, wine @ $3.00 a glass).

This was our twelfth or was it thirteenth consecutive night of coming to see the sunset. And every night, like clockwork it did set but it was not the glorious sunset promised by the Naples, FL Chamber of Commerce. “Come to Naples, See the Most Beautiful Sunsets You’ve Ever Seen.” And enjoy Happy Hour, wine $3.00 a glass, 4:00 to 6:00 PM. But the wine is good and Bill flies a good kite!

We visit the Browns

We visited the Browns this past week in "Up Nort Wisconsin" as it is called. Their home was not hard to find, just hard to get past the gate.

But once past the Guard Cat

We found Marge and Bob have a beautiful home nestled in the woods where the birds and deer come to feed.

Valhalla

Unfortunately, the Browns weren't quite ready for overnight guests at their home but Bob invited us to stay in the guest cottage. A tad drafty but it was a warm night and we had to go out to use the facilities anyway. Next year maybe running water, Bob says.

Bob and Marge offered to show us around and we jumped in the car. It was an adventure!

So if you're invited "Up Nort" don't hesitate. You'll have more fun than you've had in ages.

Time to Start Again

Last evening at the Racine Artists Gallery First Friday event, two friends from Chicago stopped by. Gary Weidner and John Zehren who are both wonderful artists reminded me that I had not posted on my blog for a long, long, long time. I can take a hint as well as the next geezer so I'll be posting more frequently talking about my photography but also passing along thoughts about artists that I think more people should be aware of.

For instance John has a website at www.johnzehren.com. Send him an email and tell him you want to see more of his great sculpture on the site.

And Gary Weidner also has a site at www.garyweidner.com where you can view his paintings and collages.

Both of these young (to me) men hail from Racine and I hope their work will make it back here for showing in the near future.

more to come . . .

Springtime at home

This is the time of year when I don’t have to leave the back yard to appreciate the beauty of springtime.

Every year for 25 years or more our neighbor Pete has been in the Racine Memorial Day parade, riding the float that shows the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima. He is a Marine through and through.

No Whine Before Its Time

Like everyone else we are looking to save every penny we can and towards that effort I have for the first time decided to start a vineyard. I've started with a Box Elder Grape and so far the results look promising.

One Way Cafe & Gallery - One More Week

My showing of photographs ends Saturday, May 23 at One way Cafe & Gallery in downtown Wauwatosa, WI. It has been a wonderful experience, we started the show on February 11 and have been extended several times - Thank You Sandy Haeger. If you can, please stop by for the food (world's best chicken salad) and stay to enjoy the art. On May 24 a new photography show will begin with photographs by the Underwood Society, a group of talented photographers.

Where is everybody going?

To the Chicago Botanic Garden . . .

And you should too!

Any time of year 'tis beauty to behold. For more go to: http://www.chicago-botanic.org/

For those of you who remember Tim Conway and his wonderful secretary Mrs. Wiggins, this is her typewriter.

A great day for the Milwaukee Art Museum where the building itself is art!

Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas

Of wheat, rye, barley, fetches, oats, and pease;

Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,

And flat meads thatched with stover, them to keep;

Thy banks with pioned and twilled brims,

Which spongy April at thy hest betrims

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves,

Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves,

Being lasslorn; thy pole-clipt vineyard;

And thy sea-marge, sterile and rocky-hard,

Where thou thyself dost air--the queen o' th' sky,

Whose wat-ry arch and messenger am I,

Bids thee leave these, and with her sovereign grace,

Here on this grass-plot, in this very place,

To come and sport: her peacocks fly amain.

Approach, rich Ceres, her to entertain.

~William Shakespeare, The Tempest (Iris at IV, i)~

Sunrise over Paris

A beautiful morning in Paris and a beautiful morning in Racine. I follow the weather in both places and 90% of the time the temperatures are within 1 or 2 degrees of each other with exception of winter when is does get colder and snowier in Cheeseland.

Not the artist Victor Skrebneski, but an admirer of his work shows size
Gruen Galleries played host

My favorite Weidner work


Another Weidner

And another

Gary Weidner, center with admirers of his work

Gruen Gallery
Painting and Photography Exhibition

We went to the opening of the exhibition last evening and it was a WOW! There were photographs by Victor Skrebneski, one of the icons of photography in this country and around the world. He took more photographs of famous people than anyone in the world – and this was before People Magazine. Victor was ill and could not attend but it was cool to see what he is now doing – see the pictures above. This series of photographs is called Twombly Montage and prices are $15,000 to $16,000.

The other treat was paintings by Gary Weidner. Gary is a young (to me) genius and his work is simply outstanding. The paintings are from Gary’s Love & Squalor series and in squalor is where I’d be if I purchased the one I wanted for only $25,000.

And in the "isn't it a small world department?", one of Gary's early mentors, Doug DeVinny (a great artist himself) is my neighbor.

Get yourself to Chicago, 226 W. Superior St. (312) 337-6262 and enjoy!

Having a camera makes you no more a photographer than having a hammer and some nails makes you a carpenter. - Claude Adams

Tobin's Chair

Photography, like alcohol, should only be allowed to those who can do without it.- Walter Sickert

The Rooftops of Paris

I am a member of Racine Artists Gallery, 401 Main Street in Racine (yes, they let almost anyone in) and starting this Thursday, April 30 all the artists bring in new work that will show for ninety days. Above is one of the pieces I'm taking to show. Please stop by.

Today's Quote: Photography, like alcohol, should only be allowed to those who can do without it.- Walter Sickert

The Artwalk in Wauwatosa was rained out today. I suspected that might happen when animals started walking through the rain, by the gallery, in pairs. But a spring rain is better than a spring snow. And the good news is Sandy Haeger, owner of One Way Café & Gallery has asked that my work stay until Saturday, May 24. Maybe we’ll sell something yet.

And today's quote:

There is nothing one sees oftener than the ridiculous and magnificent, such close neighbors that they touch. [Fr., L'on ne saurait mieux faire voir que le magnifique et le ridicule sont si voisins qu'ils se touchent.]~Bernard de Bovier de Fontenelle, Oeuvres--Dialogues des Morts (IV, 32), (ed. 1825)~

First day of the Wauwatosa Art Walk. Great crowds, great weather. 82 degrees, almost hot but the forecast for tomorrow is 47 degrees - summer doesn't last long in Wisconsin. Sales of about $1,000,000, give or take $1,000,000 but a good time was had by all and we met some very nice people. Tune in tomorrow for the adventures of day 2.

The Wauwatosa ArtWalk is today (5-9pm) and tomorrow (10am-4pm), come by if you can. Temperature in the high 70's and no snow predicted!

50 degrees and no snow today, can spring be far behind? Soon it will be July (Spring in Wisconsin) and the Tulips will be in full blooom.

American Daffodil Society's annual national show will be held this year at the Chicago Botanical Gardens in Chicago, April 24 - 27. Don’t miss this spectacular show of daffodils! A good friend, George Dorner from Long Grove, IL is president of the American Daffodil Society so I know everything will be first rate.

Wauwatosa Westside Artwalk

Come to the Artwalk on Friday, April 24th from 5pm to 9pm and Saturday, April 25th from 10am to 4pm in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Be sure and stop by One Way Cafe & Gallery, 1427 N. Underwood and see Journeying: The Art of Robert Schnack