A PAIR OF BOOTS

Thought the meme on the right deserves priority in today's post.  She's mature, sweet, has a sense of humor, a positive attitude and loves puppies.  Her advice is on point for all of us who are in life's danger zone.  

Isn't it something how we mature beings are learning a new online vocabulary.  Up until a couple of years ago, was "meme" even a thing?  How about the "emoji?"  

More than likely I'm the only person on the planet who isn't familiar with some of the secret meanings that the younger generations use when messaging online.  Take for instance 9 or 99.  9 is code for parent watching and 99 means parent gone.  That's the kinda stuff that would irk me if I were a parent.  

A Pair of Boots is on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art.  It's obvious that Van Gogh intends for us to observe the boots closely.  Once again, he paints a stiff leathery bootlace that reaches out as if it has something to tell us.  

A Pair of Boots - 1887

Note the hobnails inserted in the bottom of the shoe and the heel.  We see hobnails under the tip of the toe in the other boot.  In Scotland, hobnailed boots are called 'tackety boots.'  They are a very old way of improving durability and providing grip.  We all need a good grip--to stop the world from sliding out from under our feet.   Is Van Gogh using these hobnails to show us that he himself is exhausted and needs reinforcement to keep going?  We will learn that Vincent had a very troubling short 37 years of life. 

Why is the boot unlaced?  Is Vincent himself coming mentally undone?  Do his paintings tell a story of someone whose mind struggles every day like the poor man who toils in the fields from morning until night?  Is he worn out like this pair of boots?  Why else would he have used rugged and worn boots to paint his story?  Does Van Gogh carry the weight of despair the way shoes carry the weight of the wearer?

Note the blue cloth.  Compared with the dark and dismal painting The Potato Eaters, here he has introduced more color.  We will see how he used rich blues in some of his famous works.  Blue was a profound expression of the misery that enveloped Vincent's mind.  He wrote about the color blue:  "As I reflect on my art, as well as how I form my opinions and view the world, I could not find this more relatable or truer." 🖌

Yesterday Buffy spent the day.  The little bugger puts the energized bunny to shame.  She flies from the floor onto our laps in a snap.  Boy, goes to show the difference age makes!  She's returning tomorrow for another day's stay.  How blessed we are.