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Jeanne In Wonderland

 Jeanne In Wonderland
Alice Couldn't Make It, Dog Trouble.

Update on the Alice story. She can't find her dog. It's unknown if the dog was stolen, wandered off or ran away. In any case, it was a Toto loss.

Wonderland is a restaurant on Burleigh Ave. in Milwaukee. It has a long tradition and relationship with the iconic Art Bar.

My friend and I attended what turned out to be a going away party for David Sartori. David had spent the better part of last year tending to his late father, Bill Sell. Bill's passing and David's finishing taking care of Bill's estate cleared the way for David to move back to Florida.

We had a nice evening visiting old and new friends. David supplied a generous ad tasty light buffet and negotiated a discount at the bar. He also presented a slide show of Bill's photographs. The images of Milwaukee events and people of note spanned from the 1960s until recent days in Bill's life. Some guests appeared in the photos. Other images brought back fond memories of days gone by because of the elasticity of the urban landscape, buildings and other items lost, and new elements added.

Last week went back to have dinner there. Like our nearby Comet Cafe, Wonderland includes several comfort food items on the menu, including a build-your-own Mac n Cheese dish, meatloaf, turkey, and roast beef. 

I contented myself with the chicken pot pie. It was delicious, but I had one problem. They don't make their version with a pie crust. Instead, they serve the stew in a medium-sized casserole dish. It's topped with a biscuit of a size that flirts with the edges of the dish, and it's almost a half-inch deep. As a result, it is almost impossible to eat the thing until you consume enough of the biscuit.

Next time I'm going to request a small side dish to remove the biscuit, cut it up and dip the pieces in the sauce as I consume it.

The Art Bar.

Walking into this watering hole, you're confronted with the game room. With everything from a pool table to a pinball machine. You can't ignore that they cover the walls with small art pieces. Some pieces are a couple of inches in either direction. The largest measure is about 4 x 6.

The work ranges from paintings to raised ceramics. The paintings are done with variety sub straits such as oils., watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media. The subject matter includes portraits, landscapes, and abstracts. These are all for sale and range in price from $35 to 100 dollars. Blank spots with a small nail embedded in the wall indicated that some had been purchased.

Speaking of Art Work;

Here's my latest.

Fog and Mist 
Pastel 9 x 12 on papper

Cold Winters' Day
Guasche 9 x 12 on papper

I would have to look through my photos, sketchbooks and paintings to count how many times I've used the Milwaukee breakwater lighthouse as a subject. But I'm finally getting it.

Women with Horse
Pastel 12 x 16 










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