A video peak of the European Travelogue Show

Dear Travelblog reader….and artistic confidant-

Last night was the Opening of the show at Caffe Vino Olio on Vashon island…..and a windstorm!!! But those who braved the elements enjoyed warm conversation and warm mulled wine and the visual heat of Spain and Portugal that shone through the paintings.

(If you are reading this through email, click on the Original Post link below to see the video)

All these paintings and drawings….lugged through airports and trains while packed in a discombobulated rucksack, scattered in various states of unfinish for months, came together as one long, beautiful well framed story. It was a joy to behold: My journey’s vision come together in one place, one place that captures so many places. It is a visual tale worth retelling.

It was wonderful to watch each person slowly progressing from painting to painting; taking the journey. It is different from many art shows, where people are often judging the art on it’s artistic merit or just the impact it has on them. This show has the layered meaning of taking you on a journey; showing you places that connect chronologically, that maybe you have been to before, where the light changes with each painting, with colors that tickle the eyes like exotic spices.

I may sound overly romantic here….but this is the effect these paintings have on me. Each painting is a delectable dish of sensations and associations. And each one has a distinctly different flavor.

Michael Meade, Islander, friend and reknowned mythologist, stayed ‘til the end of the opening helping me to finish the last of the wine. I always look forward to our conversations about life, the world and philosophy, with many laughs mixed in. He mentioned that the ultimate goal of art is to “Make whole”. That a person’s level of engagement with an art piece is determined by the sense of wholeness they feel when looking at it.

Well this whole show makes me whole. Like a treasure trove of precious jewels, there is vast wealth to be shared.

Thank you Jayne Northon of Caffe Vino Olio! The best Opening Host on the Island bar none. Her parents are artists. She gets it, and weaves a warm web of love that makes everyone want to hang out.

The show goes through December. I hope you get to see the show in person. If you do, let me know which painting brings you the closest to wholeness. I love learning what touches people.

Huge thanks to Carolyn Candy for being the first to buy a piece from the show. It is sales from this show that will make the next incredible journey possible: Mexico City and Colombia…..the most ecologically diverse country in the world.