Working Man Blues

I got back last Monday evening from my shows in Palm Springs and Santa Barbara. There was no break between them so I was on the road for a long while and am pretty burned out. Hadn't had one of these back to backs in a year and they take both energy and logistical planning.

Thankfully Alyssa let me do my laundry on the day between the shows. Made more sense to stay in Encino then to drive all the way home.

Shows were very good, not great. As always, I sold nice material and bought nice material. Everything is sort of a blur at this point. Many regulars did not show up, I worry about some of them.

Here is the Palm Springs booth. 

Steve, my booth partner from Phoenix, and I went to the Art Intersect show next door and saw a lot of awful art with a couple nice things mixed in. We enjoyed talking to the owner of the Blue Rain Gallery and to the noted sculptor Geno Miles, who we ended up having dinner with later at Billy Reeds.

As always, Palm Springs is home to some very colorful people.

Barones didn't show again, must be boycotting.

A lot of very nice people did show including Mary, David and John, great friends and clients and some very good clients from Nebraska.

Caught Leanne at Trader Joes with her dog.

We went to the Vintage Flea Market Sunday, saw people I haven't seen in decades, a couple referred to me as an Original G which I will take and wear as a badge of honor.

Someone asked me why I hadn't retired yet?

The truth is number one, I can't afford to and number two, I really enjoy my job. Many of my retired friend are bored stiff and even the wealthy ones seem cash poor and on a fixed income.

Live already. Will do you know good when you are dead. And I will let you know when I have time to play. Still working...

Steve spotted this dog transfixed watching television in a Tesla and I had to snap a pic. 

Was in the car for several hours. 

Love the light.

Funny shot.

Santa Barbara was more of the same. 

Got my feet soaked in a mud puddle, rain was off and on, glad I brought extra shoes.

I went a little more modern than usual, having all the Modernism stuff in the van. Looked good. I bought a nice Mina Pulsifer that had been exhibited from 1963, a Norton Bush (I think), a neat Orrin white and a great Julian Ritter painting of Bacchus which I show on top.

Ritter was an immigrant from Germany who graduated from the Art Canter and two years later painted this in 1934 at the age of 25. He ultimately was destined for ugly clown paintings but he once had real chops as this painting shows.

Our best and most creative work is usually created in our twenties for some reason.

Dain Calvin did the show and he and his wife Sue and her cousin all came with, they had tickets for Lotusland, a place I still have never been.

We had a great dinner at one of my favorite bars, The Tee Off, perched at this spot on State St. since 1956.

Big Dave showed up one evening after visiting his son in Los Angeles and we had dinner as well.

All in all, a cool but exhausting foray.

I think that that is all I have right now.

Rob