Paducah Photo Exhibition

Four of my images will be on exhibition this summer in the Paducah Photo 2014 show.  My image, Gondolas will be in the international show, and three other images will be in the regional showcase.

Gondolas will be in the internatinal show.

Venetian Violinist will be in the regional showcase.

Cartwheel will be in the regional showcase.

Dog in Castrillo de los Polvazares will also be in the regional showcase.

The opening reception for the show will be June 7,  5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, Kentucky.  The show ends on July 27.

You can view my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

I'm a Guest on Expressions

On Thursday, February 13 at 9PM, I'll be one of the featured guest on the local WSIU-TV program Expressions.  It's a program that features local artists and examines the creative process. I'll be talking about my photography.  Another segment of the program will feature a local tattoo artist.  Expressions is hosted by internationally recognized artist and associate professor of art at Southern Illinois University, Najjar Abdul-Musawwir.  The show is produced by Rajvee Subramanian, a Ph.D student at the University.

Me (left) with Expressions host Najjar Abdul-Musawwir in the WSIU-TV studio.  Photo courtesy of WSIU-TV.

Expressions gives local artist an opportunity to discuss their artwork and the creative process.  Photo courtesy of WSIU-TV.

If you live within the coverage area of WSIU-TV, Channel 8, please tune in.  The program will be repeated on Sunday, February 16 at 5:30PM.  Some episodes and segments are also available on the WSIU-TV website at http://watch.wsiu.org/program/wsiu-expressions/.  If the episode or segment is make available over the internet, I'll post it on a future blog entry.

You can view my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Confessions of a Christmas Wreath Thief

I hung my Christmas wreath on the front door last night.  It's beautiful, as always -- but this year it was legally obtained -- unlike the one from last year.  I'm reposting my blog entry from Christmas Day of last year, as many of you may have missed one of my Christmas season misadventures.

I'm admitting it.

I can imagine myself in the police station at one end of a long metal table.   A cop is at the other end. A light fixture with a single bright bulb is overhead.  The shadows are harsh.  "Okay, Copper, I admit it!" I scream. " I took the wreath, but you'll never prove it.  And I'm gonna beat this rap.  You're wastin' your time keepin' me in this joint.  I'm gonna walk!"

The truth is your Christmas wreath isn't safe with me in your neighborhood.  The front door of my house is adorned with a beautiful wreath that I picked up off a total stranger's porch, without his or her knowledge or approval.  I'm a Christmas wreath thief.

The stolen Christmas Wreath on my front door.

No, I'm not too poor to afford my own wreath.  And, no, at least I don't think it's because of a deep-seated psychological condition.  If I ever go to therapy, maybe I'll find out.

As with many who start off into a life of crime, my intentions were good.  It all started out with Linda, a lady we know at church who asked me if I would like to help out the Boy Scouts by ordering a Christmas wreath again this year.  Well, my son is in that worthy organization and is working toward his Eagle Scout rank.  Immediately, I said "yes," as we had bought wreaths from the same lady in past years and they are always beautiful and reasonably priced, and always to support the Boy Scouts.

All was fine as my family and I waited for the wreath to arrive.  I got an email from Linda who said I could pick it up off her front porch and leave the check under a potted plant.

I emailed her back telling her that I didn't remember exactly where her house was, but that she could let me know and I would be by in a day or so to pick it up.

She replied that the house was the first left in her subdivision after the flagpole, then the big house on the right with the giant pine tree at the side of the yard.  My wreath would be in a box on her porch, just pick it up and leave the check.

The directions were easy to follow.  I turned at the flagpole.  I wasn't exactly sure which of the big houses on the right because there were several big pine trees in the area.  But one house looked familiar, and sure enough, when I got to the porch there was a box with a wreath.  I took it and left a check under the potted plant.

One of my very first digital painting from 2001. It's called The Christmas Wreath.  The young lady is wearing a Christmas wreat around her neck.  It's made from straw and is typical of crafts found in the Mayan marketpalces.

My wife was thrilled with the wreath and its big red and gold ribbon.  I wouldn't say I get thrilled over such things, but it is a very nice wreath.

A few days later, while getting ready for a meeting at work, my secretary told me that a lady had called and was bringing my Christmas wreath.  I was puzzled.  I asked her the lady's name and it was Linda.  I told my secretary to call her back and tell her that I already have my wreath.  However, it was too late and no one answered the phone when she returned the call.

Twenty minutes later, just as I was about to go into my meeting, Linda stepped into the office carrying a big boxed wreath.

"Hi, Linda," I said, "I tried calling to tell you that I've already pick up my wreath, but you had already left."

She looked at me like I was crazy.  "What do you mean?  This is your wreath"

"No, I picked mine up several days ago."

"Really?"  She was obviously confused.

"Yes," and I left the check under the pot.  "You didn't find it."

"No, I didn't look because the wreath was still there.  I guess someone returned a wreath after you picked yours up."

"Okay," I said.  "I'm sorry that you came all this way."

"That's okay," she said.

"Let me know if you don't find the check."

"Don't worry," she replied, and was gone.

I didn't think about it again.

The next time I saw Linda was at Christmas mass yesterday afternoon.  The Christmas music was beautiful and we said "hello" after the service.

"You stole my neighbor's Christmas wreath!" were the first words that came from her mouth.

"What?"

My wife and children looked at me with dropped jaws."

"My house is next to the one where you took the wreath."

"I'm sorry.  I saw the pine tree and there was a wreath on the porch."

"Yes, we finally figured it out.  It was the wreath I sold her. Don't worry about it.  She found the check made out to BOY SCOUTS and gave me a call.  It's all taken care of now."

"Wow,  I'm sorry."

"No, really it's fine."

My wife gave me the "How could you!" look.

I looked at my son, the future Eagle Scout.  He was amused -- just another standard adventure for Dad.

I've now been branded a Christmas wreath thief.  I'm not sure it's something you can ever live down.  Only time will tell.

You can find my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Ponte Vecchio, a great bridge to photograph

 The Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy is often on the list of the world's greatest bridges.  Crossing the Arno River, it's much as it was in Medieval times. There are jewelry shops and curio dealers all along the bridge.  Make you own photograph if you're ever in Florence!

You can visit my website at:  www.tombellart.com.

Photographing (and Eating) Tapas in León, Spain

Sometimes a photographer must write about something other than photography.  In this case, I'm writing about something that impressed me enough to both write about and photograph it:  tapas.  I'm certainly not a food critic.  However, my mission with  this blog entry is to give you a feel for a cultural experience you won't find in the United States.  Yes, you'll find tapas restaurants here, where you can get little orders of croquettes and quail legs and Spanish ham, but you won't find the real Spanish experience anywhere other than Spain.  If you're heading to Spain, go to the north.  León is a wonderful city on the Camino de Santiago.  While it has its share of tourists, it doesn't feel like a tourist town.  You'll find that the tapas bars aren't filled with tourists.  They're filled with the people of León. That speaks volumes for the food and drinks you'll find and the experience you'll have in this city.

León is one of the great cities of Spain.  Not only does it have friendly people, a magnificent Gothic cathedral, Roman ruins, and surviving streets from the medieval period, it is also a center of the ancient culinary tradition known as tapas.  Tapas are snacks served when a drink is ordered.  That's the simple definition.  However, in the case of tapas, photographs may give a better understanding of the tradition and why it's not to be missed if you're in León or northern Spain.

The Cathedral in León is noted as one of the most beautiful in Europe.  In the surrounding streets are hundreds of bars and restaurants.

The main street in León has been used since Roman times.  Tapas can be found at the end of the rainbow, or almost anywhere else in the city.

Tapas can't be defined as a specific type of food.  It might be slices of one or more of the delicious Spanish hams, along with some bread and local cheese.  It might be deep fried croquetas or calamari, soup, shrimp, a potato or rice dish, or even pizza.

A typical plate of tapas that came with the order of two glasses of Rioja (one of the regions for fine wine in Spain) at the Boccalino Bar. This plate had shrimp, sausage, cheese, and bread.

My wife and I had a second glass of wine only because we heard that pizza would be on the next plate of tapas.  It was as good as it looks.

The Boccalino Bar is in the Plaza de San Isidoro, just across from the San Isidoro church, where my parents-in-law were married more than fifty years ago.  On Saturday nights during the summer, a laser light show, Reino de León, is projected onto the walls of the church.  The show depicts the city from early times to the modern day and is well worth seeing.

Some bars are famous for specific types of tapas.  Others have a little bit of everything.  The way it's done in León is that you simply order a drink (wine, beer, bottle of water, soft drink, etc.) and the waiter will bring out a portion, usually generous, of food.  Sometimes you can choose the snacks you want.  Sometimes the waiter will just bring you a plate of something good to eat.  You might imagine that such a service would drive the price of drinks up to an unaffordable level.  Yet, a round of wine, beer and soft drinks for seven or eight people was usually about 10 Euros (about US $13).

The Camarote Madrid is crowded on weekend nights.  Notice the Spanish hams hanging over the bar.

Manolo is on the the bartenders at the Camarote Madrid.  He stays busy making sure customers have wine, beer and tapas.

There are hundred of bars in León, especially in the famed Barrio Húmedo, the "wet area."  I only made it to a dozen or so, usually going out with family and friends, starting around 9 o'clock and ending the excursion in the early morning hours.  During that time, we would go to three or four bars, and with three or four drinks, have a satisfying dinner made up of various tapas.

Homemade potato chips and Salmorejo, a cold soup similar to gazpacho, are on the tapas menu at the Camarote Madrid.

It's also interesting to note that the bars are full of all sorts:  retired people, professionals, students,  and families.  On the weekends, it's not unusual to see small children in the bars past midnight.  The bars are considered family places and food can often be ordered at reasonable prices if the tapas aren't enough to satisfy. During all my visits to bars, I never saw anyone who remotely appeared drunk or disorderly.  However, everyone had a good time.

On weekend nights the bars are especially crowded, and the clientele may spill out onto the streets.

Sausage, ham, cheese and bread are typical tapas of the bar Jamón Jamón .  As you can imagine, it's a popular place with students.

My children's cousin, Jorge enjoys tapas at Jamón Jamón.

This video should give you a feel for the fast-paced atmosphere in places like Jamón Jamón.  I shot it with the same Nikon D90 I used for the other photos in this blog entry.

I still have enough photos and information for another entry on tapas.  Part II will be coming soon.

You can see my website at:  www.tombellart.com.