#19 Guest-Patrick

Patrick is the keeper of the Saugerties Lighthouse. (Doesn't that make you want to start singing the soundtrack from Clockwork Orange.) Patrick was kind enough to answer my 3 questions. When Jos and I lived in Peekskill, I always took it for granted that we would stay overnight in the lighthouse. Now that we are so far away, I wonder when that day will come. Thank's again Patrick.

1. What is your favorite color? Blue, specifically "stormy blue" as in the underside
of storm clouds as seen in the photo below.


2. Who is your favorite artist? Vincent Van Gogh.

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

Van Gogh's "Irises" because the painting
represents to me a sturdy vibrancy and poise, not to mention the
soothing blues of the iris blossoms.

#18 Guest-Justin Smith

This week's guest is Justin Smith, Rita pita's younger brother who brought us the previous artist.

I like him because he's honest especailly about being an angry teenager. I remember those days.





1. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color would have to be olive green, with a VERY close second with black. I don't exactly remember why olive green is my favorite color; but I also don't think I want to find out. I hate olives. Black came second, well, because I'm an angry teenager.

2. Who is your favorite artist?

Well, I'm really kind of between Eric Joyner and my friend wafful (yeah, it's pronounced waffle) I really enjoy Eric Joyner's work, because it's so detailed, yet so crazy at the same time. I believe he is the only person to put doughnuts and robots in the same picture. And wafful's work is so dark and mysterious. It really makes me think.

3.If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
I would be HOKUS POKUS. it is made by a turtle made koopa. seriously. a turtle making abstract. i would be HOKUS POKUS because, well, a turtle made it!

#17 Guest-Eric Joyner

This week's guest is an illustrator, painter who lives and works in San Francisco.He's quite prolific in his work and can be seen in galleries and group shows around the world.The painting on the left is Cantina Blues.It reminds me of Edward Hopper.I really enjoy it because it's Casablanca meets Lost in Space.Everyone should go check out his site here. Thanks Eric and thanks Ricky for bringing him over here.

1. What is your favorite color?
I guess my favorite color is cobalt blue. Or the blue one sees looking into Crater Lake (in Oregan on a sunny day. The blue there is unreal!

2. Who is your favorite artist?
My favorite artist would have to be N.C Wyeth, though Frank Frazettas work is quite awesome:) But, I like a few other people in the world, Van Gogh is a favorite along with Wayne Thiebaud. Oh, Richard Diebenkorn too.

3.If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
I would be this painting...I really liked the book Robinson Crusoe. The painting shows that even in adversity, life is worth living.

# 16 Guest-Jos

Well it's sweet sixteen and very befitting this is my husband extraordinaire. He answered my questions, which amazes me because he's so busy. Jos is probably the one person I know that has more interests than I do. He's complicated and full of great ideas but forced to live his life by the suits rules. One day soon I hope he returns to his roots, because, this I know will make him happy.



1. What is your favorite color?
Over the course of many years I've built up a palette of my favorite colors. These go in and out of favor depending on my mood or circumstances. My favorite colors, in order of their appearance, are: Blue, black, orange, red, yellow, grey

2. Who is your favorite artist?
All my favorite artists are fairly obvious and most, Picasso, Van Gogh,& c. have already been touched upon. With that in mind I wanted to mix things up a bit and go back. Way back. I'm talking 15th century, ya'll. One of my favorite artist/painters is the dutchie Hieronymus Bosch. It surely isn't for the moralizing and church inspired themes that I dug him. And it certainly wasn't the painstaking rendering style (I'm not a fan of hyper-detail). I could see the hellish part of the paintings, but I always approached them as being more creative and imaginative than anything else. Plus each little bit is iconic in it's own way so to me it has a graphic and narrative sense to it. Yes, it definitely appeals to the comic-geek side of me.

If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
My painting pick might surprise pg, who thinks she knows me so well. But Caspar David Friedrich's paintings have always struck a chord with me.Again, I don't really delve too much into the religious aspects of the work, (and I'm no fan of the Romantic movement) but I can relate to the spiritual yearnings and searching themes. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog is one of the handful of paintings which I can project myself into.

#15 Guest-RitaPita

RitaPita is poet and a sweet momma and very newly engaged. She is one of my oldest blog friends. I think we met through Mary Bishop and I have adored her since then. She is a Midwestern girl who moved to Augusta and is back in Ohio. Sounds like a Pretenders song. That's what she's like- a cross between Chrissie Hynde and Claire from Lost. Go check out her blog here.



1. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color has to be and has always been red. Why? My name, Rita Elizabeth (with a pasta sounding last name that starts with D) makes my initials spell red which has to be fate. I have also been called Red, by many people for many years because of the chemically produced color of my hair

2. Who is your favorite artist?
This is incredibly difficult. I think I could wax poetic for hours about all the greats out there but what really, really moves me are the street artists out there. People like Bansky and Margaret Killgallen I realize there is a difference, between art and destruction, but sometimes the two go hand in hand.

I once saw this beautiful graffiti on an abandoned building in Augusta. I was walking along so tired I could barely kick my feet where they needed to be. I looked over and there was a turn table spray painted with the words under it - "the most powerful drug comes from a needle". I was instantly awake, nodding in agreement. Music is the drug. The drug is powerful. It made me want to dance.

I realize there is a difference, between art and destruction, but sometimes the two go hand in hand.

If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?

This one is easy. I would have to be Goldfische (Goldfish) by Gustav Klimt. The reason why is so simple and nearly vain. I would be that painting because the woman at the bottom looks like me. Her bottom is round and full. Her breasts, although mostly covered, give the illusion that they are full and the perkiness of youth has fled somewhat. Her hair is wild, free and red. She is not societies perfect. She isn't the rubenesque of days gone by or the anorexic-heroin-chic of now. The look on her face makes me think she keeps a secret very much like my own.

#14 Guest-Momster

Momster is Irene Nam who is a writer, wife and mother of twin boys. She lives in beautiful Paris and takes amazing polaroids. Currently she's working on a book project. Go check out her blog here.

*editorial-Her clean blog template inspired me to completely change mine. Thank you Irene!


1. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color changes all the time. today I love light green.

2. Who is your favorite artist?
I have so many. Right now, I really enjoy Marc Chagall's work.

If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
Marc Chagall's "Amoureux de Vence" or "The Lovers". I love the colors and that Chagall paints lovers in each other's embrace. I love the sense of safety and peace that this image always gives me. But I think I would rather be a black and white photograph, or a Polaroid photo like this one .

Photo by fernandadesu

#13 Guest-Maggie Grier

Maggie Grier is an artist and mom living life to the fullest in Birmingham, Alabama. She used to be an engineer (read smarty) and now she's full time painting and crackin good. Check out her work.

1. What is your favorite color?
My favorite color is blue, so many moods it can capture, yet hard to grasp fully.

2. Who is your favorite artist?
JMW Turner is my favorite artist. All the power in the forces of nature make me feel alive, the idea that he "drove the colours about till he had expressed the idea in his mind" is so comforting an approach, very me.

3. If you were a painting, which one would you be? Why?
I'd most likely be Munch's "Puberty"... forever; but I'd choose to live in a more festive Botticelli.