THE TIME I WATCHED VAN CLIBURN MAKE A ONE STAR GENERAL CRY.

I’ll be in Texas the week after Christmas.   I’ll be drawing the generals and commanders and athletes and their support crews for the Armed Forces Bowl at the Worthington, one night. The other team VIP’s at the Omni downtown Fort Worth the next night and then at the Gaylord a few nights for the Cotton Bowl.
These are open houses for the teams and their family.  The first of the Armed Forces Bowl is usually in the Van Cliburn suit, on top the Worthington.  I love this gig.  I was drawing there one year, early in it’s short bowl history, and Van Cliburn himself came down that unique staircase and he played about twenty minutes by request of one of the generals.  Who then immediately made a hefty check out to the Van Cliburn foundation for scholarships.
When Mr. Cliburn came down the stairs I was drawing a young lady and Van stopped and visited me, I introduced myself, we shook hands and he complemented my line work.  Then like a professional politician, he calmly made his way around the two rooms, shaking hands and making small talk like they were all from east Texas.  He completed his greeting by sitting to my right on the piano bench.  He then claimed that a certain member of the army brass wanted to hear him play a few “diddlies” on the piano. Then the room filled with polite golf laughs.
So he played, and his music grabbed every single person in the room. Tears could have flooded Main st.  Hearts were wrung out of all the muck and yuck that we all seem to soak up from our drudgery of employment. From our servitude for our children.  And our loyalties to all those anxieties that we blame our parents and closest of kin.  All negativity that bombards us all, was melted into tears of joy. Watching his fingers just glide over those keys like they were made of butter.  He would look around the room and have eye contact with them while he played and he would change the medley, the rhythms, and the attitude of his music as he visually bounced  eye contact with the whole room,  even me, standing slightly behind him. This entire moment was a masterful one. He came and gave us all of himself for a solid twenty minutes.  And the he was gone, but everyone there all talked about that moment for the rest of the evening.
It was the perfect gig.  The people hav e been entertained, wowed, and left inspired. All my drawings were just marvelous and should be worth millions by now.  Good for those owners who framed theirs.  Everyone there were geniuses, athletic wonders of man kinds best. And then the foundation of the evening, Van Cliburn. We all shared a rare opportunity to see him spin his classical musical magic. He truly made that night a work of art for all in attendance.
I love these bowl gigs in Texas every last week of the year.  For me, it’s a great gig, it’s a homecoming, and a wonderful creative experience for my creative process.  I’d be happy to share more about my creative process or even help a group discover a little more about their own creativity. If you’re in The METROPLEX or living somewhere near it and want to schedule a fascilitated workshop with me during that last week of the year; then please email me.  There are a few lunch times, afternoons and a couple of late evenings available. Please and thank you.
Ty the Art Guy.