"Tooled Leather..."

...the more it is

used...the more beautiful

it becomes.

Maybe that is true of all of our talents.

Listen to this...

When we first moved to Arizona in 2004...

I attended an art exhibit at the

West Valley Art Museum in Surprise.

It was a small exhibit...lots of room to

mingle and mix.

The featured artist was the legendary Bob Brown

nicked named by Norman Rockwell

as the "Leonardo of Leather."

He made saddles and chaps and gun belts and

a whole host of

other gorgeous art pieces in leather.

Many famous movie stars commissioned his work.

Bob chatted openly with me that day...

what a delight he was.

A wide smile pierced his weathered tanned face...

his eyes were soft and kind

and knowingly they peeked into my artistic heart.

His enormous hands were gnarled

yet nimble and agile...almost graceful.

His words were humble.

He spoke like a common man...not as the "rock star"

that he truly was.

He spoke of the west as it once was...

telling stories about real cowboys

yet

weaving in sweet anecdotes

sparkling with the fantasy of the legends and lore

of old Hollywood.

It was such a pleasurable and memorable event.

He seemed invincible.

That very day

I purchased a museum poster of Bob's work

which he graciously signed

and

dedicated to both Scott and I.

It became the first piece of western art

in our new home.

That print still hangs on the wall in our study...

right above my computer desk.

I look at it every day while

I await the computer to boot up.

My mind has become magically infused by his

gorgeous patterns and designs.

Today, 6 years after meeting Bob

and

after painting these simplistic ATC pieces

I began

the routine process of posting them

on my blog.

Then to my utter surprise

while looking for a link to Bob's work I discovered

that the 95 year old "Leonardo of Leather"

passed away in his sleep

in 2005...

a mere year, to the month, after I had spoken to him...

and he held my hands in his.

That fact sobered me like a slap in the face.

He was an American masterpiece...

a national treasure

unlike any

other.

I thought it fitting to pay him a tribute here

on my post...

from both the artistic Muse side of me

and

from the emotional spiritual side

deep in my heart.

With soulful admiration I salute Bob Brown...

for he was a man who lived his life

doing

what he loved to do.

We should all do that...and become better

because we used our talents.

A most interesting bio of Bob Brown

and

a listing of some of his more famous works

can be found here.

It is well worth every second of reading.