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Rabbi at Asilomar
While waiting in the reception area for the Art Round Table coordinator to arrive, in came this interesting man. Long story short, he was from Isreal and was a Rabbi invited to speak at the Scientologist gathering also being held on the Asilomar grounds. This sketch is done while he, his wife and a black rabbi were in serious discussion of a passage in Genesis about David running nude through the streets. Their discussion surrounded how God had placed David by doing that with the 'general public' so to speak - as was Jesus being born in a barn to an unwed mother. Curiosity, because of the loudness and seriousness of the conversation, got the better of me and I asked if I could sit and listen. Facinating. Since I can walk and chew gum at the same time I did this drawing. It is 5 x 7 inches, Watercolor on 300 # Fabriano Artistico, #6 flat brush.

"The rest of the Story"
In addition to having been accepted, "Rabbi at Asilomar" received an award. I understand this will cause some consternation. However, this makes a very special situation for me because NCA is predominately oil painters and over the years in their 'open shows' watercolor works have not been readily accepted for the art that they truly are. I am so thankful to the Juror, Gregory Kondos for his 'seeing'.

Watercolor has gotten a 'bad rap' in that the general public does not know that watercolor will outlast an oil painting ten to one. First known paintings are the cave paintings - essentially charcoal on rock - when one grinds up charcoal into a pigment form and mixes it with water, you have watercolor. Pigment is pigment and by any other name is still pigment - you can mix it with linseed oil and have oil paintings (which over time crack, chip, and generally do not do well) - mix it with a polymer, you have Acrylic, mix it with water, and gum arabic and you have watercolor, mix it with egg yolk and you have tempra.

The Rabbi is back on the front page. . . received word the other day that it has been accepted in Northern California Arts, Inc., "Bold Expressions - 54th Annual International Open Juried Art Exhibition" - September 29 through October 24 - being held at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, 5330-B Gibbons Drive, Carmichael, CA 95608. See "The rest of the Story" by clicking here.