Brian's Morning Newsletter

Thursday February 25th 2010

Pierre Auguste Renoir's  Summertime

Good Morning
Wonderful visit with Adam yesterday after work. Yesterday morning I made cookies while I worked on the newsletter. So in other words my day began like it does most mornings multitasking small jobs. I hadn't been to town to work in seven days, so yesterday was a little different.  Being sick sucks on a bunch of levels. I love my job, and since it only occurs a few days per week makes it even better. Still, being out for so long makes even Solo-Man-Brian crave the company of others.

Yesterday all my social needs were met with a couple of good jobs and interactions with customers, co-workers and friends. I even watched in amazement as one client cooled-out a landlord at his condo after she gave me the stink-eye and said he did not have permission to mount the gear on the building, to which I stuttered, "It has been there for two years, I'm upgrading it." Long story shorter, I removed the equipment from the outside after I setup the new stuff inside pointing out the window. The bottom line I quickly turned the problem into a solution, everyone is happy.

After work, I went to the drugstore to buy cigars and coffee, where I ran into Adam. We chatted in the parking lot for a time, and it wasn't long before we realized we had a lot to catch up on, and agreed to meet at the Plaza for a beer. Cool cool, I hadn't done that in a super-long time, and I really needed it too. Adam listened while I vented a lot of little emotional hassles I've been experiencing with work and the economy. Adam talked about a new business he wants to start,  designing and creating textile art and clothes. We talked about  how we want Austin, Amelia and Kevin back down here as soon as Taos closes for the Winter. We talked about all sorts of things, it was fun, thanks Adam.

Now you may be wondering why I've posted  Renoir's painting,  Summertime again. Well, I saw it again yesterday while visiting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemianism, I wasn't sure what Summertime had to do with bohemianism, nevertheless I was blown-away by this painting, in particular the girls hair. How the hell did Renoir get that detail. One of the cool things about some Wiki images is often there is a higher resolution image to be viewed when clicking on the smaller image like the first picture I posted.

Goodness gracious, the image revealed was magnificently huge, too large in fact for the BMN, so I loaded up Linux's the Gimp, a graphics manipulation program and cropped the picture to show only the face and hair. Can you believe it? Now that I see the detail, I'm even more awed at Renoir's talents. I know it is difficult to look away from this beautiful girl's face, for I too am constantly drawn back to her eyes, nose and mouth. Now that, is a painting, indeed Summertime may be my favorite painting of all time. Of course I'm still open to suggestion, what is your favorite painting?

And, No. I probably won't attempt to copy this painting, although if at some point I need to paint hair I may look back at Summertime for reference.

Sincerely,
Brian Rodgers

Letters

Absinthe is much noted for its alleged narcotic properties, and much of that reputation is probably undeserved. The active ingredient, AFAIK, is a neurotoxin. Oddly enough, wormwood, artemisia absinthum, is an ingredient in a number of apertifs and liquors besides absinthe.

Lee

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Absinthe Dreamer painting

Just a comment regarding your painting. You might find it difficult to work around the green figure. You might want to get rid of her for now, work out the background and put her in there last as a thin overlay. I LOVE the two men. I think their expressions and body movements are great.

MB
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Event notice – seed exchange
Please publicize widely!

Saturday, April 17, from 10 am to 4 pm in the Luna Community College cafeteria, we will be holding the Meadow City Seed Swap. We hope to make it an annual event.

Co-sponsored by several local organizations including Luna Community College, Las Vegas Barter Hours, Casa de Cultura and Sustainable Las Vegas, the event will feature tabling, and hopefully some presentations, but the centerpiece will be a free and open exchange of seeds.

If you have seeds you would like to share, especially heirlooms, bring them! If you don't have seed to share, but would like to take some home to cultivate, that's great too. Stick around and mingle with the many other locals who share your interest in gardening, culturally significant foods and preserving genetic diversity in our crops.

Lee

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