Day 309. Mighty Skoal

The Background Story

Here's the Cliff Notes version:
I found that squished metal SKOAL cap in the alley not this past August, but in August of 2012.  I walked past it (with Ebert in tow) for a week, looking at it day after day.  And I would think, I should pick that up--I could probably use it in a painting somehow.  Finally, as my mind wandered during these doggie walks, I came up with, "My girlfriend said I should give up chewing..."  I picked up the lid, and kept it for over a year in a drawer in my studio.  Every once in awhile I'd run across it, but I never wanted to paint three faces of the same dude.  I finally did one half of it earlier this month and finally completed it today.  A lot of hours went into this one, but I do really love how it turned out.

Here's the flushed-out novel:
Ohhhh, people.  I was up until the wee hours of the morning finishing up this one.  I had started it two weeks ago, and then abandoned it.  After I finished my watercolor painting yesterday fairly early, I was all proud of myself and was ready to relax.  Then at around 9:30 p.m. I sat and stared at this painting.  I've got to get it to a gallery on Saturday, and I thought, "Jill, do you think this is magically going to get done?  You can't wait any longer, finish it."  OMG.  An hour and a half later, my husband comes in and tells me he's going to bed.  Nice.  Here's our conversation:

Me:  "I'm overwhelmed.  I'm never going to get this done."
The Man:  "It's already done.  You don't need to do another thing to it."
Me:  "What?! There's a ton I need to do!  And there's about 7 more paintings I had ideas for and wanted to do and now I'm not going to be able to do them."
The Man:  "Well, at least you're not running out of ideas."
Me:  "Well, that's definitely not the problem.  Ugh.  If I get this painting done it will be a miracle."
The Man:  "O.K., nighty-night."

This scene ends with me staring at my closed door in disbelief.  Ah, the sleep of babes--or men who are not painting.  Meanwhile, I return to YouTube cuing up/cueing up (both are correct) Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and replaying The Who's "Eminence Front" over and over again.  Lenny Kravitz's, "Sister" kicks in later.  You need a slower jam at 2 a.m.

Hours later into today (Wednesday), I am done.  I did it!  I finished it. But when I go to bed, I can't sleep, because I'm still on the high of finishing it.  Did I say I finished it?  Ha!  So, I get up, eat something, watch an episode of the Kardashians, think to myself that I have to be up for my work day in 4 hours, and also think, I hope I don't have a heart attack.

Here it is.  And then off to the World Series I go--Boston may clinch it tonight--David Ortiz is on fire! (-:

"Eminence Front" - The Who (3:36--"Drinks Flow"...love it!)

"Sister" - Lenny Kravitz

Day 124. Bettye LaVette at The Old Town School of Folk Music-Chicago

First of all, make sure you watch the clip at the very bottom of this post.  Alrighty, then.

Last night my friend Shelley and I went to see Bettye LaVette at The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.  It almost didn't happen, but it did, and I thank you, Shelley, for going with me.

Bettye feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeels every note she sings.  She is a soul singer, extraordinaire, who's about to break out big time after singing her heart out for over 50 years.  She is a testament to doing what you love without reward or acknowledgement from others. After performing, "Love Reign O'er Me" for a tribute to The Who at the Kennedy Center in 2008, people are FINALLY acknowledging her extraordinary talent.

From her website:
Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters/Nirvana, recently described his first encounter with Bettye's rendition of the song to Air America's Richard Greene: "We showed up for rehearsal, and one of the performers was rehearsing the song for the Who segment. It was a woman named Bettye LaVette… She is gonna steal the show. She was so phenomenal, this performance of The Who song that she did. It will bring you to tears. The room was pin-drop silent when she did this song, and it was just unbelievable."

And can you believe it?  She sang it last night, and it was phenomenal!  I can't even describe it, but I'm sure glad I was there to witness it.  She has an autobiography out, and she said there may even be a movie in the works.  I can't wait.  Thank you, Bettye, for slugging it out for all these years.  You deserve all the praise you're finally receiving.

Give yourself a HUGE present and WATCH:

Here's Bettye's website:  http://bettyelavette.com/index.html