never-ending gallery

[Geoffrey]

to lisa

lovely to hear you are virus-free. your presence greatly heightens the quality of this forum, and it is my strong belief that others feel the same way.

as for myself, i am a little overweight, but otherwise in fine form - with a wide social circle of family, friends and acquaintances. arithmomania remains a bothersome handicap, but the tic can better be controlled when i am distracted and in engaging company, so i don't mind video cameras. (when alone and inactive it does have a tendency to run amok.)

thank you for your comments concerning imagination, or hidden phenomena in sounds and vision. it is always encouraging to learn from sane people that one is not alone in having experiences that could be interpreted, especially in the field of psychiatry, as symptoms of schizophrenia.

whitsun is approaching, may you have an enjoyable long weekend

[LisaLCFan]

...whitsun is approaching, may you have an enjoyable long weekend

I had hitherto never heard of "Whitsun" -- it is not observed in Canada, not officially, anyway -- perhaps those of a religious persuasion are aware of it and do whatever is done in celebration for it. However, this weekend is an official long weekend, for Monday is Victoria Day, which is an annual statutory holiday in most Canadian provinces (including mine). It originated in 1845 as a celebration of Queen Victoria's birthday (May 24), which we now observe on the first Monday before May 25.

Cheers!

[LisaLCFan]

Oh, one more thing -- seeing as though this is a "gallery", I'll post a little painting I did recently, in celebration of the Spring flowers that are just beginning to bloom in this part of the world. Hope you like it!

Incidentally, despite the obvious signs of Spring, it snowed rather heavily 2 days ago -- much to the chagrin of many flowers and those who enjoy them -- but that's how it is around here in the Merry Merry Month of May.

[Geoffrey]

such a colourful and bright picture, with an optimism i struggle to achieve. if it is true that our creations reflect our inner spirits then yours is flying high. yes, spring is nature's season of blossoming promise, full of beauty and expectation. effective use of dark background, like with the hawaiian flower - and the textured card/canvas works well. thank you for lifting me up
---------------------------------------------------------
as you can see, my pictures are far more drab
will try to snap out of it next time.

"he’s talking, so he can breathe"

[B4real]

OK you two I don’t very often comment here let alone add an image but both of you have inspired me to again post one of my paintings on this Never Ending Gallery. As it is Autumn here in the land of Oz at the moment, I thought it would be appropriate seeing it is Spring where Lisa lives to balance the seasons. Also, I choose a painting that would fittingly fall harmoniously between Lisa’s high key painting and Geoffrey’s low toned one. Yeah, I’m all for balance and harmony at the moment - in art or in life. And rest assured, I always enjoy seeing your paintings

Btw – Here’s where my pastel painting lives happily on my wall. Sorry about the reflected backgrounds but my house is full of light and openness even when the (glass ) doors are closed. Andrew knows this for sure as when he tried to take a photo of one of my paintings of Leonard on the wall and then took it down for a clearer view, his face was still full of reflections – Leonard's that is. Ha! I’ve just realised how true that statement is on another level

[Geoffrey]

thank you, b4real. it's so encouraging to see other people posting their pictures (or anything else!) here. i can't remember ever having seen a bonsai tree in real life, must be awesome. when did you do it? it's great! do you still have it? earthy colours are perfect for autumn. love the way the light streams in from one side only.

reminds me of an old song by paul robeson that i haven't played for a while:

i think that i shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree. a tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the earth's sweet flowing breast. a tree that looks at god all day, and lifts her leafy arms to pray.

a tree that may in summer wear a nest of robins in her hair. upon whose bosom snow has lain, who intimately lives with rain. poems are made by fools like me, but only god can make a tree.

https://youtu.be/vOHekLZD5i4

a happier sketch than the last one, from a week or so ago:

[LisaLCFan]

OK you two I don’t very often comment here let alone add an image but both of you have inspired me to again post one of my paintings on this Never Ending Gallery. As it is Autumn here in the land of Oz at the moment, I thought it would be appropriate seeing it is Spring where Lisa lives to balance the seasons. Also, I choose a painting that would fittingly fall harmoniously between Lisa’s high key painting and Geoffrey’s low toned one. Yeah, I’m all for balance and harmony at the moment - in art or in life. And rest assured, I always enjoy seeing your paintings

Bev, I LOVE your pastel painting of the bonsai tree -- it is absolutely gorgeous! The colours are so rich and evocative of Autumn. I am rather partial to artwork featuring the beauty of nature. Please feel free to post more of your lovely work, if and when you are so inclined, as I would love to see it!

It is always very interesting to see art by different people, as Geoffrey says, because it can often reflect some of the spirit of the person who made it, and is therefore as unique as we are! I think the art we do probably also reflects things that interest and inspire us, at least in my case, I only paint or draw things from which I derive joy or other positive feelings. Perhaps part of what others see in the finished products are how those images (and the subjects of the images) make me feel (and Geoffrey -- I am pleased to hear that you were uplifted by my colourful little tulips -- I feel the same way when I look at them!).

Geoffrey has often talked about his interest and fascination in people and the human psyche, and (he can correct me if I am wrong), perhaps that is why he is so inclined towards and adept at doing portraits and other images of people -- he is able to infuse much emotion and soul and vitality into their facial expressions and other body language such that his pictures always seem to tell a story about their subjects.

As for balance and harmony, I too am all for it, although sometimes I find that, in life, anyway, achieving it can be a bit of a challenge, but that doesn't stop me from trying!

Speaking of Autumn, I recently learned the Cree word for it -- "Takwakin" (emphasis on the second syllable "wa"). I met a Cree person named Takwakin, and was told its meaning. Lovely name, I think, in any language!

Cheers, all!

[B4real]

Thank you, Geoffrey and Lisa, for your kind words! Much appreciated!

Geoffrey said: i can't remember ever having seen a bonsai tree in real life, must be awesome. when did you do it? i? it's great! do you still have it?

I used to shape and grow some different styles and types of bonsai some years ago and that was when I did that pastel painting. If you mean do I still have the artwork, yes, look at my above last image, it’s on my wall. If you mean the bonsai, sadly no. I have to admit that all I have left now are a few bonsai containers. Today all they contain are shells I found on the local beaches. A totally different look but much easier to care for as you can see below

As a child, I remember that song Paul Robeson sang and it has prompted me to post another of my artworks also named “Trees”. Now, I can’t compete with a tree made by God but these simple trees were made by me. This drawing was a commission given to me by the Staedtler company to promote their aquarelle pencils when I was working in the art industry years ago. Subsequently, I don’t have it, it belongs to them.

And Lisa, reading all your interesting words I thought I’d say that overall, I like art in any form as long as it moves me – quiet or in your face! And speaking of faces below (you have prompted me to post them ) are a couple of portraits I’ve drawn comparing two different styles of line and tone on cartridge and coquille paper respectively.

I’ve always drawn or painted absolutely anything live or inanimate in any style or medium that I thought would best express the subject matter the way I wanted to convey how I felt about it.

[Geoffrey]

hello. don't have words to say how much i value these latest posts. perhaps just as well, because i am just rushing out the door. sjøholt in one hour, then further inland to stordal. a day with friends, will be back very late this evening. out til 1am last night, only 4 hours in bed - always hectic.

no cohen pics for a while, let's remedy that with two photos (quite rare) after neck operation, and one ultra fast (5 minutes?) drawn here and now. lacks precision, but no time left. thanks again! be good

[Geoffrey]

lovely to be home, my favourite place to be especially when nobody else is here
someone wrote saying they would like to own yesterday's picture, but the trouble is it's in a rough sketchbook (see below) that still has a lot of empty pages. in any case, such drawings are not at all hard for anyone to do, many of them not worth showing. it's more or less just doodling.

[LisaLCFan]

...another of my artworks also named “Trees”...

Love the trees! Beautiful! Thanks for the pics -- everyone!

[AlanM]

lovely to be home, my favourite place to be especially when nobody else is here
in any case, such drawings are not at all hard for anyone to do, many of them not worth showing. it's more or less just doodling.

Geoffrey, I agree and disagree.
Home is a wonderful place, particularly when there are no interruptions.
Drawings are not easy for everyone. I can hardly cope with stick figures.

Please keep posting,
best wishes,

Alan

[B4real]

hello. don't have words to say how much i value these latest posts.

Geoffrey, interesting to know that after all these years Lisa and I have left you speechless

...another of my artworks also named “Trees”...

Love the trees! Beautiful! Thanks for the pics -- everyone!

Lisa, That's lovely to see you love my trees. And thank you both for your artwork too!
Ha! I really have been indulging myself here lately, haven't I

[Geoffrey]

thank you very much for showing so many interesting pictures as well as delightful communications. unfortunately i have not much to offer in return these days, but i was pleased to find an ancient LP by a group called 'trees' - as that meant i could stay slightly relevant by making a contribution to a subject currently being talked about here. it's not very nice when a person feels they have nothing to offer, inadequate, outside of the circle. i don't know what else to do, so i just keep drawing pictures of leonard mostly, so that everyone will still keep on liking me a little bit.

[B4real]

Geoffrey, That’s an interesting "tree" illustration and a wonderful profile of Leonard.

Seeing that I’ve inadvertently led us down the garden path to “Trees” I thought I’d take the tree trail back to Leonard starting with him planting a tree in 2012 at Aalborg –

And this one in 1978 at Vancouver -

Plus here’s an artwork by David Waterman inspired by one of LC’s very early poems “In Almond Trees Lemon Trees”

That led me further on to LC’s lyrics from his song, Did I Ever Love You -

"The lemon trees blossom
The almond trees wither
It’s Spring and it’s Summer
And it’s Winter forever"....

Ah, and going back to the beginning, Lisa's "Spring" is mentioned but at the end, not my "Autumn"

And Geoffrey, please know I feel that even though most people who visit this gallery don’t post a comment, they do love your inspired portraits of Leonard and drawn illustrated stories of his lyrics as well as your portraits of others.
Also, I somehow know Leonard would be so very pleased with what you have produced in his honour.