Picture of the Week #214 "Gossip at the Beauty Shop"  Shanghai, China 1980 Signed and Stamped

This is what Shanghai used to look like. What I love about this image is it's universality. These women are gossiping away the same as countless women are doing from Paris to Brooklyn to .... well you get the idea. This salon is outdoors while the fancier American and European parlors are indoors. But what goes on inside is the same wherever you are. I haven't been back to Shanghai but have seen pictures, scenes like this are disappearing if not already gone. C'est la vie.

Picture of the Week #213 "Elephant Love" Tree Tops Aberdare, Kenya 1997 Signed and Stamped

Nothing says love like these two elephants rubbing trunks. This was one of many wildlife images that I took on our honeymoon safari. It was truly one of the greatest and most luxurious trips we've ever experienced. Most people think that Safari means ruffing it, when in fact it can be a moveable feast of food, excitement, luxury and untold pleasures of seeing wild animals in their native habitats. These trips are not cheap, but worth every penny in the memories that you come away with. We can't wait to return.

Picture of the Week #212 "Bright Intelligent Messengers Furnished Here" Montreal, Canada 1965 Signed and Stamped

What can I say. This sign was for real. We were visiting friends in Montreal when I passed this delivery shop. Somehow the sign comes across funny. It doesn't mean to be, but somehow it brings a smile when I read it. I don't know if there was another sign announcing their name or if it was even a joke. There were no bicycles or scooters or vans out front. I only took the picture and moved on. Today, they are probably Fed Ex.

Picture of the Week #211 "Palio Patrol" Siena, Italy 1989 Signed and Stamped

When I spent the summer alone two years before I met my beautiful wife, I went to Siena Italy with nothing on my agenda but just go take some pictures and grab lunch. When I entered the parking area I noticed how packed it seemed. I luckily found a spot and walked in to the walled town. Suddenly I heard the most incredible chants coming from what seemed like hundreds of voices. As I walked past a confectionary store I saw all the way through the shop to the balcony over looking the town square and down below there were thousands of people. It was moments before the famed Palio horse race was about to begin. As I was wearing a camera over my shoulder the woman who owned the shop smiled to me as if to acknowledge that she thought I was a photojournalist and allowed me to join her on the balcony. In a short time a gun went off and the horses charged around the dirt covered Campo. Immediately after the race ended the dirt was swept aside and tables were placed and the town began to party. I was so lucky to arbitrarily pick that day of all days to visit Siena. I can cross that unexpected visit off my bucket list. Unforgettable.

Picture of the Week #210 "Fashion & Weather - Always Changing" Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 1979 & Beverly Hills, California 2012 Signed and Stamped

Okay, I merged two images together to make my statement that fashion and weather are always changing. The beach was in Cabo San Lucas in Baja Mexico, while the fashionista was at the Beverly Hills Art Walk on a beautiful sunny summer day. It was the color that I felt made the two images meld. The beach was shot on film while she was shot digitally. Photoshop is my friend.

Picture of the Week #209 "Up Up and Away" Vancouver, B.C. Canada 2005 Signed and Stamped

Vancouver was a surprise. I was dazzled by all the clean modern buildings. As I normally take pictures of people, this charming city offered a new perspective on architecture. I wandered around for some time just shooting up. The sky was clear. No clouds. No sign of weather. Just silhouettes of the graphic buildings reaching skywards.

Picture of the Week #208 "Perched" Santa Monica, California 2012 Signed and Stamped

Most of my posts are of older images. Today's was just shot when my wife Ann and I went for a walk along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica taking in a glorious California day. Ann pointed up to the birds to show me them perched on the light pole. I thought she was warning me to watch out for droppings. I always see the dark while she basks in the light. I swung my camera around as we waited for the light to change so we could cross the street. In a blink I ran off three images. This was the first and our favorite. We then went on our merry way. When I came home I printed this out 44" X 62" and will now hang it in our library.

Picture of the Week #207 "Sly Before Rocky" Brooklyn, New York 1972 Signed and Stamped

When I made my first motion picture I was fortunate enough to have Sylvester Stallone not only act but also co-write with me his first screen appearance. I knew from the second I saw him that he was destined for fame. I had never met anyone as focused and driven as Sly. Not to mention talented. We owe each other so much. A few years ago he had come to a book signing of my personal reminiscence of "The Making of the Lords of Flatbush" where he, on camera, gave me credit for creating his character which later became "Rocky" and "Fonzie" from "Happy Days". The rest became history. A large print of this image is now hanging at the Mouche Gallery in Beverly Hills.

Picture of the Week #206 "The Diver" Vancouver British Colombia 2005 Signed and Stamped

This was right out of the camera. It's an odd image, especially with the piles of what I think is sulphur across the way. I wonder how many other tourists to V.C. encountered this site. I think of this city more for it's high rise architecture than this strange statue sitting on a rock, mask, fins and all.

Picture of the Week #205 "All Dressed Up & No Place To Go" Bel Air, California 2008 Signed and Stamped

These are our cats, Olivia and Babette. I took this photo for our Christmas Card four years ago. Olivia had seizures a couple of days ago and for the first time I thought about our life without them. Even though I am terribly allergic, I still adore them. And as everyone knows my wife is inseparable from them. She dotes on them night and day. Pampered doesn't even come close to how well our feline children are treated. When I took this picture my wife Ann was a nervous wreck. Olivia and Babette were not. It's almost as if they were saying that they were putting up with this just to please Ann. They were right. In the spirit of Halloween dress up I decided to share our little Princesses picture.

Picture of the Week #204 "Old and Older" Los Angeles, California 2008 Signed and Stamped

On our regular excursions to the Getty I happened to notice this guy with a mohawk checking out an old master painting. Or was he looking at the girl? It's hard to tell,  but I thought then and now years later the same concept of his old style haircut and an old painting. I especially like the small painting on the left looking at the girl. This is my favorite thing to do, I call it visual eavesdropping.

Picture of the week #203 "Rained Out" Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 1987 Signed and Stamped

On one of many trips to Cabo the weather turned nasty. No, that isn't my boogie board or fins. I always said that I don't go in water unless there is tile around it. I'm not a fan of the ocean except to look at it and maybe on hot days dunk near the shore. Mind you this is coming from a man who spent his summers on the beach in Saint Tropez. I was digging through my vault of 35mm transparencies when I found a number of pictures from Cabo, this being one of them. The overcast and ominous sky made it an appealing photograph. I sent out an email with this image and immediately sold 4 prints. I knew this would hit a chord.

Picture of the Week #202 "Contemplation" Madrid, Spain 1987 Signed and Stamped

Bullfighting had always intrigued me. When I was a kid I fantasized about being a Matador or a Race Car Driver. I was more interested in sports where your life was on the line rather than swinging a bat or throwing a ball. When I was older and went to Spain and Portugal where I actually was able to go see the bullfights up close, I realized just how crazy my childhood fantasy was. On my second trip to Spain as a semi known film director I was able to gain up close access to the Matadors. I took pictures from the Chapel to the butcher shop where the fresh meat was sold immediately after a kill. There was a forlorn look to this Matador where I wasn't sure if he was contemplating what he had just done or what he has to do. You decide.

Picture of the Week #201 "Paris Fog"  Paris, France 1970 Signed and Stamped

Look closely and you'll see the Eiffel Tower. In the actual print of this image it's even harder to see. But the yellow Citroen and what I think is a Renault in front bookend the striking tower. I have had this 35mm transparency sitting in my files but never forgot it. FInally I was able to clean the slide up and make a beautiful 13" X 19" print on semi gloss paper. There's something mysterious yet compelling in this cold, heavily overcast day in the City of Lights.

Picture of the Week #200 "Arrezzo Stride" Arrezzo, Italy 1989 Signed and Stamped

When I had rented a villa in Loro Cuiffena in Tuscany, I would often bicycle over to Arrezzo for the antique market, and the vitality of that incredible city, as well as lunch in this incredible square. One day when the town was quiet I caught this image. Recently my friend Simon Gales a wonderful artist saw this image on my website and gave it such praise that I had to post it as a Picture of the Week to celebrate the 200th posting. Thank you Simon.

Picture of the Week #199 "Bread" Paris, France 1998 Signed and Stamped

When I first saw these baguettes wrapped and laying side by side, for some unknown and very dark reason I thought of the poor people scrunched together in wooden beds in concentration camps. I don't know why I thought that as I usually see the bright side.

Picture of the Week #198 "Portuguese Fish Mongers" Lisbon, Portugal 1965 Signed and Stamped

Some people might recognize this image as I had made a painting from this photograph when I first began working from photographs back in 1973. I had always had an affection for this picture. A dear friend who happens to be psychologist looked at the painting and thought that they were my family.   It's bizarre as my family were from Russia and these are Portuguese, but he was right there is a resemblance. The woman on the left resembled my Aunt Rose, the woman in the middle my Aunt Mildred, then my mother in the back and grandmother on the end. And the man whose face is obscured by the shadow is my father who I never knew. Maybe that is why they say you always put something of yourself into your work.

Picture of the Week #197 "Lonely Glacier" Valdez, Alaska 1976 Signed and Stamped

While on location filming my second feature film, "Pipe Dreams", I came across this huge hunk of an iceberg that had broken off from nearby Columbia glacier. I incorporated as much as I could into the movie,  but the drama of what we experienced was greatly reduced by recording it on film. There is nothing like a "live" experience, and this one certainly got the juices flowing. At least I have this visual memory.

Picture of the Week #196 "Monk Meeting" Paru, Bhutan 2000 Signed and Stamped

Another image from my series from Bhutan. Even though the decree of this little kingdom is happiness, you wouldn't know it looking at some of the expressions on their faces. The picture was taken at a religious festival where masked dancers whirled about in an age old tradition while these loyal devotees watched in silence.

Picture of the Week #195 "Eight Million Stories" New York City NY 1970 Signed and Stamped

Forty-two years later and this image still haunts me. I made this when I was producing and directing a music video for the rock group "Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show". The song was called "Carry Me" and was about alcoholism. Not sure how to portray that I hid a camera in my coat and went to the Bowery, which in those days was where the addicted hung out. I've shown a couple of images from this series before. (see Pictures of the Week #7 & #68) I tried sneaking pictures but was caught fairly soon by two of the meanest looking guys you ever saw. They asked for a quarter. I gave it to them. They became my "guides" and walked me around so that I could get the pictures that I needed. Years later I turned these 35mm color transparencies Black and White and had a show titled "Holy Men Medicine Men Mad Men" which channeled me away from filmmaking and painting and allowed me to pursue my passion of taking pictures after a Vanity Fair editor had said; "Stephen Verona's work recalls the greatness of Steichen and Weegee with all of the passion of Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans. A Must see!" I've never looked back except to my pictures.

Picture of the Week #194 "Guarding the Modern Art" France  1982 Signed and Stamped

I painted this picture in 1983, but for the life of me I can't remember if this was in Paris or the South of France. I do know that this picture was taken in 1982. I went through my 35mm slides but couldn't find the original. I also remember that I had a few pictures of this guard and remember he moved away as if to allow me to photograph the paintings. Little did he know I was more interested in him and his demeanor than the abstract images that flanked him. When I created the painting from this photo I made up my own abstracts which were more colorful and flamboyant than these. Thirty years later this looks as fresh as when I took it.

Picture of the Week #193 "Nap Time" Bangkok, Thailand 1989 Signed and Stamped

This woodworker grabbed a few zzz's in his storefront workshop. I couldn't resist taking the picture. Hopefully enough time has gone by in case his boss sees this picture that he will not be in trouble. I truly doubt that I could find this shop today to show him his picture. Such is life.

Picture of the Week #192 "Jeff Beck" Los Angeles, California 1972 signed and Stamped

When I directed and produced music videos for Clive Davis and Columbia Records, I had the good fortune to work with legends. Maybe at the time they were just "working" but their longevity showed their talent and created rock and roll history. Here is Jeff Beck one of the greatest guitarists who ever graced a stage. Rock on.

Picture of the Week #191 "Circling Hollywood" Santa Barbara California 1981 Signed and Stamped

I am almost sure that this was taken in a museum because even though I have an excellent visual memory, this image was not in my memory bank. When I was going through my vault of 35mm transparencies I discovered this in the Santa Barbara folder. I know it's mine as the slide number is between other numbers that I did recognize. Anyway, here it is hovering. I facetiously titled it as this town is known for it's aggression.

Picture of the Week #190 "Andy Warhol Coming Out of a Tomato Soup Can" Santa Monica California 1977 / 2012 Signed and Stamped

Recently I revamped this old image of Andy Warhol coming out of a tomato soup can for the Mouche Gallery in Beverly Hills. I had done this image back in 1977 where Andy was in a Beef and Noodle can. When Keiko Noah the owner director of Mouche asked for this image 40" X 60" I tried using the original file but it was not large enough to reproduce clearly. So I reshot the can, only today the cans have pull tops, so Jack Duganne my master printer and I had to photoshop the original cover which also had 19 cents stamped on the lid. The new can cost me $1.39. I also felt that tomato soup was more fitting then beef and noodle.

Picture of the Week #189 "Vintage Chinese Mall" Shanghai, China 1980 Signed and Stamped

From what I hear, scenes like these are gone from the landscape of Shanghai. After all it's been 32 years since I was there. I have this overwhelming curiosity to return to see how much has changed. I have always had great memories of my time there and hope I will not be disappointed. But for now they'll just be memories as we have no immediate plans on returning. But as life goes on, never say never. My wife Ann has not been to China and I have always told her one day we will go. Maybe I'll do a show of "Then" and "Now"? I wonder how different my life would have been if the movie that I was working on then had actually come to reality?

Picture of the Week #188 "Working the Wave" Santa Monica, CA 2010 Signed and Stamped

Driving to my therapist one cloudless Tuesday I looked up to see these workers repairing the symbolic Wave that separates West Los Angeles from Santa Monica. Luckily I was stuck at a light so I grabbed my hip mounted point and shoot and bingo ... here is the result. Not bad for a $100 camera.

Picture of the Week #187 "Sublime Symmetry"  Paris, France 2012 Signed and Stamped

On our way over to visit a friends gallery in the Jardin du Palais Royale we took a short cut through this famed courtyard. It houses one of the most important public theaters in Paris and later became known as the Comedie-Francaise. After the revolution it acquired the name Theatre du Palais-Royal as it is known today. The strong sun light and the vertical stripes just screamed out to me. I dropped the color when I printed this graphic image.

Picture of the Week #186 "The Observer"  Shanghai, China 1980 Signed and Stamped

My memories of the old China live in my pictures. Card playing was very big on the streets of Shanghai. From what I understand from people who have been to Shanghai recently, these scenes are long gone. From the uniformed Mao outfits to the primitive conditions, Shanghai now rates as one of the most advanced cities with it's booming architecture and capitalism. I'd love to return and see the changes. Here for now is a picture from a time lost to progress.

Picture of the Week #185 "Suspenders" Santa Monica, CA 2012 Signed and Stamped

On my way for a checkup with my Doctor in Santa Monica, I looked up at his window and saw the window washers coming down. As I have been fascinated by these high wire cleaners before I instantly grabbed my hip camera and shot just one picture and then proceeded to rush to my appointment. I thought they might be there when I came out. And even though it was the quickest appointment I have ever had with my doctor, they were gone and therefore I had to live with just this one picture. Obviously there is a double meaning when I say "Suspenders" as they are suspended but also the white vertical design of the building looks like a pair of suspenders. One day I will run a series of these. My picture of the Week #36, #91, #107, #168 and now #185 are the beginning of the Window Washing suite. More to come. Heads up!

Picture of the Week #184 "Sebastian Floating" Coulaures, France 2012 Signed and Stamped

This is my dear friend's son Sebastian apparently floating in mid air. In actuality he was bouncing on his trampoline and I caught a number of images of him dangling there as if in a surrealist painting. There was no photoshop used, what you see is what I got. Another wonderful remembrance from a magic time in the Dordogne with loving friends Susie, Simon, Ann, Tristan and Sebastian Gales.

Picture of the Week #183 "Where The Sun Always Shines" Disneyland, Anaheim California 1974 / 2012
Signed and Stamped

Originally I took this photo of two Nuns, one wearing sun glasses the other wasn't, back in 1974. I did a painting of this image and sold it right away. It made people smile. Recently I happened on a smiling Nun in Rome and grabbed a shot of her coming towards me. I photoshopped her with the other two and added sun glasses. Voila ! Here you have it. Happiness reigns where the sun always shines.

Picture of the Week #182 "A Still Life" Coulaures, France 2012 Signed and Stamped

This is my great artist friend Simon Gale's out building in the Dordogne section of France. When we were staying with him and his fabulous wife and kids he happened to show me this room in one of his many out buildings. The way everything had it's place and the light, it immediately caught my eye. I grabbed my hip mounted point and shoot and this is the result. I especially love the red handles.

Picture of the Week #181 "The Conversation"

Picture of the Week #181 "The Conversation" Paris, France 2012 Signed and Stamped

Coming from the Apple store under the glass pyramid of the Louvre in Paris as we headed back to our left bank hotel, I spotted this unique image. Quickly snapping away to capture it for posterity. The white cloud hidden behind the crew cut topped trees and the one young couple deep in conversation captured my imagination.

Picture of the Week #180 "Street Urchins of Rome"

Picture of the Week #180 "Street Urchins of Rome" Rome, Italy 2012 Signed and Stamped

While in Rome in April I was turning a corner just by the Pantheon and there on the ground were these four Mime artists taking a break. As I never saw them performing, maybe this relaxed quartet were doing all that they were going to do. Their little beggar box was sitting in front of them waiting for donations. I found this picture funny, which goes along with my constant search of pictures with a sense of humor.

Picture of the Week #179 "Persistence of Time" Mougins, France 2012 Signed and Stamped

When staying with our friend Douglas Villiers in Mougins in the South of France I couldn't help but notice out our bedroom window the picturesque Church across the square. I started to just snap one picture of it at different times of the day. It reminded me of Monet's Cathedral at Rouen and the persistence of time, hence the title.

Picture of the Week # 178 "Zerba Zone" Masai Mara, Kenya 1997 / 2012 Signed and Stamped

The Zebra pictures were taken on our safari honeymoon. I'm not a landscape or nature photographer or plein air artist per se. I have always been more concerned with the human condition. But now years later I've manipulated what once was a boring image and hopefully created something very graphic and intriguing.

Picture of the Week #177 "Love Locked on the Seine" Paris, France 2012 Signed and Stamped

Walking through Paris we found this amazing event had transpired where lovers put their initials on locks and attached them to the grating on the bridge over the Seine. I am not sure when this happened but at least we got to see the installation. This is also the exact spot where Henri Cartier Bresson took his famous "Ile de la Cite" image in the fog back in 1952. His was in B&W while mine showed the clouds looming above.

Picture of the Week #176 "Rainbow in Curved Air"

Picture of the Week #176 "Rainbow in Curved Air" Los Angeles, California 2011 Signed and Stamped

A dear friend and his wife had asked us to go with them to try a new Mediterranean restaurant where we could eat outside and enjoy the balmy evening. While sitting and waiting for our food I looked up and saw the image above. I grabbed my hip pocket and fired away as these sunsets don't last long. Then we ate. It was quite good only they hadn't received their liquor license so I had to forgo my routine glass of red. But at least I got an interesting picture.

Picture of the Week #175 "Mum's the Word"

Picture of the Week #175 "Mum's the Word" Cairo, Egypt 1989 Signed and Stamped

I loved Egypt. I was lost in the Cairo Museum for days. I scoured every inch looking at the sarcophagi from thousands of years before America. The craftsmanship, and the design, as well as the technology are unsurpassed even today. I also realized that the priceless work is pretty much taken for granted by the guards. This security guard seemed more interested in his nails than the 3 thousand year old sarcophagus lying next to him. Maybe he's just jaded as there are so many it's overwhelming.

Picture of the Week #174 "Holyman of Kathmandu"

Picture of the Week #174 "Holy Man of Kathmandu" Kathmandu, Nepal 2000 Signed and Stamped

There are very few places on earth as exotic as Kathmandu in Nepal. Holy men sit on corners

waiting for handouts so they will pray for you. Amazingly, these people are clean and all have containers where food is kept. They can sit for hours on end and for a few cents from our pockets, it enriches their day. But beware if you take out money to give a beggar, more will suddenly appear out of nowhere. But by giving to the Holy man he will raise his hand in peace.

Picture of the Week #173 "Can Can & the Nun"

Picture of the Week #173 "Can Can & the Nun" Madrid, Spain 1987 Signed and Stamped

I know it's slightly out of focus, but when you shoot on the run like in the old days and don't have time to set F stops or anything but don't want to miss the shot ... this is what you get. One of the advantages or in some cases disadvantages of the digital revolution. This was originally shot like most of my pre 2003 pictures on 35mm transparency film. Slides in other words. And no she is not going to slip in that door and drop her habit and start kick stepping with the rest of the girls.

Picture of the Week #172 "Mime Before Makeup"

Picture of the Week #172 "Mime Before Makeup" Aix en Provence, France 2002 Signed and Stamped

Mimes are everywhere these days. But to find one before they put on their makeup was unusual. At the open air market in Aix en Provence I happened on this guy preparing his act. I did not come back to see his pose as I was busy picking up supplies and grabbing a shot here and there just to keep my creative juices going.

Picture of the Week #171 " Midnight at the Oasis"

Picture of the Week #171 "Midnight at the Oasis" Bel Air, California 2012 Signed and Stamped

Getting out of our car in the driveway the other night I looked up and saw the full moon ominously hovering over the trees. I grabbed my trusty hip point and shoot and fired away. Not bad for a $100 camera. When I printed this out on a semi gloss paper at 13" X 19" it looked like a scene from a John Carpenter horror movie, only somehow more beautiful.

Picture of the Week #170 "Lillies"

Picture of the Week #170 "Lillies" Vancouver, Canada 2005 Signed and Stamped

I normally photograph people, but this was so beautiful I had to record it. It was in Stanley Park in Vancouver. I only took this one shot and then moved on. The more I look at it the more intriguing it becomes. Not that I am going to start becoming a nature photographer, but it was a change from the norm. I still prefer the human condition as subject matter, but while I am out looking for interesting subjects, I will take that compelling image when given the chance.

Picture of the Week #169 "Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show"

Picture of the Week #169 "Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show" Sausalito, California USA 1970 Signed and Stamped

When I was producing and directing music videos or promos as they were then called, I got the band to perform on a wharf in Sausalito. Amazingly there was no one around, and the shoot went off without a hitch. They were easy to work with and I loved their music. Here's one of the shots I took while they were warming up. It's rock and roll all the way. I miss those days.

Picture of the Week #168 "Storm Coming"

Picture of the Week #168 "Storm Coming" Vancouver, Canada 2005 Signed and Stamped

The fourth in my series of Window Washers. I'm still intrigued by the daredevil work that these guys do and how they have to face the elements at the same time they are doing their work. High heights are not something I am comfortable with, so they have my respect and admiration. I also adore the graphics that they give me. Living in Los Angeles I don't seem to see them as much as I did in Vancouver. C'est la vie.

Picture of the Week #167 "Moscow Melancholia"

Picture of the Week #167 "Moscow Melancholia" Moscow, Russia 1988 Signed and Stamped

When I attended the first Soviet / American Film interchange, I took some time off to follow my passion of taking pictures. I got on the subway that went in a loop. I would get off at every stop grab a few shots and then get back on until I made the circle complete. Moscow subways are elaborate with crystal chandeliers and mosaic walls reflecting their history. I didn't have time to really look only to grab my shot and move on. What I did notice was that there was absolutely no graffiti. I don't know if that has changed since 1988, I sure hope not.

Picture of the Week #166 "Dead Poultry Society"

Picture of the Week #166 " Dead Poultry Society" New York City 1967 Signed and Stamped

I can't believe it was 45 years ago that I took this picture. I was living in New York at #2 Fifth Avenue then and was probably just roaming the streets with my camera, which I had a tendency to do, and still do. Only now my camera is strapped to my hip or in my iPhone. Anyway, I found a 35mm transparency of this when I was going through my archives and for some reason it brought a smile to my face. I was going to call it "Cluck No More"; But Ann, my beautiful wife just looked at me and said: "Dead Poultry Society" Here it is. Thanks Ann.

Picture of the Week #165 "Afternoon Stroll"

Picture of the Week #165 "Afternoon Stroll" Paris, France 1972 Signed and Stamped

I have always dreamt of living in the 6th arrondissement in Paris. When money was no object and the exchange rate was great for Americans, I always stayed at L'Hotel on rue des Beaux Arts. The ultra chic former home of Oscar Wilde, Mistinguett and countless other legends. One day on one of my many walks about the city I saw this old woman passing a gallery with a fashion drawing in the window. She could care less about the picture, all she wanted to do was get where she was going. I have stood on rue de Seine looking down rue Visconti so many times over the years and this image always comes to mind. I have a painting I did from this photo hanging for years in my bedroom. Every morning when I wake it's the first thing I see and the last vision at night.