the west

the north american west from california to canada at this moment bakes under the punishing sun... summer is full-on now. in calgary, the citizens and tourists prepare for this weekend's "stampede"... a western-themed celebration, a "Carnaval" of the canadian prairie. all the lovely ladies, so many of them, wear short denim skirts, cowboy boots and hats. lovely women, blooming like desert flowers.

in the art gallery of calgary, a stunning show of oil paintings, watercolors, and sketches by john hartman. studies of cities, such as calgary, halifax, toronto, vancouver, london, and new york. some huge paintings that must be seen from at least ten feet away to begin to take in the complete tableau. hartman is a bold colorist, and some of his visual gestures recall two favorites of mine: philip guston and cy twombly.

a corporate fundraiser tonight with diana, and tomorrow, travel day to atlantic city to continue the tour.