Happiness/gratitude list, 27 June:
New paintings for the house, all from an old friend....
I stopped by Winters Gallery in Kerrville this afternoon on a total whim. Total whim. I haven't bought any pieces from Todd in probably 10 years, but I've been itching for some new work for the house.
I think I was successful.
The buffalo....I just fell in love with him. Some of it is my CU educational roots (Go Buffs!). Most of it has to do with Navajo lore and the fact that buffaloes are held to help one overcome one's weaknesses. I figured that I could certainly use that with everything that's been going on recently.
Charles the Kitchen Rooster (as he is now known- he was just "Charles" at the gallery) was admittedly an impulse. My kitchen is pretty drab and could use some brightening. The story that Todd told about why he started painting his "rooster series" was so terrific- he got enchanted with the idea after a trip to Key West. It seems that in Key West there are wild chickens, and they've actually got a chicken catcher because they were considered a nuisance by many. The interesting challenge is that many of the local folks in the art community thing that's bunk, so they have this great system for tracking where the chicken traps are and they make a concerted effort to free the chickens once caught before the chicken catcher gets to them. I don't actually know if Charles was a rooster who was liberated from the chicken catcher, but we all know that I love tales of subversion.
And last but not least, "Passages" and "Journey Through". Todd has been working with this theme for years, and the colors in these were clearly designed to go into my dining area. My dining area, which has been patiently waiting for the right piece of art to show up. These pieces together will be perfect.
So, enjoy. I know that I will, I know that catching up with someone I consider an old friend was a terrific experience, and I can't wait to have these up in the house!
(For more of Todd's work or to see better quality photos of these, go to http://wintersgallery.com/. If you buy anything, tell him I sent you.)
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Now playing: Wade Bowen - Turn on the lights
via FoxyTunes
