Paintings by Blair + Laurie Fox PESSEMIER: Artnotes: Independence

Harika in the Park Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 9.5 x 13 inches

Did dogs figure out if they made meaningful eye contact and wagged their tails that humans wouldn’t kill them? How did that happen? Or was it just collaboration so they could both get food from the hunt and a covered place to sleep? I am sure someone has studied all this, but man’s best friend must have had some role in earning that title. I am not going to confuse science and romance today, for once. I am going with romance.

Kids in the Park Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 11 x 16

Harika has been spending lots of time in restaurants – my family is here from Connecticut, so we have had stellar meals here and out, a picnic by the Seine and another Sunday at Versailles ( The magnitude of this place and the revolution it provoked is mind-boggling; "occupy wall street" pales in comparison) . Yesterday we ate outside at the Place Dauphine – veal chops. They always taste best at a restaurant, where they can get their oven to temperatures greater than my stove at home.

We had a fourth of July picnic by the Seine – we planted our American flag in the sand and celebrated the occasion with endive stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts; roasted peppers and onions; tomatoes and mozzarella; cold pintade with figs; melon and drinks. I hadn’t been to the section of the river nearest the Musee d’Orsay for some time. The left bank has been made pedestrian (in fact, all the way to the Eiffel Tower), with benches overlooking the river, and game-diversions on where the road once was. The right bank had a photo show of coffee – large enough to see from across the way. The entire effect was quite pleasing.

Quai Voltaire Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 11 x 16 (gallery)

We picnicked near younger people bearing musical instruments – a guitar, violin, accordion and drum. Their rendition of “Summertime” a la jazz/jam was nice. To be able to play an instrument is to be able to communicate with others on another level. I am thinking there are so many ways to connect: I am starting to think there is a big collective-consciousness cloud out there – or maybe many, that we store memories and knowledge in.

Painting with others just isn’t the same as the music connection, because painting is such a solitary activity. I painted with five people on Monday, and with someone every day this week, but it is not like a touching of souls in music.