A Bubble off center

I was saddened yesterday to hear about the death of Jonathan Winters – comedian, actor and artist.

While I grew up seeing him on a variety of shows, I had no idea he was an artist until a recent trip to KC to see Art Boy, who has a book of his paintings.
I was surprised to see the range of his talent.

I took a picture of one of my favorites –

something about the balance, simplicity and color of it appealed to me.
Such a Renaissance man.

Speaking of talented men, I have to brag for a minute about  Art Boy – and an award he was recently given. (Here’s a link if you’re interested in more details).

For someone whose art clearly doesn’t match the sofa and doesn’t fit in with the sensibilities of most families (hell, even I don’t ‘get it’ most of the time), I was delighted, for him, that he received this recognition.

The monetary award isn’t bad either – and, as soon as he gets back from a camping trip to Big Sur, I’m sure he’ll decide how to spend some of it… I’ve already forbidden him to do anything practical with it… like he’d listen to me anyway… I suspect a trip overseas to obscure museums in Prague, Russia and Ireland will be at the top of his list.

Just a heads up.
While I’ll be posting up until the middle of next week, I’ve decided NOT to take an ipad, iphone or any other ‘device’ with me overseas - other than an e-reader (for the overnight plane ride) and my camera. Going old school and taking a pen and a small journal with me – for notes!
I want to remember what it’s like to actually experience something and not be constantly thinking about how to document or word it!
Like I said - old school.

Oh, and for those of you looking for a fascinating – and totally compelling-  read, you can’t go wrong with Life After Life.

It was going to be one of my trip ‘options’ – but I started it and couldn’t stop.

Don’t want to have a spoiler alert but if you’ve ever spent time pondering about how your life would have been different if you’d just________ (fill in the blank)  instead of_________(fill in another blank) then you’ll love this too.

So many ways for lives to be lived (and ended); so many ways in which different decisions or actions change the course of what those lives contain.
LOVED it!