Sunday’s With Mike: A Guys Walks Into A Bar. Playing Darts In Santa Monica.
After a successful art show in San Francisco, I traveled to Santa Monica to visit my son Brian and his wife Kristina.
Every fun bar in Santa Monica knows Brian and now me too.
Hoping nobody would recognize Michael Verne World Famous Art Dealer in a dive bar name Ye Olde King’s Head, I asked to play darts with some nice young guys. I was the oldest guy by thirty years in the bar.
The whole place recognized me and erupted into a chorus of Mike Mike Mike. I haven’t heard those chants since playing in the local schoolyard when I was in elementary school.
I felt like when I was a kid with the bases loaded and two outs, and I hit a grand slam and my friends screamed Mike Mike Mike
Moral Of The Story. There’s Nothing like hearing the cheers one more time in life.
Thank you for a great time in Santa Monica. 💙⚾️ Dad (Now known in Santa Monica as Dart Boy.
SUNDAY’S WITH MIKE: WISHING YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR. The Holidays are a wonderful time to get together with friends and family Every Christmas Eve, I am invited to a wonderful get together at John and Deb’s house around the corner from The Christmas Story House After consuming a few drinks commingling with John and Deb’s wonderful family. petting their small dog Vito, and some wonderful food, we decided to go caroling. We first stopped at the Clark Bar and had a shotand sang some holiday songs to one lonely soul sitting at the bar. We then walked around the block to see the magical Christmas Story House and sing one more song and laugh a lot too. Cleveland is a simple place and holds lot of wonderful childhood memories for me, but there is still a lot of magic in this old town and lots of wonderful friends. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays whatever holiday you celebrate. MORAL OF THE STORY: NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND YOUR OLD FRIENDS. www.vernegallery.comPhotosChristmas Story HouseThe Clark BarVito ( The Small Dog)Mike and Cookie#christmas #hannukah #newyear #japaneseartists #littleitaly
SUNDAY’S WITH MIKE: IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN
Every Thanksgiving I would run to the TV to watch the Wizard Of Oz. My favorite character was the Scarecrow.
I have now been exhibiting in some of the most important art fairs around the country for over the last 35 years.
The other exhibitors always shake their head and wonder why there is always a big crowd at my exhibit space and why are all these people listening to this simple guy and his inspiring and humorous stories about his artists in Japan
Well anyone can have a brain, but I have heart and a discerning eye which is something you can’t learn in the art world.
The scarecrow is eventually given a DHD ( Doctor Of Thinkology) diploma by the wizard. Perhaps, like the scarecrow, I will get my DHD one day too.
I have been trying to grow moss on my tree lawn since last spring.Its never been done before. Please enjoy the video.
Moral Of The Story : You can grow anything if you have a heart.
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Be thankful for what you have.
Please come to the gallery during the holidays.
http://www.vernegallery.com
#wizardofoz
#scarecrow
#tinman
#dorothy
#yellowbrickroad
#japanese
#yukokimura
#quietelegance #ifionlyhadabrain #rainbow
SUNDAY’S WITH MIKE: HAPPY VETERANS DAY. My dad was a lieutenant and doctor stationed in Japan in 1953 and 1954 during the Korean conflict. He lived off base in the old capital city of Kamakura. Emperor Hirohito’s summer home was just down the rode. My parents always joked that the emperor was their neighbor in Japan. This was the beginning of The Verne Collection 71 years ago. My family has returned to Japan many times in search of new treasures and adventures. My dad would carry sketch book wherever he travelled in the world to capture the whimsical scenes of Japan and the people he encountered.He would collect the Hanko ( hand stamps) from each place he visited and draw his sketches around them Please enjoy a few of these sketches by my dad and Haiku written by my sister, Betsy Franco, from the book they put together many years ago called THE EMPEROR WAS MY NEIGHBOR. MORAL OF THE STORY: THANK YOU DAD FOR YOUR SERVICE
SUNDAY’S WITH MIKE: HOW TO RELIEVE YOUR STRESS
SUNDAY’s WITH MIKE: RAKING THE LEAVES
Every fall I would watch my dad rake the leaves into the pachysandra. By the spring, they completely disappeared and turned into wonderful fertilizer.
My neighbors rake all their leaves into neat little piles on to their front lawn and then the wind blows them back on to their lawn and they start all over.
Raking patterns in a zen garden or Mike’s backyard mimic the movement of water, symbolizing change and the impermanence of life.
In zen gardens, Raking is suppose to be a form of meditation and promotes focus and mindfulness.
Each fall I rake the leaves into the pachysandra like my dad. It hasn’t worked yet ( focus and mindfulness), but I keep on trying.
Moral Of The Story: Some family traditions make no sense, but you never know which way the wind is blowing.
See Part II Sunday’s With Mike For The Before And After.
www.vernegallery.com
Sunday’s With Mike: Urban Pop
The sites and sounds of NYC are like
no place else in the world.
This time it was a musical adventure from
start to finish. From the violinist on the subway, to the country rock star at the print fair, to the jazz musicians in beautiful Harlem, The Empire Fine Print Fair was quite a magical experience inside and outside the show.
Nothing better than swaying and listening to the sights and sounds of NYC on a moonlit
night. This joint is jumping, and is leaping with fun. New York New York
Last day of the Empire Fine Print Fair. Don’t miss it.
Moral Of The Story: The problem with getting older is that you still feel younger. Forever a little kid. Mike
www.vernegallery.com
Video 1. On The Subway with
Stencil Dyed Welcoming Cats
Video2 : Country Rick Star at the
Empire Fine Print Fair
Video 3: at Minton’s Jazz Club in
Harlem
#newyork
#japaneseprint
#littleitaly
#harlem
#fineprintfair
#ifpda
#artonpaper
Sunday’s With Mike: Some People Call
Me The Space Cowboy: The Reunion
I graduated from high school 50 years ago. There is nothing like seeing many of your best friends from elementary school to high school. They are people that really know you and don’t care who you are now and how much you have accomplished.
The reunion began with my two friends Marc Cannon, my neighbor who I did every sport in the world through elementary school and high school, and my high school soccer teammate Bob sleeping over at my house. I haven’t had a sleepover in 50 years. It was a wild night.
We played on the high school soccer team and lost almost every game, but every Friday we would go out and party and end the night by singing this Steve Miller song. Please enjoy the new lyrics.
Moral Of The Story: There is nothing like your old friends. 💙⚽️
Thanks to all. ( Tom, Gary, Richard) all my buds from Fernway and Shaker.Best Friends forever.
Mike
Sunday’s With Mike: Rooting For The Under Dog.
Nobody thought the Cleveland Guardians would be in first place at the beginning of the season. Similarly, nobody thought a little gallery from Cleveland named the Verne Collection would be one of the best contemporary Japanese print galleries in the world, and still exist 71 years later.
Like the Guardians, nobody knew the names of the unlikely stars of our baseball team like Ramirez (Mini Me), Noel (Big Daddy), Naylor ( Nayiz), or Clase ( Pink Hair). When I started almost 45 years ago, very few had ever
heard of my artists like Kelly, Kimura, Brayer, Hamanishi, Kuroda, Williams, Kata Kata, or Stewart to name a few. They are now some of the most exciting contemporary artists in the world
To build a winning team, takes patience, great players(artists), determination, and no matter how many times you a fail, a belief that you can defy the odds.
Moral Of The Story: You Never Know Until The Last Out So Keep Swinging For The Fences.
Sunday’s With Mike: The Block Party
I attended my 68th block party on my wonderful little street in Cleveland. I’m getting older, but the block party never does. Watching the excitement of the little kids full of hopes and dreams and goofing around inspires me to never lose the little kid in myself.
Thanks to all my neighbors for making my day a little more special. One of the best streets in America.
“ Ready Set Go”
Moral Of The Story: Life Is Short So Grip it and Rip it!
Sunday’s With Mike: The Wedding
Sunday’s With Mike : The Wedding.Please go to Verne Gallery Instagram to see all the videos and the Moral of the story.
The Wedding Day. What’s A Dopple Ganger. Part II
The Wedding Day: Dopple Ganger. Part II Kevin ( Grooms brother )
On The Coast Of Croatia In The City Of Rovinji
It is a tradition in some cultures to get your haircut before you get married
On The Patio of the Hotel Rovinji where Brian’s business partner at Wave TV is giving everyone a pre-wedding haircut.
The first video is of Brian and the second video is of his brother Kevin getting a haircut on the coast of Rovinji
A Dopple Ganger
A doppelgänger, sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a biologically unrelated look-alike or double, of a living person.
The Verne Gallery was established in 1953. We specialize in antique and contemporary Japanese prints.
