Paintings by Blair + Laurie Fox PESSEMIER: Artnotes: Oysters for the Holiday

9 Ladies Dancing Blair Pessemier acrylic/canvas 16 x 20" 40 x 50 cm
525.00

I wonder what it will be like when “free” life resumes. We’ve just been told we can’t leave our community between 21 December and 6 January. No Christmas gatherings.

Seven Swans a'Swimming Laurie Fox Pessemier acrylic/paper 17 x 25" 41 x 63cm 350.00

I wonder if next year, when this virus is (fingers crossed) over, if we’ll go back to trimming the tree and cooking a turkey. I mean, whenever I have stopped doing something for a significant amount of time, or been “without”, when the time returns when I can do something again, a new habit has replaced the old..

Persimmons from the Neighbor Laurie Fox Pessemier acrylic/paper 17 x 25" 41 x 63cm 350.00

I consider myself rather an expert at leaving material things behind. When we moved to Paris in 1993, we jettisoned all of our belongings, two houses, a car, and a business. It was a terrific feeling when it was all done (moving things was another story). We kept amazingly little, stored in someone’s basement, eventually carted off to the landfill five years later. Two boxes of belongings arrived in Paris, at some point, and I barely recognized what was there – mostly sentimental items like my St Teresa stamp box; a beloved wooden spoon; inspirational fabrics; a door knob. It was silly.

6 Geese a'Laying Blair Pessemier acrylic/canvas 18 x 22" 45 x 55cm 525.00

There’s good things about changing. Twenty (or so) years ago, when I was desperately trying to quit smoking, I told myself, I am not quitting, I am just pausing until I am 65 (by then, I will be so old it won’t matter – HA). 65 years are about to pass to 66, and really I don’t want to smoke anymore.

I try not to look backward, only forward, and it isn’t easy. I am mad to visit the sea, and would love to go to the Vatican museum. I want to sit in a wood-fired pizza house, sit shoulder-to-shoulder in a Parisian café.

Tree in Snow Laurie Fox Pessemier acrylic/paper 17 x 25" 41 x 63cm 350.00

We’ve had a difficult week: big snow and wind. We lost one of our two trees out front, minutes after I painted this picture of it. After a hellish time of trying to remove the tree, we had to call a friend to tow us out (we’re now parking at the defunct pizza place). We arrived at the Questura in Modena to get our papers, after a four-month delay, minutes before they closed for the day. All’s well that ends well. And a trip to the Questura is a feast for the eyes and imagination: beautiful people from every corner of the globe: no complaints.

8 Maids a Milking Blair Pessemier acrylic/canvas 12 x 20" 30 x 50cm 425.00

For Christmas, I am going to have oysters delivered to the house for Blair and me. We’ll invest in a good bottle of champagne. Maybe that will be a new tradition?