so i went into a bookstore/art gallery today. the owner was there. i'm not going to name names. i chatted him up like i am prone to do with strangers - then they aren't strangers any more!!! anyhoo, it was a great bookstore/art gallery - stone walls in a basement, cool, dark with lots of great lighting, beautiful dark wood shelving and floors. there were several paintings on the wall for sale as well as the books. they were, for the most part, modern - abstract? i inquired about the paintings and the shop owner described a few of them like this: (it was so cute!!!)

"the artist, a friend of mine, was going through a very dark period when he did these pieces. i mean, can you see the pain in those strokes? his parents were divorcing and it was a very sad time for him"

then referring to a different painting:

"from here it just looks like a red and black painting. but as you get closer, can you see the depth of the strokes? and see all these little crosses? if you look from back here you can see that all of those little crosses actually form a big cross in the center here."

and somehow he sells these paintings for $1500 and "doesn't bat an eye" when quoting the price to interested buyers.

ummm, really? i am def going to start painting again and take my work to him!!!

the paintings weren't that bad - not as bad as his descriptions, anyway. i wanted to ask him if he had ever acted because our conversation sounded just like a scene from a movie i saw back in the 70's.