“Taking Pictures” (October Fog; Paris)

“Taking Pictures” (October Fog; Paris)

Pencil, Pastel, and watercolor

October 2023

$200 (please email dterrydraw@aol.com or private message if interested in purchase)

The title is taken from Jo Lawry’s wistful song of the same title (she’s most widely known in the USA for singing backup for Sting at venues such as the Umbria Jazz Festival).

I was fairly transfixed the first time I heard this song, a few years ago…..had this woman been reading my diary from the previous year (during which Herve had requested that useless, needlessly prolonged “separation”)?

I’ve painted this several times (so to speak) over the past five years. I finally got it right last night and today, by simply getting rid of everything extraneous (people, a postcard view of the Eiffel Tower, etcetera). I think I finally got the tone right.

You can hear the sorta-heartbreaking song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8yHhTMZqkc

““Oh, the house got quiet in the fall

And a chill hung in the air

I pretended not to notice it

And you pretended not to care.

Since I couldn’t find the words to say

I booked a window and an aisle.

I hoped we’d find the key in Paris,

And I could take some pictures of Mona Lisa’s smile.

Oh, I made a noise, I made a fuss

I made a list, I made a plan.

But I forgot to make some time for us

To take a walk through St. Germain just holding hands.

‘Cause I was so intent on making sure

That I made the trip worthwhile

That I missed your face in Paris

While I was busy taking pictures of Mona Lisa’s smile.

And in that ratrace I was always running round,

I never let my feet touch solid ground

And I got so caught up the day to day

That I never even saw you slip away.

Now I’ve returned again to the City of Light

And I’m in front of her again,

And the curving corner of her mouth

Tells me she knows what I should have known back then.

So I watch the tourist bus outside

While I stand here for a while…..

And I think of how I miss your face

While they’re all taking pictures of Mona Lisa’s smile…….

Oh, they’re all taking pictures of Mona Lisa’s smile……”