My Early Days-5

I painted this picture in 1984.  I named it Nuotatore which is Italian for Swimmer.  I was getting creative!  It is a 20x30 canvas panel done in - of course - acrylic.  It is after James Paul Brown.  Here is a representation of his work.

From his LANDSCAPE collection: Goldfish Pond, 30 x 44

From his EUROPEAN collection: Gondolas of Venice, 22 x 30

From his VINEYARD & WIND collection: Justin Blue, 30 x 38, $4,000

From his OTHER collection: Olympics, 30x44

From his DANCE & MUSIC collection: Pas de Deux 30 x 44

From his DANCE & MUSIC collection: Theleonous Monk, 22.75 X 29.75

From his PORTRAIT collection: Nelson Mandela, $20,000

Yesterday, we took a ride to the Nantahala Outdoor Center.  It is a beautiful area where Olympic kayakers come to practice in the white water.

It was a beautiful, beautiful day and we enjoyed the light, the wind, the sounds, the beer, the water, each others company and just about everything else you could think of!  Being together is such a treasure.  I love my daughter Mary Ellen and her boyfriend Ron so much.

Ron is so much more than a boyfriend, he is family for sure!  Being with them on vacation is just about heaven on earth!

We all bought tee shirts or hats and lots of other goodies!  The highlight of the day was a large bag of pork skins and a dripping bag of boiled peanuts.  They didn't even make it home.  Yum.  The pork skins had just been made that morning and were so fresh that they stuck to your teeth while eating them.  Ron was a little worried that Mary Ellen and I would eat too much, but we didn't let that stop us!  Eat till you drop!

Finally I, being a non-drinker, decided to celebrate the vacation by drinking one beer on the trip.  This is me

having my beer which I did not quit finish and was reminded why I don't drink.  I really do not like the feeling I got all woozy and tired.

This is our last day together and so far, I don't know if we will leave the house or not.  They are still in bed sleeping in.  I've been up for hours painting, blogging and feeding the dogs.  I love this time of day!