I am no Saint

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Today is my namesake day. If I were a boy, I would have been Patrick, but instead with the missing part I fell short. I became Patricia instead.

I still celebrate the day as I was indeed named after the patron Saint of Ireland, and I have a good chunk of Irish in me, but in the words of many a songwriter, I am no Saint.

I celebrated the day by starting off with a yoga class. I had not done yoga in three years, and in spite of my being in fairly good shape, it kicked my butt. But I was calm and centered, or was it that I was just plain exhausted?

Afterwards I headed to the interesting town of Marlboro, NY to visit my painter friend Rob. Rob and I have known one another for over 30 years...when we were both in painting class together, learning about life, and getting over the shock of having one of our parents die not long before we met.

Those were the late 70's, a very different lifestyle, one that we were lucky to have survived. Rob, of all people, knows I am no saint.

Rob and I were never lovers, but we have always loved one another and have periodically connected over the years, in between marriages, divorces, his trips to Bali and his mountains, illnesses, and my own crazy life. (which by the way, I work very hard at keeping it as sane as possible.....I got burnt out on crazy.)

For old times sake we had lunch in the Raccoon Saloon, a place famous for its many beers.
I had lamb stew, a Black and Tan, fries, and Bailey's cheesecake. Then a trip back to his studio where we mused about art, life, health, spirituality, relationships. We talked for hours.

Rob is brilliant. He is a fabulous painter. He is very sick. An inoperable brain tumor, and the illnesses he got in Bali have made him ill for a long time. Yet he still paints like a man possessed.

Sometimes I wonder if I have the stamina or the guts to be a painter like he does. I see how hard he works, and the hundreds and hundreds of canvases he has painted shows in the quality of his work and in the emotion that he can elicit. I am honored to have learned from him, and be part of his journey.

Stop by his site at ARTROOF...

Photos in his studio.

No Saint Patti O

Comments

Judy Vars said…
Hi Patti,
I am also part Irish or as my dad said Shanty Irish.
Your friends art is soooo great I looked at every painting on his site. To be truly great we must be willing to work hard and have the stamina and guts to paint 100s and 100s of paintings and paint like a man posessed like your friend Richard.
Happy Saint Patricks Day!
Judy V
2:26 AM
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