Picasso Takes His Lump: “He is not a dog, nor is he a man”

Reblogged from HaikuNews

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Picasso takes his Lump

Picasso proclaimed, paintbrush in his hand
“He is not a dog, nor is he a man”

“He’s somebody else” in other words, viz.
He must be my muse, he is who he is

He swaggered, he stayed, leaving past behind
2 roommates, 6 years, the two intertwined

Lump was his name, repeatedly painted
In German, Rascal, roughly translated

Forty-four studies, from D. Velasquez
The resident pooch, astride Meninas

The one dog ever, Picasso picked up
Then held him so long, that short-legged pup

An Odyssey ended, a joy from the start
Companions befriended, died one week apart

©d.w.moore, haikunews
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No, not a haiku but this little poem insisted its way here today, much like Picasso’s furry friend who can be found in today’s post.
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When Picasso painted his 44 versions of Diego Velasquez’s masterpiece “Las Meninas” he had a bit of assistance from a rascally dachshund.  David Duncan, pet owner, photographer, author and friend visited Picasso’s hillside estate in Cannes in 1957 .
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On that day Lump decided he should live with Picasso; later to be immortalized in 15 of the Meninas studies and featured in the subsequent book “Picasso and Lump: a Dachshund’s Odyssey”.

— Douglas

 

In the News: The Story of Picasso and a Dachshund

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“a world where there are Octobers”

 

Through The Island Forest by Douglas MooreZart – copyright 2016, all rights reserved. Original Fine Art Prints By Douglas MooreZart

 

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“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

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In the mountains of southern California there is a lake with an island in its midst. Outside this island a majority of trees were consumed in a forest fire in 2003 (The infamous Cedar Fire).   Many of the trees had stood 200-300 or more years. But on the lake’s island you can still walk through a landscape of beautiful ancient oak and pine trees. On a fall day, as I walked the island’s edges, I came upon this spot-  a still standing glorious ancient survivor.  Autumn perfection – Fall color surrounds, the air is crisp and clear, migratory birds call above and the sun rests on the horizon.

“without perfume yet red as a rose”

 

In my New Mexico home the wildflower known as Indian Paintbrush found just the right conditions to take up residence. It’s no easy feat to cultivate the growth of this wild scarlet and orange flower that, in fact, does resemble a free-form paintbrush. Good luck propagating this flower. Seeds are available commercially but it is anything but guaranteed to succeed.

It has very specific requirements and is a true wildflower requiring no human intervention to grow where it wills. Transplanting an Indian Paintbrush does not work as it is a parasitic plant attaching its roots to the roots of other plants and deriving water from them. So it was to my amazement that my specimens spread prolifically all over my land, increasing its range each year.  Here is one of several artworks I’ve created on this unique, complex and truly wild botanical wonder!

Indian Paintbrush, mixed media, copyright 2014, Douglas Moorezart, all rights reserved

There are multiple legends about the origins of this remarkable beauty. One such legend is shared in Tomie dePaola’s children’s book the…

…’Legend of the Indian Paintbrush“.  This is the story of a young Indian boy who did not fit in his society’s assigned role as warrior. Today I suppose he would be labeled “special needs“.  Eventually, he finds his place as an artist. (Hooray for that!)  And as you might guess, this eventually leads to the origin of the Indian Paintbrush flower. But I’m not giving away the punchline! Here is a 5 minute version of the story by Tomie dePaola:

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This striking perennial is honored by poet A.V. Hudson,

 

“A strange little flower with a sun-kissed nose,

without perfume yet red as a rose.

Did some Indian maiden plant you here

in the footprint left by the hoof of a deer?”

 

“The sea answers all questions”

 

Seaside –  Douglas Moorezart, copyright 2016, all rights reserved

…and always in the same way; for when you read in the papers

the interminable discussions and the bickering and the

prognostications and the turmoil, the disagreements and the

fateful decisions and agreements and the plans and the

programs and the threats and the counter threats, then you

close your eyes and the sea dispatches one more big roller

in the unbroken line since the beginning of the world and it

combs and breaks and returns foaming and saying:

“So soon?”

— E. B. White, “On A Florida Key”

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Desert Mission

Anza Borrego Desert Church – Fine Art Prints available at link – Douglas MooreZart

St. Richards Catholic Church turned 60 last spring.  I’ve created a fine art print above to capture how striking this humble Borrego Springs mission style church appears before the looming Santa Rosa mountains.

The background story:

1940s – No road, no telephone, just a name

Borrego Springs, California was barely connected to the outside world in the 1940s.  There were dirt roads, no telephones, no outside electricity.  The Catholic Church purchased land for the church site naming it the  “de Anza Catholic mission,” after Juan Bautista de Anza, the early Spanish explorer who traversed the Borrego Valley in 1774.

1950s  – Volunteers, money, new name

Built by volunteers and financed by 16 local Catholic families the church was completed in April, 1954. It’s final name –  St. Richard Catholic Church.

1960 – Fire! send for help from Julian!

In 1960 the church survived a fire but was severely damaged.  State park rangers and local residents fought the flames with garden hoses for over an hour until State Forestry fire equipment from the mountain community of  Julian, California arrived – a 31 mile trip.   After repairs the church was reopened.

1970 – 2001  How about some stained glass?

In the 1970s Julian, California glass artist James Hubbell installed windows along the side of the church.  In 2001, world-renowned stained glass artist Sarah Hall, using glass from France and Germany, created an 8′ by 8′ foot stained glass window behind the church altar, illuminating the darkest part of the sanctuary.

“put it on canvas as fast as possible.”

“The important thing is to remember what most impressed you and to put it on canvas as fast as possible.“

Pierre Bonnard, painter

Salvia and Coreopsis – Original Art and Fine Art Prints – Douglas Moorezart