There are some paintings on our walls that carry no price. This is one such painting. The place and time no longer exist. The image is familiar yet distant. To the casual observer the picture might come from any large old city at night, and that is the magic of this painting for me. It gives the imagination just a little push outside the place where it usually dwells and invites the observer to explore a late night in the streets of Saigon.
Summer outlasted his invite this year. But Summer always eventually gives way to Fall or Winter. The temperatures have continued to slide for at least a few weeks, as the humidity and weekly rains continue to announce the change of season. Thanksgiving gatherings are on the minds of people. Planning for travels and guests. Extending invitations. Discussing places and events. But it's not quite here.
The cypress trees of the Guadalupe are not quite ready either. The plans are well formed and the intentions are clear. Just not quite ready.
Not everything in the Life of Thao revolves around paint. She certainly has an interest in good food and her daughter, and sometimes those two subjects are intermingled. This is one of those occasions. Thao says it has been years since she fixed this simple dish, although perhaps not all of us would think it simple. Yet simple it is, with ingredients easily found in the average American kitchen. The pasta is cooked to the desired consistency, then mixed with fresh vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, green onion, and parsley, followed by a sprinkling of black pepper and Wishbone Italian dressing and a dab of olive oil. This has been a favorite of her daughter.
There is a well known artist, Nicolai Fechin, who was a Russian immigrant to the United States. His formative years in the former Soviet Union were a short period of time, the golden years, between the early 1900's and the reign of Stalin. A technique my wife learned from him was use of a pallet knife instead of a brush. One result is a textured coat of paint. Another result, for reasons that are not obvious, are vibrant colors. So this painting of Shady Oaks has been one of my favorites from the day that it emerged from Thao's studio.
Before going into Thao's more recent work in Colorado, this is one last featured image from the Texas gallery.
It's the weekend! Time for relaxation and refreshment.