What a delicious job! On assignment, I’ve heard Elton John sing a full set of songs at an Andy Roddick party. Now I’ve spoken his sometime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. And I’ve perused his art at the Russell Collection.
Bernie and Heather Taupin
Now a Californian, Taupin paints bold abstracts in a generally sunny manner. Two mixed-material pieces incorporated images from the Texas flag. Others dealt in layers of geometrics.
Autograph and photograph seekers were left to cool their heels outside the gallery.
Chris and Lisa Russell Despite price tags in the tens of thousands of dollars, they sold well on Friday night. I missed the crush of the early evening, which allowed me to linger, asking questions of gallery owner Lisa Russell, who promises a comprehensive and final sale of Charles Umlauf’s art in the near future (the exhibit has been postponed at the family’s request). Sumair Daswani and Sangie K Also met a bottle rocket of a woman from India named Sangie K. She’s about to embark on a new chapter of socializing in Austin. I offered my assistance, as I do to anyone who wants to leave the couch and hit the streets for the best that Austin has to offer.
