I Yam What I Yam, What I Yam, and You’d better believe it!

"Popeye and Olive Oil" Salt and Pepper Shakers, excellent Cond. 1980 KFS, Inc. 

Learning to accept yourself and to love yourself is the hard won struggle of life. Thanks to good old Popeye we discover that self acceptance is the first step to overcoming weakness and triumphing over evil. Forgiveness of one’s self for past mistakes brings peace and happiness.

There is strength in self acceptance. By giving ourselves as much room to grow and make mistakes as we give others, we gain strength to overcome our own weaknesses. It is only when we learn to love and accept ourselves that we learn how to give love to others.

"Inlaid Puzzle" Jaymar, Shows Popeye eating his Spinach to prepare for Brutus in the background.

Our prisons are full of people with low self-esteem and self loathing; people who never experienced unconditional love and acceptance. Self acceptance is not wallowing in a life of crime and degradation “because this is what or who I am.” Self acceptance is recognizing our humanity and being patient with ourselves as we overcome weaknesses, temptations, and human frailty. In other words, we give ourselves "room to grow."

Popeye embraces all of that as he stumbles through life open to anything and everything. He is naive. He is trusting. He turns a blind eye to evil (Brutus) and unwittingly becomes evil’s “patsy.” He fights for truth and justice for his true love, Olive Oil (or is it Oyl?), and for his Sweet Pea.

"Popeye Spinach dish" (for trinkets or candy), with lid. 1990 KFS, Inc.

Like Robin Hood, he fights for the poor, the downtrodden, and the weak. He is a muscle-packing hero weakened only by his failure to eat his spinach. When I was younger, my father convinced me that I could be as strong as Pop-eye if only I’d swallow that green, slimy stuff on my plate he called spinach.

Later in life, a grandson’s imitation of the Sailor Man, prompted my fascination with everything Popeye. Somehow collecting Popeye memorabilia brought my father closer. I can still see him reading Popeye comic books for fun and relaxation after work.

"Popeye and Olive Oil" Twister dolls large; perfect condition, KFS, Inc. BRONCO CD, 1978

When Dad came home, he was covered in welder’s black from head to toe. But once he’d had his bath and “supper,” he’d relax in his chair with the comics. His favorites: Dick Tracy, Alley Oop, and Popeye in that order. Dad helped weld the Alaskan Pipeline, using Arc Welding which later proved detrimental to his health.

"Large Olive Oil with movable arms and head" 1991 KFS, Inc.
made in Philippines

Five men where he worked ended up with Parkinson’s disease from using the Arc Welding equipment. None of them were blood relatives. Research concluded that their Parkinson’s was a direct result of using the equipment. Later, other welders wore the proper protection which provided some measure of safety.

"Olive Oil" hand puppet, 1/31/57 PERFECT

Thanks to my father and later my grandson, Dane, I started my own Popeye collection until space and several moves curtailed that pastime. My small collection will soon be for sale on my Etsy site at http://www.etsy.com/people/AnfinsenArt

"Matchbox Character Series N213" 1980 KFS, Inc. made in Hong Kong; Logos worn off

Here is a Popeye feature about Popeye and Alababa and the 40 Thieves. Enjoy!

Oh, the Artist’s Life is the Life for me!

Moonshines

I’ve been a Popeye fan since childhood. My father, an avid comic book reader, mimicked the “old salt” whenever he could. My mother reminded me to eat my spinich so I’d be strong like Popeye; however, I preferred Olive Oyl’s lanky svelte figure.

Popeye’s favorite song charmed me: “Oh, the sailor’s life is the life for me,” tooted on his pipe which was loaded with spinich. I loved that song and the crazy cartoon characters like Wimpy, Brutus, and Sweet Pea that cavorted over the comic book pages or on the big screen. I started collecting Walter Lanz memorabilia in adulthood.

Why am I going down memory lane as I drive to downtown Fort Myers on an artist’s errand? I found myself singing one of those old dittys, and then replaced the words with: “Oh, an Artist’s Life is the Life for me!” (We artists are a little weird!)

I wasn’t alone, either. Friends from the Pan American Alliance were looking for space where we may exhibit, and we made the rounds of potential locations. We are already “joined at the hip” with the Art Council of Southwest Florida that includes such entities as the Alliance of the Arts, Art League of Fort Myers, and the Naples Art Assoc., but we were looking for space to highlight our group and Pan American artists.

Work-in-progress -- "Hey, Coconut Mon"

This morning we were painting publicly at the Regional County Library to expose the arts to the community, recruit new members, and provide cultural inspiration for the people. Over the next few months, we will be busy with art shows, juried shows, and workshops. I’ll give you the details as they occur.

Today I’m sharing some of my works in progress and a completed painting. Sometimes it seems I take one step forward and two steps back. But progress is being made. Next week I’m participating in a demo sponsored by Golden Paints and all Pan American members will receive a free packet from Golden. These little perks keep me whistling, humming, and singing: “Yes, the Artist’s Life is the Life for me!”

work in progress -- 1st oil application