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Joel Wisniewski's avatar

Irving,

No, not from memory. That said, Cuba has a distinct feel, and this captures it. I have a photo. I will send it to you in a message. This was my third or fourth try. Watercolor is very unforgiving. For me, it's like writing. Practice does not make perfect. Practice creates an opportunity for more practice.

Joel

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Joel Wisniewski's avatar

Irving,

The image brought to mind is 'Laundry Day.' It stimulates childhood memories, which are common to us all. When I was a child, my mother hung clothes to dry on a clothesline outside. Every Monday, we stretched a clothesline from the back of the house to a pole at the other end of the yard. We used metal and handmade wooden poles to keep the line suspended. Even when clothes dryers were available, there was to be no dryer for us. No, sir, not for us; there was only one way to dry clothes - outside.

I remember them blowing in the wind. There is something about the smell of wind and sundried clothes. Putting on a freshly washed pair of blue jeans dried outside was almost a religious experience.

Joel

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Yes. I can smell sun-dried sheets right this minute, just reading the words. Heavenly.

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Joel Wisniewski's avatar

Once again - watercolor evokes feelings, words, and memories. I recently began reading a book by Paisley Rekdal - Real Toads, Imaginary Gardens. Subtitle: On reading and writing Poetry Forensically.

I’ll try my hand at it.

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Irving A. Lerch's avatar

The watercolor is more evocative than the photograph. I see more in the watercolor to trigger the imagery of the Havana backstreets. This is not to denigrate the great atmospheric portraiture of master photographers.

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Irving A. Lerch's avatar

Joel did you paint this from memory? Was it near to the quayside off Havana Bay? It is so evocative of the central Havana neighborhoods that I have traipsed over years past.

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