Jackie [link] sent me a get well gift, after my shoulder surgery.
She drew this picture FOR me [link] and posted it, an honour in itself.
Now she's sent me the ACTUAL piece of ART.
Part of me feels like a fraud, the shoulder surgery was MUCH less a big deal than I thought it would be, and I'm healing remarkably fast.
There isn't much I could do BEFORE the surgery, that I can't do now...in fact, there might not be any diff at all, on the negative side.
On the plus side, the shoulder, neck, and chest, feel BETTER than they did, already.
Anyway, back to the picture...
I opened the envelope, my mom watching on, when I saw what was inside, I gasped.
Mom asked if this was the same artist that did "my Paul Newman [link] picture". I made a copy of Jackies pic for my mom, a BIG Paul Newman fan.
We BOTH wondered, over the detail, and work, that Jackie has done on this beautiful portrait of CANADIAN MUSICAL ICON k.d. lang., and agreed that Jackie is VERY talented.
A note, saying she wanted to send me something to make me smile, came with the picture.
Well, Jackie, you did that, alright.
Smile, gasp, cry, and cry again.
I liken this to getting a letter from M.C. Escher, or Monet.
The fact that I can call an ARTIST of Jackie's calibre, my FRIEND...it's still a little overwhelming.
I'm just an old class clown, doodling, and doing fart jokes.
(I know...I've been going on about how I'm an ARTIST, which I feel I AM, but there are degrees of talent, and many categories...I couldn't draw realistically to save my life. I always was more jokey-cartoony)
There are a few people I feel this way about, Laurazee, and Jimmy McCullough being another two.
Friends...with INCREDIBLE talent.
If you could talk to Van Gogh, or Dali, what would you SAY?
It's like touching the hand of god,
for those of you of a religious nature,
which I am not.
A HUGE affirmation, and truly, truly, I repeat, TRULY, an honour.
I'd KILL for talent like Jackie's...
OK, maybe not kill (not terribly violent, me) but I'd at LEAST viciously maim.
Kidding.
If I haven't mentioned you, it's not because you don't have talent...trust me, I don't watch crap, who does?

Have a nice day, smile at a sad faced stranger.