Christmas

Alcy, Debi and I had our Christmas on the 23^rd since Alcy works Christmas Day and Debi was doing family on the 24th.

As usual I am a lousy gift giver. I have great admiration for people that are good at gift giving. Both Alcy and Debi are—so I made out like a bandit.

Several months ago I shared with Alcy a poem that I like very much. The poet claims that it is the shortest poem in the English language. I think I could write one that would be one letter shorter but then I am not a poet.

Alcy is into calligraphy and I sorta made a suggestion that I would really like to have a really well done copy of the poem framed. She went me one better. Instead of doing calligraphy, she decided that since I am a photographer, okay, we are photographers, that the letters should be photographs of objects that are shaped like the letters. She found photographs that spelled out the poem and had them matted and custom framed for me. A very thoughtful and personal gift. The poem is by Eli Seigel…

I, Why?

I think all photographers or at least a lot of photographers are actually frustrated painters. I joke that I paint once every 15 yeas. I just have so little patience for learning the techniques that I give up before I have given it a really good chance. While I was at the Monet exhibit at the MFA with Alcy and Debi I wanted so badly to stop by the art supply on the way home to buy a canvas. Okay, I’m no Monet and I know it. But it sure did stir a lot of desire. That was a month ago. Yesterday, I opened Debi’s packages to find five or six canvases of various sizes (three small ones to practice on) and a set of oils. My brushes are old but old brushes do more of what I like than new ones so I can hardly wait to get a little free time. Being in the studio with a dozen or so painters I will be a little intimidated in showing anything I might produce but then again I might just give up photography. NOT.