One life to live

I was going to write today's post about how things are starting to pick up in a business sense. I've been painting right along and below are two of my latest paintings. An oil and a watercolor. Then I read on line today that Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys had died of cancer today at the age of 47.......47!

Beau in Oil

8x10 inches

Kitty Dreams

5x7 inch watercolor and colored pencil

This news has effected me in a way that I think MCA (Yauch's stage name) would be okay with. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE - WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT? Apparently Yauch had been battling with cancer for the last few years and it finally won and took this man's life. A man who, mind you, got to the public eye with songs like "Fight For Your Right" and "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" and other white boy rap songs about partying and girls.

But as the boy became a man, he directed his efforts not only towards his creativity, which grew so much into a funky hip band, but toward Buddhism and for the independence of Tibet. He also helped form Oscilloscope pictures, a successful independent film production house.

There's only so much time that each of us has on this planet. Please use it wisely. Do something creative. Help someone out today. Donate to a charity. If you really believe in something, make your voice heard. Don't watch junk TV. Don't eat at McDonalds. Tell the person you love that you love them. Paint a painting. Write a poem. Support the arts. Don't laugh at someone when he tells you he likes ballet. Adopt a cat. Volunteer.

And download Check Your Head. I think its one of their best albums.

I saw the Beastie Boys back in 1986. I was 15 years old and it was one of my very first concerts. I had so much fun and loved how obnoxious they were. The turn tables that the DJ was on was made to look like a giant Jolt cola. And I vaguely remember a huge penis on stage. Too much.