Fruit Trees at Garafalo in Winter Blair Pessemier Acrylic/linen 24 x 35.5" 60 x 90cm
Last of the Leaves Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 13 x16" 33 x 41 cm
Winter trees Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/linen 9 x 13" 22 x 33 cm
Monte Cimone Laurie Fox Pessemier Block print 2.5 x 7" 6 x 18 cm
ARTNOTES: Art is where you find it
“It was a beautiful operation,” Dr Gottarelli announced,
beaming from ear to ear. It was evident
he really loves what he does. He
operated on Blair on Friday, performing a modified inferior turbinoplasty on
Blair’s nose. Blair hasn’t been able to
breathe through his nose for years, as those of you who have hosted us
overnight are aware of. And Dr.
Gottarelli is famous for this particular operation, which is without pain
(really!) and no packing of the nose. He
and one other doctor in Dallas, Texas developed this procedure, and it is
really fab.
But I digress. What I
really want to talk about is how there is art and joy in so many things. Dr. G is thrilled when he can perform
surgery. He is as much an artist as we
are, in an alternate medium. He’s not
the only person I’ve known like this.
Years ago, Nora worked in the produce department at Larry’s
Market in Seattle. She was from Paris,
originally, but studying to be a dentist in the USA. Every year she would go to Alaska in the
summer and work on the teeth of Eskimoes.
“When I get on the plane, and see them lined up along the runway, all SMILING (Eskimoes rarely smile) with their
beautiful teeth, I am thrilled.” You see?
Same sort of thing.
Blair had the operation done at Madre Fortunata Casa de
Cura, a chic private hospital in Bologna.
I translate it as Lucky Mama’s House of Healing – more or less. It is still a fraction of the cost of a US
hospital (I got pre-authorization from our health coverage), but lots more than
the public hospitals in Italy. I have
told the ambulance people in Rocca Malatina
THAT is where to take me if the occasion arises. The hospital is staffed by nuns, old and
young. Woven Frette linens, with the
hospital logo, cover the beds. A
crucifix over the door. I was
encouraged to stay with Blair in his room and there was a bed for me. They
asked what I wanted for dinner, and were disappointed when I said I wouldn’t be
dining in. Harika might have stayed,
too, but that wasn’t certain. We drove home.
I think a lot about loving what I do. It was always a big problem when I had a “real”
job. My boss never wanted me to enjoy myself. When they finally succeeded in making me hate
my work, I’d have to quit.
I got new block
printing tools while in the USA, and spent a joyous afternoon carving a plate
of Monte Cimone. Except its
backwards.
