French artist Patrick Commecy works alongside his team of muralists to produce some of the most beautiful hyper realistic murals in the world.

What were you like as a child? What are some of your most fond memories from that time?

I grew in Africa until my 18th year.(Cameroun).

Did you possess a love of art early on or did that come along later?

It flourished when I came back to France.

What does it feel like to bring more color and beauty to ordinary buildings?

It is a real pleasure to see and to hear inhabitants are happy with it.

Do you think art and architecture compliment each other nicely?

Yes, because I try every time to design fake architecture with the model of what exists around the wall.

What is the most challenging thing you face in producing your murals?

A 5 kilometers mural, composed with 250 paintings, painted during only 6 months (see www.fresques-des-francais.com).

What do you love most about being an artist?

Liberty.

What do you hope others take away from your work?

Identity and proudness.

Do you have a dream project you’d most like to bring into existence?

To be a musician, but I never learned any instrument or solfege…(hear my very first beginning on https://soundcloud.com/commecy/05-no-religion  It’s in English !)

What do you think is the one thing the world needs more of at this particular point in time?

Education. No Religion.

What are your personal feelings on life and death? Do you find it somewhat comforting to be able to leave behind pieces of work that will be here long after you are gone?

Nothing steels a long time after death: murals are éphémères, like life! I And I like it like that because speculation on murals is impossible! (opposite to galleries and collectors art)

What do you think is key to a life well lived?

Love, of course. What else?

Anything you’d like to say in closing?

Thanks.

http://www.a-fresco.com/

Playing in my Mind

Dulcimers are playing sweet melodies, in the corners of my mind.
Something I lost and never could find.

Paper lined, is written in musical verse,well timed.
Singing words rhymed.

While a player, mimicked in mime.
Acting in a design.

A picture I saw long ago in a theater of my mind.
Sleeping in pictures light’s blind.

The legal documents in small print, I signed.
On the bark of a birch tree’s rind.

Not knowing and never growing.
Out of blissful ignorance, redacting all the rights.
One, at a time.

With a solicitude whose grace became apparent
by their evident belief that in a glance
I would be able to advance
a brief but sensitive appraisal of the fine array
of nuanced features they had brought me to display,

three faces just arose to offer their vicissitudes today.
They couldn’t stay: there were too many other eyes
to heed, to feed – to gauge, assuage – the rage
of some of whose intemperate uncertainties
they might be able to allay.

For more information on the works of Guy Kettelhack please see http://guykettelhack.blogspot.com/.

Blood In, Blood Out

holding on to our hearts holding on to our hearts
like our own child, holding on to our hearts
like our own child,
blurs the lines
until the moment we cross it.

i sang songs that lit up the night
in daylight even,
i hit the high notes at the same time
i felt it.

blood in, blood out
we never had a doubt.
i came to understand the desperation
when i had nothing.
nothing to hold on to.

a million miles up in the air,
falling is nothing
when all i fear is losing you more
my dear.

my feet are on the ground,
more stable than i ever was-
shouldering the pain i came to know
seems to have melted away with the rain.

leaving you was the one regret
that came over me like a whirlwind,
twisting and pulling my mind
all around in ways
as furious as your mouth.
not knowing what exactly i had,
i sat all alone in a room
without a view–
blanketing my eyelids
as if night wore on
beyond infinity.

you came to me in my sleep,
in my mind
all day and all night
until the minutes,
hours, days and months
built up
beyond repute.

CMG Chairman and CEO Mark Roesler has long been working to protect and preserve the memory of some of the world’s most cherished celebrity icons. With over 400 clients including James Dean, Jackie Robinson, Buddy Holly, Marilyn Monroe, Ella Fitzgerald, Malcolm X, and Neil Armstrong, to name a few, he has gained the right to be called the foremost authority on intellectual property rights. It was an honor to have the chance to offer a glimpse at the man who works tirelessly to protect the works of those who came before.

Are you from Indiana originally? What are some of your most fond memories from your childhood?

Yes, I am from Indiana and grew up in Alexandria. My most fond memories from childhood are being from a small town of 5,000 and thinking it was a “big” town. My world revolved around all that I did from going to the swimming pool, playing baseball, cutting grass, and as I got old enough to drive, we would sometimes venture into the next “small town” and that was a big deal.

How did you first come to discover your love of racing? Is that something you still hold dear?

I was a race fan from the age of four when my father built a quarter midget race car for me and then he had a dirt track in our backyard. About ½ mile from us was a famous small race track called “Armscamp Speedway” that would have racing on Friday and Saturday night. My father helped to work on some of the cars there and in the summers we would go up to the race track to look at it when it wasn’t being used for racing. Professionally, I have represented many Indy race car drivers and NASCAR drivers over the years. I also owned an Indycar in the ‘90s for a few years.

 Did either of those things lead to you being a fan of James Dean, before you started your current career or do just consider them things you had in common?

 I knew about James Dean growing up, but I didn’t understand him. He was buried in Fairmount the same month that I was born. Our first client at CMG was the Elvis Presley Estate in the early ‘80s, and it was then that I realized the international influence that James Dean had had. I then thought it was ironic that I grew up 10 miles away from where he was buried, and I then became hungry to learn all that I could about him.

How did you come to represent his estate in particular?

I went to Fairmount, Indiana and met with Ortense Winslow, who was Jimmy’s aunt. She became “Jimmy’s mother” after Jimmy’s real mom died. Ortense’s brother was Jimmy’s dad, and when Jimmy’s mom died, his dad sent him back on a train from California to Farimount, Indiana because he wanted Jimmy to grow up in a loving family. There was virtually no protection at that time in 1982 for famous deceased people. I explained that to Ortense and her son, Marcus. I told them that I would do my best to change that. After many months of periodic discussions, Ortense and Marcus asked me to try to protect and market Jimmy’s legacy.

Do you enjoy being able to work with respect for the clients you maintain and for their families and loved ones were applicable? Do you consider it your life’s work?

It most definitely is my life’s work, and I am very passionate about it. Being able to speak with my clients’ families is very enjoyable to me because I get to know them on personal level and form a relationship with them. For me, it’s more than a business partnership, and I enjoy getting to know each one of them. That is all that I have done professionally for the past 36 years.

Why do you think it is so important that the works and images left behind be kept alive and protected for those who are no longer with us?

My clients are legends with impressive accomplishments. James Dean only starred in three major movies, yet he is one of the most celebrated classic actors today. Bettie Page was the first pin-up model of her kind and pushed modeling’s boundaries. Jackie Robinson played a huge role in the civil rights movement and changed so many things in our culture. There is tremendous “goodwill” so to speak built up around these icons who not only accomplished so much, but they worked hard on protecting the “goodwill” around their name and their likeness. It is very similar to someone who works hard to build a business or develop a patent. Our constitution envisioned that these fruits of our labor that are in the form of “intellectual property rights” should be protectable.

What is the most challenging issue you face in protecting the rights of the dead?

The most challenging part is that celebrities impact so many people and these people sometimes don’t want to accept when they pass away, that they do have rights that can and should be protected.

When you started your own roofing company in order to put yourself through college did you ever imagine it would have led you where it has?

Not at all. I was focused on what I did back then, just like what I am doing right now. I tried to be good at what I did, and I always thought the chips would then fall into place.

Did you ever feel like giving up back in those early days? What was the one thing that kept you focused on pursuing your life’s passion?

Sure. I think everyone does. But life has its ups and downs, and you just have to realize that. What kept me focused was the satisfaction of helping others, whether it was through CMG Worldwide, roofing houses, or another endeavor. We have often faced legal challenges from big companies on what we do. What we do has been perceived as a threat to the studios and the sports leagues back in the ‘80s. Now, of course, it is all common place to protect these rights.

Do you think it is fair to say a little determination and persistence will take a person far in life regardless of where they may be going?

 Absolutely. That’s another reason I’ve been able to pursue my life’s passion so effectively. Determination and persistence are what keep me going and gives me the strength to keep up with my business each day.

Do you feel blessed to be able to give back to those in need? Why do you think it is so important that those who have give back to those who don’t?

 I think it is important to set an example. We have tried to be philanthropic as a company and me personally. We understand that we are high profile, and that puts even more pressure on use to set an example.

What advice would you offer those wishing to pursue a similar career?

 Excel at what you do and don’t give up. Be patient.

What would you say is the most important thing you have learned from all of this so far?

It is possible to have a lot of fun at what you do. If you are passionate about what you do it is so easy to meet so many nice people and accumulate friends along the way.

Are there any moments throughout you career that stand out most vivid in your mind today?

Maybe some of the significant legal victories. Warner Bros. was probably the biggest. Being the expert witness in the OJ Simpson case was also a significant event.

What would you say is the best advice anyone ever gave you and who was it?

Probably my father in law, Dr. Beurt SerVaas, who said that, to be successful in business, you had to do two things: make more money than you spend and pay your bills on time.

In the end, what do you consider to be the key to a life well lived?

I think it would have to be that you made a difference and you had a positive influence on others.

Is there anything you’d like to say in closing?

Thank you for interviewing me.

A Figment of My Imagination

A figment of my imagination
Frequents as scream the swelling dream of night
Brought forth in potent exaggeration,
Familiar though it seems, yet more than tight
Than wide proportions of a common day
That cast no delusions and should repent
Fair consequence that stares and snares away
From constant scrutiny and overbite
For many a day sewn in tapestry
Of common dream from shouts of whim galore
That every waking has in tendency,
Rising into a hunch one should explore
That it should be that one alone will hear
The miscarriage of wind in his own snore.

Icarus in a Canoe

For Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark Expedition

He stared at the empty whisky glass
on the cabin’s porch railing,
drifted into drunken clarity.
How he’d dared to be a Columbus,
trek even further into Eden’s Garden

of buffalo, elk and antelope, wild turkey feeding on hills and plains
as far as the eye could see, deer and beaver uncountable. And
coming down the river towards his canoe, a blanket of white feathers
three miles long, seventy yards wide. And further, the source:
acres of white pelicans preening in summer molt. Cottonwood,
redwood, condor and grizzly, coyote, the Rockies, finally, the Pacific. Paradise, danger, everywhere.

But now he could no longer sleep,
though he still spread bear skins
and buffalo robe on the floor.
Melancholy had driven him to wilderness,
then mania galvanizing all resolve
in the face of hunger, storm,
the Blackfeet, Shoshone,
the Sioux. Now,

at Grinder’s Inn north of Nashville,
he was near an end, though only thirty-five.
Perhaps he was not made for return,
for settling. Mrs. Grinder heard him
pace that night for hours arguing
with an unseen opponent. Perhaps
Rilke’s angel who simply refused
to fight.

In the early morning,
Meriwether loaded two pistols,
shot himself in the head with one,
the bullet only grazing his skull,
the other fired next at his breast,
the ball emerging low on his backbone.

After failed attacks by grizzly, malaria,
the outraged warriors, he could only stagger now
to his end—taking his razor, cutting himself
from head to foot yelling: I am no coward,
but I am so strong and it is hard to die.

Shortly after sunrise, Mrs. Grinder found him,
listened as his heart stopped beating.
Like any myth, the fall from rapture
the only human return.

The poems of Dane Cervine have been chosen by Adrienne Rich, Tony Hoagland, The Atlanta Review, and Caesura for acknowledgement and have appeared in a wide variety of journals including The SUN Magazine, The Hudson Review, Catamaran, Red Wheelbarrow, anthologies, newspapers, video & animation. Dane is a local therapist, and serves as Chief of Children’s Mental Health for Santa Cruz County in California.

Photo by Kevin McShane.

Misty Lee has worked as a voice actor appearing on games such as Grand Theft Auto V. Batman: Arkham City & Arkham Knight, Fallout 4, and Disney’s Infinity to name a few. She can also be found voicing Aunt May Parker in Ultimate Spider Man. She studied sketch and musical improv at The Second City in L.A. Her work as a magic led to her becoming the first female magician to hold a position as staff Séance Medium at Hollywood’s Magic Castle. She has also played Princess Leia in StarWars Battlefront.

What were you like as a child? What were some of your most fond memories from that time?

Chatty and imaginative, and relatives claim I often mooched food off their dinner plates. Haven’t really changed much. (smiles) Most of my fond memories involve spending time with my grandparents, who were tremendously supportive, vivacious and fun.

As someone who has dealt with domestic abuse within her own family what advice would you offer to others dealing with abuse in any form?

Although you may feel that you are stuck, you’re NOT.  Reach out – in secret if you have to – to someone you can trust, and plot your escape. The more clever you are about it and the more permanent you can make the break, the better your chances of success. Please – PLEASE – take care of yourself, your kids, and your pets, and get them AWAY from an abuser.  Forever. You (and they) deserve better.

What did it feel like to film the PSA Escape? Was it therapeutic to be able to show love to your mother in such a way? What would you say is the most important thing you learned from her?

The Escape short had been hogging up brain space for about four years before we shot it, so it was kind of a relief to get it going.  It wasn’t as therapeutic as it was a labor of love. Several very generous people came together to make it happen, and we all agreed that if it helped even one person… it was totally worth it.

The most important thing I learned from my mother is generosity in love. Haven’t approached anywhere NEAR her capacity for kindness, support and forgiveness, but her patience and dedication to those she adores is a constant inspiration. There’s a remarkable strength in being able to forgive but not forget. She has a tremendous ability to learn and help everyone move forward, so the family still loves each other but we don’t commit the same transgressions over and over. I admire her.

Do you think in today’s society it is more important than ever that girls learn to become strong women?

I think girls deserve to become strong women, and that it’s important PERIOD. It’s always been important, and will always be important. No matter how the world changes, the human race will not flourish without them.

What advice would you offer the women of today and tomorrow?

Find what you love, and do it.

What was it like to discover magic when you were 16?

 At 16, it was weird and almost embarrassing to perform it.

At 23, it was something I realized I could make money doing.

Now, I love it because of the freedom it provides.

Who do you consider to be some of the best magicians past and present?

 Best is VERY subjective, so here are two sub-categories for answers:

I like my magicians sneaky, fun, and presentational, with a theatrical flair and a whole lot of smart.

Favorites to watch:

Past:  Doug Henning, Richiardi, Jr.

Now: Teller, Derren Brown

Some contemporary magicians I consider both wonderful and IMPORTANT:

David Copperfield and Max Maven.

Please note:  There are at least 50 more names I would add to each of these lists.   I am keeping it to two to save you space.

Do you think the modern world needs more magic?

Yes. We live in an age where a tiny gadget in our hand can talk to space. Magic helps us remember that we aren’t superhuman and that the universe still works mysteries. It reminds us to/inspires wonder – and wonder inspires great things.

What it is like to be married to Paul Dini? What was it that first drew you to him?

Being married to Paul is like having a brilliant creative toddler around all the time.  It’s 10+ times a day of “Hey can I read you something?” or “Can I run this idea by you?” You’d think I’d be sick of it after all these years, but NO WAY. I admire his mind, and appreciate both it and the human it belongs to. (smiles)

Paul’s been through some serious shit – both good and bad – and because of it has a genuine, kind, and solid character. That’s pretty hard to find in general, and finding that in someone who’s also creative and fun is like hitting the jackpot. I am very, VERY lucky – and I know it.

Are you thankful to lead a life that allows you to always be creative in so many various ways?

 Every. Single. Day.

 Are there any little known things about you that your fans might be surprised to learn?

 I drink pickle juice sometimes. It was almost a dealbreaker for Dini. Don’t care. Still do it.

Do you have a dream project you’d most like to bring into being?

 It’s happening right now. It’ll be a while before it’s released, but we’re working on it – and I couldn’t be happier. (Does a celebratory dance)

What do you think is key to a life well lived?

 Gratitude.

Is there anything you’d like to say before you go?

Just: Thank you!

Photo by Kevin McShane.

BEFORE THIS WEEK IS GONE

YOU GOT TIME
NEXT WEEK
LAST CHANCE
EDGIER THAN YOU THINK
STILL GOT THE BEAT
DANCING FOR SURVIVAL

THE TROUBLE WITH PRISON
BEHIND LOCKED DOORS
REMAGINING
AT THE HEART OF OUR HISTORY
RYE INSIGHTFUL VIEW
THE GREAT MIND-BODY DEBATE
THE TIES THAT BIND
DEVIL’S MADNESS
EVIL LIFE
ONE BREATH
SUPER SELF-AWARE
WE ARE ALL STARDUST
SMALL WORLD BIG TRUTHS
AN EXERCISE IN CHEAP EMOTION
WET AND WILD

From headlines in the Panorama, The Canberra Times February 6, 2016

(Published on the group blog Project 365 + 1 at www.project365plus.com.au and the associated blog The Wonder Book of Poetry. )

Irish-Australian poet Lizz Murphy has published 12 books of different kinds. Her seven poetry titles include Portraits: 54 Poems and Six Hundred Dollars (PressPress), Walk the Wildly (Picaro), Stop Your Cryin (Island) and Two Lips Went Shopping (Spinifex – print & e-book).

She is widely published in Australia and overseas. Recentish work can be found in Abridged, Blue Pepper, Cordite Poetry Review, Honest Ulsterman, Shot Glass Journal, Uut Poetry, Verity La, Wonderbook of Poetry and a number of print anthologies.

Lizz has won some awards and special mentions. She is interested in art & text and poetry as public art, and sometimes blogs at lizzmurphypoet.blogspot.com and daily at the collaborative Project 365 + 1 – http://project365plus.blogspot.com.au/ coordinated by Kit Kelen.

Toni Lee Scott has long been known for her iconic jazz vocals, her deeply admirable determination to make the best of this thing called life, and her friendship with the gone too soon James Dean. Her range has won her long standing recognition and praise in the cabaret genre. Over the course of her career she has appeared on such television shows as Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and The Mike Douglas Show, just to name a few. Her life story can be found in the autobiography A Kind of Loving. She is currently working on a documentary covering her life as well.

What was it like to meet James Dean?

It was amazing!

What was he like as a person? Do you think society tends to overlook the individual in favor of the fame aspect of his persona.

He was very sweet. With his new found stardom he experienced people using him and friends betraying him. There were very few people he could trust but he stayed true to himself. He was always that very sweet person that I came to be friends with. He never had a bad thing to say about others or what was happening with his new position as a star. He was just a very sweet, well raised boy from Indiana.

I think society adores him which is why so many people travel to Fairmount Indiana to see where he grew up and to get to know him on a much more personal basis. It is so very beautiful to see people leaving gifts for him and kissing his tombstone.

What was he like as a friend?

He protected me and looked out for me. He was always there with a smile and a warm gesture.

Do you remember where you were when you first learned of his passing?

Yes, I remember. I was at home on Doheny in West Hollywood when the phone rang. It was Sidney Skolsky’s daughter. She informed me of his passing. I couldn’t believe it. I even cried “I don’t believe it” but she assured me that it was true. It was so heartbreaking. I do miss him a great deal. He was only 24. He was so young. He had so much life to live. I informed Dennis Hopper about Jimmy and Dennis got very upset. It affected him for a long time. We were both heartbroken. We both had lost someone that we cared about very much.

What memories of him stand out most in your mind after all these years?

For some strange reason he would sit next to me at the counter in Googie’s coffee shop. It is strange but I would never look at him. He would simply ask me to “pass the sugar” and I would while still reading my paper. That went on for maybe two weeks until we left at the same time. He got on his motorcycle and I informed him that I had lost my leg on a motorcycle just like his. He said, “Yeah I know.” Then he started the bike and went down the street. I found that very interesting that he knew about my accident.

I remember how he convinced me to get on the back of his motorcycle. He said, “It’s just like falling off a horse. You got to get back on.” I didn’t want him to think I was chicken so I got on the back of the bike. It was very difficult for me. The only other time I had ever been on a motorcycle was when I had my accident so as you can image it wasn’t easy for me. As soon as we started going down the street I started screaming. He brought the bike to a stop and Dennis Hopper came running down the hill with my crutches and I walked back up. Even though that scared me…I think Jimmy wanted to show me that I could do it. I believe he wanted to show me that I had the strength inside myself to do anything I put my mind to. He had such faith in me and for that I am forever grateful.

Is there anything about him you think his fans would be surprised to learn?

He was only in my life for 18 months but he has been here leaving me bread crumbs and magic for almost 61 years…all along the way and for people that I touch. He would talk a lot about his family and his work as an actor. He took his work very seriously.

Did he ever mention Mildred and how he dealt with such a horrific loss at such a young age?

No, he didn’t really mention his mother. I guess that was something very close to his heart and very private for him.

What would you say is the most important thing you learned from him?

He taught me how to appreciate myself. He taught me how to examine and question the actions and statements of other people. That I needed to look behind the words and see why people say certain things. He taught me to examine and question my own actions as well. I learned a lot from him. He was very smart.

After his death you went on to form M.A.R.G.I.E. to help the young to deal with the loss of a limb. Why do you think such things are important? What did you learn from working on that project?

I named the M.A.R.G.I.E. foundation after a 15 year old girl by the name of Margie Chapin. I created the foundation to help others with disabilities and to help them to obtain properly made and properly fitted prosthetic limbs. Also I wanted to help them to obtain the courage and the confidence to re-enter society and the work place. I myself found that from my own experiences doing so was very difficult so I wanted to make it easier for others.

What a lucky girl I am…I had the pleasure of his company…and his friendship. 

~Toni Lee Scott

Photo by Phil Stern, 1955. Used by permission from Peter Stern. http://www.philsternarchives.com/

Many thanks to Cody Mullins for taking the time to take down the answers to my questions.