Month: February 2014

Movie Review: Inspector Bellamy

The French language film Inspector Bellamy (2009) brings together two greats of French cinema: Gérard Depardieu, and Claude Chabrol. Inspector Bellamy was the 50th and final film directed by Chabrol. Inspector Bellamy is a stately-paced whodunit. The renowned inspector Bellamy (Depardieu) and his wife (played by the wonderful, Mary Steenburgen look alike Marie Bunel) are vacationing…

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Tom Hudson

Here is a short–one paragraph(!)–story I wrote:

The day was sunny when we launched our new boat on the Huron River. But Lake Erie weather is notoriously changeable and by the time we covered half of the 10 miles to our dock, angry clouds broke over us with terrific force. Howling winds and roiling waves made the final leg of the journey unforgettable. When we finally made the calm waters of the Vermilion River, my son and I gave a prayer of thanksgiving–it was a miracle. After docking the boat, we surveyed The Betty Jane and discovered she had come through the ordeal with flying colors, which was more than could be said for us.

 

In the studio 2/23/2014

The large (42″ x 68″), unfinished painting is titled Conversation. The smaller (36″ x 48″) painting, Whispers, was finished yesterday. Two paintings of people talking while outdoors? A coincidence (I think), although I have been surprised in the past on discovering groups of paintings that share the same unplanned theme. A few years ago I was surprised…

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Tom Hudson

Direct flights between Cleveland and Trenton NJ began this month. This means I can fly to Trenton for an over night stay at our property there. Trenton, which is on the Delaware River (think Washington crossing the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton) is ideally located for trips to New York and Philadelphia. Trains frequently run to both cities. I used to commute regularly to New York from there on the trains. I met my wife on one of those trains. Anyway, I plan to visit the galleries and museums there with more frequency.

Old Brushes

Sigh…time to retire some old brushes. I hang on to things too long: brushes, paint, oils, mediums, friends. But too frequently I’ve reached for a brush while in the middle of a painting session only to retrieve one of these old boys–far past their useful lives. So I’ve retired these tired old brushes. I won’t throw…

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Tom Hudson

Frequent readers might have noticed the dwindling number of reviews of Cleveland galleries. I’ve been exploring the Cleveland art scene–such as it is–for two years and my early sense of discovery has long since dissipated. The NE Ohio galleries, like most of those outside the major art markets, are dedicated (speaking broadly) to academic art. By that I mean art produced by university and college professors and administrators–the ‘academy.’ This is not the place to get into a discussion about the quality of art produced in that environment, except to say that the quality is uneven and somewhat predictable. The short version is that I’m starting to see repeat shows of artists I’ve already reviewed or chose not to review. I won’t say there will be no more Cleveland gallery reviews, just that I no longer make regular visits to the galleries (I still visit the museum every week).