Pacific-Style Fish Paintings

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In my novel Blue Rubber Pool, it’s mentioned that Marianne (Crystal in my real life) suggested I do some paintings on recycled pallet boards. She said they’d be fun to have at our “beach house in a cow pasture” and making them would be good therapy during my major mid-life meltdown (the one that involved that famous $200 kiddie pool that, by the way, Marianne/Crystal hated). Well people started buying some of them so I set up this display in a store selling antiques, homemade jewelry and art pieces. You can’t buy these there anymore but you can still get a copy of Blue Rubber Pool at Amazon.

beach house in a cow pasture kiddie pool novel Blue Rubber Pool rubber pool at Amazon

Bad things happened, an entire run of them that shut me down, caused me to withdraw from everything except my inner self.

One afternoon, in a hammock, I took a photo of myself. Just my legs. But there was no one to send it to. No one to understand.

I needed a sidekick so I sketched an armadillo because they’re crusty on the outside but not within. I made him my butler. Crusoe’s manservant Friday.

We began interacting—my hammock photo speaking to that critter, that critter speaking back.There’s a folder of cartoons somewhere. For now there’s just this one. (LINK)

Eventually after that I began writing novels.

I’m still a hermit, marooned you might say, but leaving my shell more and more—my inner self seeking its freedom through writing.