Osler's Razor

As some of you (eg, Sleepy Walleye, the Spanish Medievalist, IPLawGuy) know, my dad is a painter. Some of his stuff I understand, others I don't. Overall, I really do like and admire it. My favorites are the ones he did of people who sit in the the last row of church. He went to a bunch of different churches, many in Mississippi, and seemed fascinated by those who sat in the back. Maybe it was the ambivalence, or the tenative nature of some of them, but just as often they seem very calm and at peace. Randall O'Brien has one of these paintings in his study at home.

Dad did the painting above last year. It is maybe my favorite image of Santa-- enjoying a job well done, I imagine, the day after Christmas. I think painting becomes art when instead of merely replicating how we see something it starts to shape how we see it, and this painting has shaped the way I think of Santa and the spirit of those who give with joy. Those people (and I know some) tend not only to be generous with wealth but also with spirit-- they exude a certain joyfulness that is totally in keeping with the sacrifices that they make.

I once read that there is an element of self-portrait in every painting, and it is good to be home the day after Christmas.