Flying Cloud on a Gray Day in Tucson

Okay, everybody, back to work I am. I can't top my musical intermission, but I do have some links to share: From Zocalo Tucson Magazine--A cool black and white photo of downtown Tucson looking northeast to the Catalina mountains. The menu at the top provides the entire magazine online. In their book review section, there is a recommended book titled, "Revenge of the Saguaro." It sounds good. Yes, there really was a guy who shot at a saguaro and was killed when one of the heavy arms fell on him. 

On a happier note: Tucson Botanical Garden's Summer Saguaro Celebration presented by Etherton Gallery and an older video of Tohono Chul's Laughing Matters exhibit. For those of you on Staycations: San Xavier Mission on the Tohono O'odham Reservation, Saguaro Harvest, Mt. Lemmon in the Catalinas, Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women Old Town Artisans really good blues guitar in Tucson, 2nd Saturdays downtown Tucson (we were there last Sat.), and one of my favorite bands playing in a shop entryway--Tammy West and the Culprits. This painting (8" x 8," oil on artists' board) reminds me of the cloud covered sky under which Tucson awoke this morning. What a relief! It was a blistering 106 degrees ( 41.1 Celsius) yesterday, with humidity. We had about twenty guests last night...I don't know what the body heat index was. We had a great time, though. Lots of people wearing "No Papers" buttons. Aren't we half way through summer yet? Aren't we?!

Painting to the Music

Love has no pride--Bonnie Raitt. Take Me to the River--Al Green. Oh, My Gosh It's Mighty Mouse!--Black Lodge Singers. Sittin' On Top of the World--Jack White (Cold Mountain soundtrack). Every Little Bit--Patty Griffin. Joue pas de rock & roll pour moi--Johnny Hallyday. Columbus Mississippi Blues--Bukka White... ...These were just a few of the songs that came up on shuffle while painting today. What do you listen to while painting? I would love to hear from you hardworking, enthusiastic and devoted artists. Sometimes it's difficult to keep painting when a particularly good song comes on (Blues, especially, for me). I want to rush back into the house, fire up the tube amp, and pretend I can play guitar, wailing away with abandon. Yet, smearing paint assertively (almost casually, the way a cat saunters across an open yard), feeling the color without reservation (like a prism held in a child's hand) is, is, is, transcendent! This painting is 8" x 8," oil on an artboard. Titled: Two Clouds Over Patagonia.