Last week, I spent a wonderful afternoon with Jean Steubing Maggrett, whom I've known for something over nine years, and Willard Bond, the father of my friend Gretchen. They met for the first time last week, but both of them lived and painted in the heady creative days of Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side in the late 1940s, 50s, and early 60s, and Gretchen and I got to listen to them share memories.

Jean lived in the Village, in a loft studio on East 9th Street, opposite the building that became the site of the 9th Street Show, which introduced the work of the New York School to the world. Jean, a member of the Art Club, and a student of Hans Hofmann's, suggested the space, and collected the money to rent it, and on opening night a floodlight from her studio lit up an enormous canvas sign Franz Kline had painted to announce the exhibit, which hung from an upper floor above the show. 

Willard Bond lived and worked in an old synagogue in the Lower East Side, where he painted large contemporary nudes and created painted ceramic murals, including the one at the entrance of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. He played the drums too, often with other jazz musicians, and Gretchen shared with us a photo of him playing onstage in the production of a Bertolt Brecht play.

Today, Willard is known for his marine paintings, which you can see at http://www.annapolismarineart.com/WillardBond.html, and which you see in the book on the table in front of them.

What wonderful stories I got to hear, from two people who lived hearty creative lives, and who still live life heartily and creatively! I'll post more later....

It's not up in time for Christmas, Hannukah, Midwinter, or Lucia Day (for us Swedes), but it's still heartfelt. May 2012 bring you joy, delight, love, friendship, and good health – and may it bring (finally, please?) us all peace on earth. (Hey, I can hope, can't I?)

A note on how I created this image: although it has some of the qualities of block prints, I actually drew it digitally, in Photoshop (with a mouse, not a stylus).

December already! I'm busy preparing for Black Stallion Winery's Holiday Open House & Art Show on December 10th. I'll be bringing my greeting cards and matted reproductions of my paintings, as well as some original paintings. 

I may include a few of the relief print-and-stencil (and block print) paintings I've been working on this last month, depending on how much I can squeeze into my space, too.

Black Stallion Winery is at 4089 Silverado Trail, just north of Napa, and the event will be held from noon until 4 p.m. I'll be in good company, with some of my favorite Napa Valley Open Studios colleagues. You can learn more at http://blackstallionwinery.ewinerysolutions.com/events.