Not seen at the Houston Art Fair

Not seen at the Houston Art Fair.

Bouquet 1  8x8 09-16-2012

Bouquet 2 8x8 09-16-2012

Bouquet 3 10x10 09-16-2012

Austin Show

Jeff Brailas organized a show called Texas Mysticism. It is at St Stephan Episcopal School, Nancy Wilson Scanlan Art Gallery, Austin Texas.  Lynn Randolph, Jeff and myself are the artists. MM drove and my hip behaved itself with the help of medication. The show is good. Here are some photos.

Jeff, Lynn and Earl

Earl and Jeff

Lynn

Lynn in front of her portrait of her mother.

We each talked about our work. 

Jeff explaining his paintings.

I am talking about my paintings in front of Lynn's.

Here are mine.

Shaman 1 36x24 2008

Shaman figures reappeared in my work signaling changes. This reminded me of petroglyphs.

Shaman #3 36x24 2008

Skulls, Cactus, Indian/Shaman: old themes.

The Force 38 36x48 2008

The shaman as a fertilizing agent along the waterfalls of the Nambe River above Santa Fe, NM.

Southwest Landscape #21 36x48 2009 : Along the Rio Grande between Santa Fe and Taos

The Wind Above the Tree Line 36x48 2009

An over look in the Sangre de Cristo Mts., NM

Marshmallow Range 36x48 2010

Another view based the Sangre de Christo Mts. NM

Many Artists in Texas are affected by the Mystical Powers of the West.

On the way home we stopped for bbq.

Released from House

A month after the operation the doctor released me, so I drove to Tomball College for the opening faculty meetings. My hip/leg did not like it. I came home and laid down.
The progress of recovery has been steady. Every day there has been improvement. When I do something different I feel it. The next day the body adjusts and I move on.
The first days I laid in bed with pills and an ice pack and drew in my sketch books.

 I was able to set up a studio on MM's dining room table and start to make watercolors.

On the first day I was only able to work for an hour and a half, the next day longer and so on.

Here are some that I made.

The Pleasure of Freedom 11x15 07-29

The Temple of Love, Versailles 14x19 07-29

I responded to Mary Margaret's Paris trip by using post card images she brought back.

Sky Bridge 14x10 07-31

On August 1st. I started making acrylic collages using her Paris images and my painted strips from the studio.

Ponte Alexander III 11x14

Temple of Love, Versailles 11x14

Notre Dame 18x18

I took pictures of the making of some. Here is The Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower 14x11

Here is another series of Sacre Cour.

Sacre Cour 14x11

After the paris Series I continued with the Scrap Series. Here are a few.

Scraps #10  10x10

Scraps #11 16x16

Scraps #12 12x12

Scraps #13 10x10

Scraps #14 16x20

Scraps #15 10x10

Scraps #16 10x10

Scraps # 19 6x6

Scraps #21 9x12

Scraps #22 9x12

A week ago I went back to my studio. MM dropped me off and picked me up. I did another collage. I used a painting based on a photo I took in on a day trip to the island of Capri. This man was waiting for customers as the boat pulled in. I finally found a place for it.

Capri 24x18

After a month of limited choice of size, I wanted to do something large.

Indian Head Falls 48x60

A new hip

After two long round trip drives this year which caused me discomfort in my already problematic right hip, I was informed by my physical therapist that I might have a hip problem. She advised me to see a specialist. The diagnosis was confirmed. I began to look for the right doctor. I had a cortisone shot to rid myself of the pain and could have kept doing this every 6 months or so, but the replacement fact remained. I mentioned my problem to my room mate from college knowing he had had the operation. He said only do the Anterior method. He was out of the hospital in one day and never used a walker and has been recovering positively for several months. I went doctor shopping. One doctor said he did not do Anteriors and thought that the old posterior method was the best, that's where they cut through the muscles to replace the hip. This entails months of therapy and down time. He was my age and I am sure he was knowledgeable, but I do not want a doctor my age and  I want the Anterior method where the replacement goes between the muscles. I insisted so so sent me to another in his group that supposedly could do it. This doctor was very young and upon questioning said that he had done maybe 25 and none in Houston. That was unacceptable. I went to another who could do it but was not on my insurance.

At Art Supply store where I maintain my studio I mentioned my problem and Monica M. said go to Dr. Stefan Kreuzer. He is the Man. He is famous for developing the procedure. I had a 6 week envelope in which to recover before school begins. Dr. Kreuzer had an opening on July 18th and so I got medically cleared and had my hip done. I was out of the operation by 8:30 and up walking and into a therapy session by 10:00 am and into another session at 2:00 pm. There are lots of really over weight people having hips and knees replaced. After a night and day at the hospital where you get no rest , but plenty of nice attention, I was sent home to an undisclosed destination for recuperation. I was up from the drugs after the operation and drawing. Now that  that false high is gone I maintain good spirits.

This photo by David Gray shows me hearing the good news from my daughter Chyrissa that she passed her Nurse Practitioner test. I am in very good spirits. The next day was a downer due to the departure of those happy drugs. I went to therapy and walked the hospital floor and drew pictures and listened to Bach and L. Cohen.  Friday I was released. I am doing good with an ice pack on my hip every few hours for swelling; drawing, reading, listening, exercising and walking. First follow-up with the doctor is on Friday. I cannot as yet sit at a table to do water colors. I am taking my time, ready and waiting. 

MM turned me on to the best selling 1957 Payton Place. I only remember it as scandalously sexual. I probably only read those parts. Actually it is a good read putting the times there in depicted under the glass.

It's all good/buono!