Tribute to a friend

Don was an artist, and the son of a famous artist, Pete Llanuza, whose baseball comics are still highly collectable on eBay, and her question was why, when he was finally able to have the time to paint, why he didn't do more of it? Well, I responded, being an artist is a kind of delicate thing - if you do it just for money or to meet gallery quotas and deadlines you have to be careful not to let it develop a financial tyranny of its own, and lose your voice and true creativity in the process. The best artists know how to take risks, work the system so there's money coming in to pay the rent on a fairly regular basis, eat a balanced diet, have at least one good friend, and produce like crazy. The so-called Sunday painters often make a lot of excuses why they don't have time to paint, don't have discipline or passion. But there are a lot of fine artists who also slowly chip away at the mountain of their talent, discovering themselves in there over years and years of effort. Never write yourself or anyone else off who says they want to create - it's good for the soul.

There's a dance to it too, I found: If I was too content with life, my art lacked sparkle and depth; if things were too intense, absorbing my energy and time, draining me of that extra I needed to create, there was nothing left to create from. If my kid or his dad or anyone else were making me crazy or I seriously was out of harmony with myself for any reason, I couldn't paint. If I had space and some calm but not too much calm, that was perfect. There needs to be a fire in the furnace or nothing cooks...

This week, with the son away and a little space, things are cooking - not going great but at least going. And I am so behind schedule I may have to raid my son's supply of Bawls... Ooops! He won't miss them, will he?? Well, I really have to go back and finish that stem of flowers, and pull out the materials for the next painting - I need to have three finished by Monday night... and my portfolio in decent shape for a meeting Tuesday that will make me or break me... Now, if I can just keep peace with son and boyfriend - is there a better word out there, someone, please???? - I might, just might, make that meeting...