Art Thomas

Art Thomas, it appears, has vanished from the public eye altogether. He is/was an accomplished artist and also dynamic figure in the art world. I met him in Atlanta at the Atlanta College of Art. He went on to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he organized the Armory For The Arts (now a solid institution) and the popular Salon des Refusés exhibition held concurrently with The Santa Fe arts Festival. Sometime in the 1980's he moved to Charleston, South Carolina and opened a successful Print-making studio and then opened his own gallery in the historic section of Charleston through the early 1990's. I had two exhibitions there. Upon closing the gallery he retired from all his former activities and became more and more obscure. There are rumors about his whereabouts but nothing is certain.

a charming colored pencil drawing of the "Bunk House" at the Turner Ranch in Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico..where many of our friends stayed over a couple of decades.

My exhibit at The Art Thomas Gallery, 2 Queen Street , Charleston...with Art, Eva Carter and myself.

Kathleen Howren-Alderman 1909-84

This is my Maternal Grandmother, Kathleen Howren. Without her guidance and encouragement the probabilities would have been quite different. She gave me books, took me on "rides" to "see the sights" and permitted me to rummage through her old photographs. She also allowed me to live with her during my Senior Year of High-School after I left my Parents. She treated me with respect and full trust. I hope she is yet a guiding Spirit.

Victor Seijas - 193?-1999

This is my uncle - Victor Seijas - 193?-1999
There were three sons in this family -Ernest,Raymond (my father) and Victor.
When Victor died, Ernest was first contacted, told no-one and took charge of the cremation. He did not claim the ashes and no other ceremony or even obituary was given. No-one knew until after he fact that his death had been ignored.
Yet in life he was a simple, sweet human being, always full of cheer.
This is his only memorial.

Victor - looking hip circa 1970's

Marjorie Oberne 1911-1992

Marjorie holding a bird sculpture from Baffin Island (1972)

One of my favorite friends and mentors, Marjorie Oberne, a person of rare insights and a spiritual guide. I met her in Atlanta in 1971 and she took me under her wing. She had wonderful small salon-like evenings, which she held in her large apartment located at 1599 Peachtree Street, which was affectionately dubbed "The Palace".  She helped support me by allowing me to restore antique Tibetan Thangkas and also taught me the time consuming craft of restoration of Eskimo soapstone sculptures, which she imported from Baffin Island. These sculptures were easily damaged when mishandled. She was the first woman to go to Baffin Island and to support local indigenous artists. She was also an artist in her own wright. She was Canadian by birth and the niece of Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada 1911-1920. In her teens and early twenties Marjorie traveled round Europe. She met Jack Oberne aboard the Queen Mary on her return from England to America. They married in 1929.She had two daughters Penny and Mary, in her words "flip sides of the coin". Penny married a box manufacturer and moved to South Carolina while Mary left for India, where she lived the remainder of her life in Goa, mother of several children and friend of many wandering global Hippies. Marjorie took many trips to India herself and always had fascinating stories of her travels. I loved her very much and missed her greatly when she died. Her charm and candor and her probing mind were her most fascinating attributes and still many of the conversations we had echo in my memory. She would always say..."When you don't know what to do next....Follow the arrows...".

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Chateau Roussan

This is a magical place...and many a magical thing happened to me here...

Bust of Nostradamus

Michael J. Husband tribute

On occasion we meet in life people of rare unique personality.


Michael J. Husband - In December 2013, left this world in somewhat obscure and isolated circumstances after enduring the debilitating disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. I had not seen him for a decade, our paths having wandered in different directions. However, I will always recall him as character of warmth and humor, even if at times his eccentricities were difficult. We met in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the late 1970s and became instant friends. His prankster nature and unusual, sometimes sardonic humor reflected my own. At the time of our meeting he was known for bringing avant-garde and art-house cinema to town. He was instrumental in bringing many wonderful films, shown at City Lights Theater. Together we constructed and presented the first “Johnny Detroit’s Brunch & Georgia O’Keeffe Look-Alike Contest” - an event at the City Lights Theater in Santa Fe...sponsored by Michael's local underground newspaper, “The Great Southwestern Fear Of Rejection Society” - September 14, 1979. We also had several two-man showings at local galleries.

Over the years I saw him adopt many a mask and change and morph into various persona - yet always strangely consistent with his colorful nature. I do not think there was a memorial service for him, so I felt a need to somehow leave this tribute. Anybody who knew him will, I am sure, agree that there was some enigmatic quality about him that will remain unforgettable.

Michael J. Husband 1980

Georgia O'Keeffe Look-Alike Poster

The allure of Sharon Gorman

Sharon Gorman - No-one ever like her! Here are some of her most famed quotes:

"Lawn Mowing is the Male Mantra of Suburbia" - "Some times are like moving through Pudding" -

"Our kind don't reproduce" -

Sharon & Jaff in London 1975

Sharon's stylish mushroom dress - London 1975

Sharon & I perform a scene from Marat Sade in Paris 1975

At The Kenmore Hotel, Montparnasse, Paris 1975

QE2 Eastbound 1975 - The Young Americans Tour

With Sharon - Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico 1980's

painted photo of Sharon & Jaff - Santa Fe

With Goddess

Kipling House with Mical Slagle  & Arthur Offen

That trippy night in Les Diablerets, Switzerland
 

Canon Ronald Diss

One of the more interesting and dramatic pilgrimages I have gone on (year 2000) was to the famed Canterbury Cathedral in England. While I was there I went hunting for a man of the cloth to give me a blessing; just as so many others had done for centuries.
I was fortunate to have come upon Canon Ronald Diss* who, after hearing my story, asked me to follow him to the chapel for a benediction. I was more than surprised and honored to be taken to the actual Shrine of Thomas Becket and an adjacent private small chapel, wherein the most beautifully spoken prayer and supplication was bestowed upon me by my gracious guide. The Chapel was unlocked and I was ushered in small mystical space. I am not sure how many people actually receive a blessing in there but I do sense it was an extraordinary situation. It was a high point in my personal spiritual quest.
X
* The Reverend Canon Ronald George Diss, aged 79 years. Passed away on December 15, 2010

Emily Jo Brown

This woman had a profound affect on me.
One of my teachers in High School who also became a close friend and confident.
She encouraged me in every way to step outside the box.

One of Emily's poems (circa 1966)