July 10, 2013

Noon. I painted for a couple of hours, drank a slow iced coffee at the café while I tried to write, then did some major gardening. Now I’m daubing sweat and scratching mosquito bites. At the studio I was finishing Floating Mountains when Richmond brought some students in. I shifted instantly into Sesame Street mode, striving to be amusing and informative at once. I asked the kids what they thought the title of the painting should be, and one girl said “Meat Sticks Falling out of the Sky.” After a minute’s looking I could see what she meant. There was a Down Syndrome boy who was finding something wildly funny. Richmond is so beautiful you find yourself saying anything to make him linger.