It happened again, and I’m glad. This week two writer/blogger friends and I took a little field trip. One of them was a member of the Cotuit Center for the Arts and suggested we take our blog meeting on a little field trip to Wine and Music Night at the center. Wine and Music Night? Cotuit Center for the Arts? I had no idea we had one of these. We all arranged to meet there, so I asked her for the directions. The kicker? It’s about 20 minutes down the road from my house. Once again, something cool is right in my backyard and I had no idea. I live in one of the most saturated artist communities in the country, but I spend way too much time with my toes in the ocean. While I am thankful I have an ocean literally in my backyard, it’s time I took more advantage of the artist opportunities right in front of me.
I got there way early and they told me to come in out of the heat. I’m glad I went early. The band, Just Plain Folk, was just setting up and I got to hear them loud and clear with no one else in the room. Rocky Mountain High brought back memories. Then I perused the art collection on display. It was the art of Jon Freidman. He does commissioned oil portraits of people over 55 leaving their professions. I swear if I touched the skin on their faces it would move. He had a few of his family there, too, and I thought the most interesting person was his wife, pictured below, in a portrait he called “Surfing”. Having dabbled in drawing and painting of the most primitive nature, I’m always blown away by the work of an accomplished artist because I can imagine what it took to to produce work like that. In the portrait of his wife below, I am amazed how he achieved the clear glasses. Also below, is a picture of the whole venue. The sails on the ceiling are awesome. It was a night of music, wine and cheese, art, and the company of two good friends.
And so, as another day goes by, as Taylor Swift says, I have to “keep my eyes wide open” because it’s so easy to miss good things that inspire and nourish and are right in front of me, and…I have written.
In my backyard also… thanks for opening my eyes, again.