LEGO Luke Skywalker and R2D2

6"x4" oil on raymar panel. • While it might be enjoyable to talk about how this piece should have been entitled, "Behind Every Good Jedi Stands a Dedicated Droid Shaped Like a Trash Can," I think I would rather blather on about my aspirations to be a daily painter and what that pursuit has wrought. I say aspirations because, if you have followed my ramblings over the years, you will know that I do not claim myself to be a true daily painter, but rather to being an 'almost' daily painter. After all, I must put aside time to yell at The Spawn and to consistently annoy the goddess who, for some unknown reason, condescends to live in the same home with me. (Seriously, why she puts up with a guy constantly complaining about his debilitating chronic Cookie Deficiency Syndrome (CDS) is beyond me.)  •  One thing daily painting does is change the way an artist observes the world around them. For a person who always considered himself pretty observant, I can honestly say that I have become much more so and that I also view my surroundings in a different manner. For example: This increased power of observation has made me completely change my opinion about something. That something is English ivy. My long established opinion of that prolific plant was based on much personal experience informing me that it is good for one thing and one thing only: Providing a nice home for rats. Due to observations made during my daily constitutionals, I have discovered a new use for English ivy. When planted along the roadside and allowed to bush up, it becomes an attractive trash dump. Humans blithely throw their empty bottles (and other items I would rather not mention) into the ivy and just go on their merry way. So, when a neighbor trims down their ivy, it reveals a treasure trove of glass bottles. Bottles that may be used as subject matter for my painting smears. This brought on another revelation: My area is populated with litterbugs who have tremendously bad taste in beverages and cologne.  •  Looking back at the above rant, I feel I must apologize for its painful length–sorry. 
Posted November 9, 2012
sold • private collection galena, oh