RICARD 048

Everyone in my household is sick, hacking and coughing, so I attended the Coalition Gallery opening reception by myself tonight. The show, LINEAR THINKING, is really great.

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And I was greeted at the door with a check from a sale of a painting from my show.

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I decided to take myself out for a nice meal at a favorite restaurant, Le Bouchon.

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The seafood gratin was just right; rich and a bit creamy but not at all overpowering the seafood. And it was the perfect accompaniment for the main course, the halibut prepared with a very light and simple flavor with sauteed vegetables and wild rice. It was one of those dishes that has such subtle flavors - was it a light vinegar, lemon juice, or herb infused oil that made the entree sing? The Sauvignon Blanc was just the right choice to pair with it.

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So prior to all this, I was realizing that the day was slipping away and I had yet to do my drawing. On the way to the restaurant I was looking for a scrap of cardboard or paper to draw on. Luckily I still had a pencil in my coat pocket even though I had been warned about the dangers of carrying around a pencil in a pocket.

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When I sat down at the bar and was digging through my pockets, the bar tender asked if I needed a piece of paper. So I said, actually, what I would really like is a piece of cardboard like you find backing a note pad, or sketch pad. He instantly reached around and handed me a small piece of cardboard that must have been waiting for me to come in. Ask and you shall receive.

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He also generously let me position the small pitcher of picks, and added a story about it. Jean Claude Poilevey, the owner of the restaurant, brought it and other decor for the restaurant from his mother's country house in France.

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Thanks Mike!

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It was a beautiful evening - the wait staff and I chatted, I enjoyed flawless food, and I ended up with a wonderful drawing (I added the white high lights when I got home).

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