Paintings by Blair + Laurie Fox PESSEMIER: Artnotes: Years Ago

Me, Years Ago Blair Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 16 x 20" 40 x 50cm 275.00

Years ago, I told our “god”daughter, “When you get married or have a baby, we’ll be there!” Well, on 12 August, 2017, it was her wedding day. We flew from Washington, DC, where we left Harika with her favorite pack, Keith and Larry, and attended the wedding of Kat and Chris (Milo) on Saturday.

We’d been present for most of Kat’s life. She started life in our rental house in Georgetown, in Seattle. She met her Dad for the first time there. She would bark at our dog, Mutton, before learning to talk. She’d wave to us from the window. We left her upon our move to Paris, but she and her Dad came to visit more than once. She learned French, and we visited with her French penpal in Provence. A couple of years ago, she babysat Harika on rue de Rennes while we were away.

Gladiolas Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 8 x 10 20 x 25cm 90.00

This was a big trip within our trip this year – I’ve resisted a return to Seattle for ever so long. I hate looking back in my life. It’s a combination of a lust for the future, and a fear I made a mistake in leaving. Had we stayed, we’d have been financially richer than we are now, but in fact we are so much richer in the experiences we would have missed if we had stayed. We have friends, and art, in all corners of the globe.

Night Time at the Lake Laurie Fox Pessemier Acrylic/canvas 12 x 12" 30 x30cm 125.00

Seattle has changed almost beyond recognition since we were last there, in 2008. As we stood on the bow of the ferry, it was hard to pick out distinguishing landmarks. From our seats at the new baseball stadium, we located the Smith Tower, at one time the highest building west of the Mississippi. A friend gave us “Terrace” tickets, and I had goosebumps as we watched the Mariners lose to the Angels (it wasn’t the game – in fact, I never really care who wins or loses, I just like to watch)… Seattle was my home for fifteen years.

We went to a friend’s house by bus that night, skirting the terrible alt-right protest (for what? Life is beautiful in Seattle). There was fighting at the bus stop between people who seemed to have just missed last call at the Star-Wars bar. A half-dozen friends were at dinner, and we took up our common thread where we last left off. Amazing how a life can be taken up once again, after so many years of separation. Our host called us an Uber home.

The wedding was wild, without totally departing from the traditional marriage ceremony. Kat wore the MOST lovely wedding dress. The tuxedoed ushers sported burning torches which were later extinguished by waterpistols hidden in bridesmaids’ turquoise bustiers. The bride and groom breathed fire after the ceremony, and we drank prosecco and ate brie and artichokes.