Lago di Garda

 Oil paintings of Lago di Garda covered the walls of my Family's living room.

This one of a castle intrigued me as a child, a sunset on the lake of Garda.

Later I discovered that this was my Grandmother's home town, Malcesine.

One of the most beautiful places I've ever visited.

I saw a performance there in the castle walls after a sunset, candles lit the wooden masked actors.

Nipoti e Nonni laughed and applauded... I thought of mia Nonna.

Nonna 1924

Monk, Fish and Fog

A forgotten drawing reappeared framed behind glass in the back of a closet. 

A gift to my Mother, Christmas '77.

Charcoal on pastel paper

A Friend's Painting Glows

An oil painting from fellow Scungilli Brother Patrick Kochakji adorns a studio wall.

It captures for me my daughter riding her Leo Mother... carrying a big stick.

Perfect Day

I missed my Cousin Phil's Memorial Saturday.
Off a beach of Santa Barbara, family n' friends paddled out and spread flowers on the sea.

 Phil was an older brother to me n' best 'laugh 'til ya cry' amico

A photo captured n' sent to me from his memorial collage;

Cousin Phil n' Uncle Al with monkeys...

Thank you, Sally for the shots.

Ricordi 1960

I've been clearing my Father's home... Family photo albums of pictures from 1890 to the present, paintings and keep sakes-
I ran across two gifts of mine for Father's Day 1960;
a clay hand print from kindergarden and an ashtray I picked up at the local 5 n' Dime.
It cost me a dime.
A Beatnik on an ashtray with glued jewel-eyes-

                                                                   his eyes gone now.

I'm sure it was a Mercury Dime I spent on Dad.

Lost Found Photos

 A' Lady' concert in Simi Valley, Summer of '72; Wally on B3

                    with Steve Johnson (Chameleon green) and I in BG.

                                            Turning blue thru window pane,
                                                   with a two prong crown.
▶ 1970 Fleetwood Mac - Peter Green - The Green Manalish Live Sweden - YouTube

Bandtree V Tattoo

Revealed on a young wood nymph's fesse.

Driftin' back,

It was a jam in Henry 'Sunflower' Vestine's canyon grove one '71 Summer night that brought us tight.

 Wally played his wooden legged organ, the Hammond B3 from inside the open van, his leslie speaker cabinet sat on top of the VW screaming from the orange white roof.

Keith on his blonde wood Slingerland drums n' I on my Fender Strat, a beaten sunburst originally, that I stripped to it's wood.

We played 'til the cops came...

...dancing trees blocked the road in. 

Bandtree 5 Poster

         Sorry I won't be joining 'Cast' this year... was bass ready.

Bandtree 5 Singer Auditions

Able to improvise on harp, a plus-

Manx Ram man available on banjo and jaw harp-

Sittin' on Top of a Cornflake

A padded envelope backside (w/ hits inside) for the best drummer I've ever jammed with...

a belated BD cheers out to Keith Heins of Cast.

Inkling

I decided to try my Pentel brush pen with my other hand.

Sharon was in High School. From the Bristol Ave. bus stop I was happy to carry her books up the  highest street of Montalvo Heights to where she lived next door.  

Pareidolia

Seeing faces on surfaces...

...an afroed centaura twists to pick a pear.

A Gift of a Gemini Magi

Steve Johnson became a mentor, friend and later a Brother-in-Law before his passing.

Here is a BD gift ('72) to our Earthly Taurusian Father-in-Law.

'Taurus Dream'... a segment of Steve's magnificent pen n' ink piece for Wayne.

Hats off to Harryhausen

A day before my fifth birthday, my next door neighbors the Duncans took me to the Fox Movie Theater in Ventura. David Duncan, a flat topped fifth grader was my leader into the darkened theater.

Double features were the pleasure with a cartoon from one of the featured studio's... MGM, Warner Bros., Disney... don't remember the cartoon.

'Tom Thumb', a musical tale of George Pal's effects was entertaining... maybe the first time I was introduced to the talented Peter Sellers.

The theater curtains drew back again for the next movie-

                                                 'The 7th Voyage of Sindad'

astounded and joyfully frightened me.

Clutching the seat back in front of me, I lifted myself up to see better and dropped to hide when necessary-

the dancing Snake Woman!

I could never look at my turbaned Aunt Terry the same.

Weeks after, I drew the cylops everyday... my Mom got tired of buying a new box of crayons just because I was out of orange, the closest color to my new subject.

Thank you Ray Harryhausen for 'Dynamation',

your imagination will always inspire.

Hello Mr. Weaver

Suspended on his thread, Spiny Orb hovered in mid air over head.

The pool was still but a frantic long oared fly.
A frog, clinging to a shady tile awaited it's rescue.

O'waddadream...

Myro Latido

His first appearance on the West Coast

sometime '69, that I know.

Centauras por Alberto