Pleasures

Renee Oldstead

Renee Oldstead (my friend Chris turned my head to Renee a long time ago, with a nod to Eva Cassidy)- I've been listening to her CD, and Summertime, and....Let me just say, you don't know what you're missing. I am loving every note.

Other Arts:
Raoul Dufy (1877-1953).
Since I read his name in something by Gertrude Stein so many years ago, I have been drawn to some of his paintings and patterns. Some yes, some no. He has certain "motifs" that appear in his paintings, as, I think, symbols of what mean so much to him in his internal life. He does this in a way that makes perfect sense to me - i.e., I relate easily to his way, and find I know him much better and easily as I make my way through his paintings. It is like coming to know a friend intimately, without benefit of holding his hand. His uses of lines, and of color, and the particular ways they are "his," are wonderful. If you're not familiar with him and his work, take a look sometime, if only by book. He painted, made costume sets, woodcuts, all sorts of things. There is a lot more "there" than only the graphic-style representations that may be more familiar.

I checked out a book recently from the library and have been perusing these paintings again, the first time for a long while. Note the colors - that exquisite blue, in "Nogent-sure-Marne" (1934). Even in print. They are fascinating studies of character, place, and memory, to me.

My neighbor just knocked on my door to tell me he is the one who knocked my mailbox off last night - ice on the truck windshield. We shook hands, and he apologized in a very gentle voice, offering all. What a nice punctuation to end....