Every Picture Tells a Story

Last night Mel and I spent the evening with the Loreys. Fantasy art was the subject of the night. J.P., the artist doing some renditions for Thunder, is officially moving from Florida to LA. He’s been offered a job working with…a video game publisher — I’ll keep the name under wraps for now.
After going through a bowl of fruit and devouring our delivery food, Dean and Elizabeth broke out Mel’s birthday present.

The frame is stunning but I cropped it out to reveal more of the painting itself. It’s an early Don Maitz, back when he signed at the bottom of the painting rather than hide his name within as he does these days. Maitz did the cover art for my four favorite fantasy novels. After introducing Dean to the books he loved the cover art so much he tracked down Maitz and thus began their long friendship.
Sometimes After Sunset is the title of above painting and it has a story…as all good paintings should. After becoming a Maitz fan, Dean saw the above painting on Ebay and eventually won the auction. Once the painting arrived and they got a closer look at it…Dark haired creepy girl drinking blood out in the woods? Hell, that’s Melanie. And the coincidences kept coming. Of all fantasy artists out there, Adam Marcus just happened to have a set of Don Maitz trading cards and one of the cards was of “Sometimes After Sunset”. After a visit and then thumbing through the cards, Adam called Dean immediately and read the back of said card.

Thus, Ms. Mellie almost didn’t get her little gift because that no good thief and trader in blackmarket stolen artworks, Dean Grover Lorey, couldn’t have given it to her had he gone to jail. So, Dean wrote Maitz an email. He explained that he’d bought the painting on Ebay and had only just learned of its having been stolen. Dean offered to give the painting back to Maitz. But that’s not what Maitz wanted. Don was just tickled that it had not only turned up but that someone he liked actually had it. I’m not certain how many Maitz paintings Dean has purchased over the years but Don is presently finishing a commissioned piece with a Wizard, Dragon and Dean’s children as subject matter. What I’ve seen of it in early stages is stunning. The point is, Don would rather see the painting in the hands of a fan and paying customer as the hands of a crook.
So it all worked out and needless to say Mel was stunned by the gift.

Above are our two Maitz paintings but don’t let the placements fool you. This pic’s been doctored. Inos, the blond, hangs in my office. The painting is the cover art for book one of Dave Duncan’s “A Man of His Word” series, my favorite series and my favorite painting. Miranda, the brunette and subject of this journal entry, is hanging over the fireplace but will shortly move to a spot over our bed. But for the purpose of this photo and the splendor that is Paint Shop Pro, I put the pics together.
We have commissioned a portrait of the lovely Ms. Mellie painted by the lovely Ms. Sarah and rumor has it there may be a portrait of the Lovely Ms. Todd coming as well. It seems clear we need a bigger place to accommodate our growing collection of artsy fartsy.
This morning Mel and I bounced over to Eggs and Things restaurant off Moorpark in the stunning county of Ventura and I’m still stuffed. The food was amazing. It makes eating at Denny’s not unlike eating out of a fat man’s butt.
This afternoon we’ll be taking part in the celebration of Paul and Angela. I pulled the suit out, it’s fine. My two white shirts are wrinkled. Gonna try to sucker Mel into ironing one of them.