Years ago, way before I ever started painting, I went to an astrologer-psychic person. The first thing she said … and kept saying over and over was this: “I can see that you are in a highly creative field … I’m not sure which one since you missed being a writer by just one click … are you a chef?” At the time, making my way through life as a public opinion researcher (and perfectly happy about that), I tried to make her reading fit my reality “… well I do work for television stations and ad agencies … close enough.” Turns out that wasn’t close enough.
Now, having ended up as a portrait painter, I think I missed being a surrealists by ‘just one click’. When I swerved over into that lane (the Unseen Architecture days) nobody went there with me. I mean nobody … even my lifelong friend and kindred spirit, the amazingly talented Mervil Paylor said “I understand the idea you are trying to express, but I’m afraid most people will look at these paintings and think ‘plaid’.” I still dream in ‘plaid’ … and long to see those visions in common hours … but for now I’m leaving Unseen Architecture in dreamland.
That said, here’s a Santa Knows tribute to one of the greats — Son of Man, the 1964 painting by Belgian surrealist René Magritte. It’s always been a favorite … particularly love the cameo in Thomas Crown Affair (the 2nd one) … one of those art heist movies I love so much.
