Friends and Airpower : 2026-09

The friends.

The Airpower

Had another chance to visit an friend in Kansas and went with my friend from Colorado. We used the airplane of another friend and got to Kansas in a little over two hours. We had enough sunlight to take some hops in the Stearman shown above. What a great day. Airpower got us there quickly and the vintage airpower took us back in time. I thank God for friends and am regularly grateful for airpower. 

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Florida Balcony : 2026-01

Just a shot from a hotel in Florida. I am blessed to have the employment I have.

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Hotel Art : 2025-11

 I've been in quite a few hotels and some of them have some fantastic art. I thought I would start a collection of some of the better pieces I've seen. If the actual title isn't known, I will self title. If the date of the work isn't known, the date will be when I took the picture. Since the known title and date are not common, I will annotate if that is the case. I.e., if not annotated, it's my title and the date of my picture. 

12 August 2026 at Hilton Garden Inn Medford

Yapper, 14 February 2026, Graduate Hotel, Eugene OR

(L) Rainbow Thunder and (C) Seaweed, Aloft Cleveland Downtown, 30 January 26

(R) Red Bridge, DoubleTree by Hilton LaGuardia Airport, 16 January 26

Wire Web (L), Blue Quill (C), Splasher (L) and Forest Rays (below)

All at the DoubleTree, Denver CO, 28 December 2025

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Mesa Oasis (L), Jupiter Sun (C) and Reeds (R), 30 November 2025, Hilton Salt Lake City Center.

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Cream Cake, Staybridge Suites, Omaha NE

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Solar Plexus and Racetrack, 22 November 2025, The Exchange, Sacramento CA

Coastal Hills, 22 November 2025, The Exchange, Sacramento CA

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Driscoll, Sketchy Ridge and Emerald City, 19 January 2025, Graduate Hotel, Eugene OR

Aurora Sled, Highrise and Foggy Morn 19 January 2025, Graduate Hotel, Eugene OR

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Boston : 2025-10

I revisited Boston (also in June 2025 and July 2025) but this time it was in a different hotel. This was pretty close (easy walking distance) to the Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston or ICA. That was quite convenient since I'd been to their Museum of Fine Art. I will say this museum was a bit disappointing, and I say that only because a few of their rooms were closed for new installations. So, that comment is strickly based on my timing. I would also say, to their credit, they reduced the price of entry - they were well aware of the situation. Regardless, it was a cool building and they were very friendly. Here are some things that caught my eye...

L: Joan Semmel, Green Heart, 1971, oil on canvas

R: John Ahearn, Smokey, 1981, acrylic on plaster

I liked the rawness and low detail in Green Heart. It was also painted in a good year. Smokey is one of three busts - with Elliot and Ciba - and had great detail. These were plaster casts made during a workshop in Ahearn's studio with volunteers. The shirt detail on Ciba was amazing.

L: Marlene Dumas, The Messengers, 1992, oil on canvas

R: Portia Zvavahera, Ndirikumabvisa. 2024, Oil based printing ink and oil bar on linen

The Messengers is actually a four-piece work which can be seen if you click the title above. I thought the child was great...the skeletons are good, too, but probably better if you could talk to the artist. The writeup (also by clicking the title) gives pretty good insight to the skeletons. Ndirikumabvisa was one of several large pieces. There were pieces that got my attention in most of them. However, I thought the feathery blanket and the rudimentary body were well done - and were a great contrast in skill / detail.

The obligatory ticket to prove I was there. A painting in a Starbucks that was certainly picture worthy.

The picture on the right was taken elsewhere a couple weeks earlier.

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MI-OR-MISC : 2025-09

A trip took me to Grand Rapids (which I hadn't been) and Eugene (which had been a while)

and back home. Here are some pictures of things that caught my eye...

The GRPM (Grand Rapids Public Museum) was near the hotel but so was the Gerald Ford Museum. I didn't have that much time before they closed so I chose the GRPM. Above left is the floor plan you get on entry and an old bank that was kind of scary. I thought it could be a good reference for a future painting.

Above left is a toy that was part of a collection entitled "Toys that Move". None of the collection was moving, but they had a great video of several of them in action. They certainly made toys differently many years ago. Above right is a cool model of a trout. It was "swimming" along with many other fish. Across the hall were several more fish, but they were attacking lures. There were many stuffed animals in the building. It was something of a random collection in the museum, but likely something for everyone.

Left: Mike Pease, Danish Farm, ink/watercolor.

Right: Jon Jay Cruson, The Distant Hills, acrylic on canvas.

We arrived In Oregon with enough time to catch a local market and visit some local galleries. The two I made before closing were the White Lotus Gallery and the Karin Clarke Gallery. The artwork above were at the White Lotus and below from the Karin Clarke. The White Lotus centered on Asian art and framing while the Clarke gallery rotates local artists. The current exhibit was Robert Schlegel : Italian Journey. He had some cool work.

Left: Adam Grosowsky, Jockey #3, oil. (other works).

Right: Robert Schlegel, House with Balcony, acrylic on canvas on board.

Left: a man dancing in the Saturday Market.

Right: one of many markers in the Eugene Japanese American Memorial.

I had no idea there were this many camps.

Left: a disco version of an aircraft flush button.

Center: doing as many crosswords as I do, it was bound to happen!

Right: a cool sunrise and cityscape in Chicago.

Why I love aviation - a few moments before towing in the Pawnee.

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