Dino D'Taos, The Anonymous Monk, is a dear friend of mine. I met him when I was 19 years old. He was an artist who would sit in the window of Cafe Quebec, sipping coffee and painting. He is a listed disciple of Salvador Dali and a surrealist himself.
I was doing some painting and selling angel art in a gallery downtown while attending the University of Arizona. The cafe Dino painted at was next door to the Angel Gallery, we became friends and had many adventures together. He even painted me into some of his works...that is not me in that painting below ;)
A few years later Dino moved...I knew he might be going to Taos, New Mexico. We lost touch. 8 years later I took a trip to Taos, New Mexico. I searched high and low, not knowing what I would find, or how Dino would be when I found him. And yes, after much searching I found Dino, in Taos. He was doing well, but had it rough when he first arrived to New Mexico. We had a great time and I even made several art purchases. One purchase was so large that I would have to travel back for it by car one year later...Just that quickly, Dino was in my life again...And, I would add one of his most magnificent pieces to my growing collection of his work. (below)
It is a huge piece, 6ft x 4 1/2. It was a grueling 12 hour trip (one way) to retrieve this painting. But, being there, gave Dino and I a wonderful chance to spend time together and get reacquainted. I was an adult now, and life had changed very much for both of us.
We had great coversations. Mr. Lovee was with me and the three of us did very interesting things. One in particular - The hotel where we stay "La Fonda" in Taos, is home to some of D. H. Lawrence's original works. We got a private up close sneak peek at those pieces! Amazing. To be face to face with the paint on the canvas, the texture. We had intense conversations, Dino is as close to the absolute definition of an artist as exists. His personality, his reclusiveness and his profoundness.
Several months after we had visited had passed. Dino does not use a phone. Everything is through snail-mail correspondence. We corresponded a few times since that visit, and then, the strangest thing...I received a disturbing phone call, something was wrong. Dino was not safe. We had a few calming conversations. But, then, Dino called a few days later. He was in Wilcox Arizona. His car was dead. He would be taking a bus the rest of the way to Tucson. What? Confusion. Dismay. Dino was coming here? That was totally not possible. He does not venture out. He does not go anywhere, something must be really wrong.
Sure enough, it was. Dino had been attacked in Taos by some drug guys living by him. They were harrassing him and the cops could do nothing. He left all his belongings and left Taos. I had suggested a long time ago that he consider moving closer to us, and not be alone in Taos in the middle of nowhere...His path took a huge twist. He was being forced into it. The whole thing was stressful, shocking and overwhelming. But today, Dino is safe and all his 40 years of books he wrote and archives are safe, at a friends house in Taos, the paintings, at a gallery in Taos.
As for today, Dino has been living in housing I found him in Catalina, 3 minutes from the studio, at a wonderful place that a dear friend of mine owns. He is safe and very very well. He has been living here for about 56 days. He is creating mad, just painting and drawing and flourishing. I really believe he was meant to be here and the only way for him to make the move was to be forced into it.
He is officially my thrift store adventure buddy. We go everywhere...We did a little show together and he puts up with my endless dragging home of strange finds....He sits and draws while I schlep him around town...He started the first sketches for a painting he is gifting me while sitting at a table at my house while I checked piles of mail before a trip back to the Studio.
He is a love, and I am sharing him with you because his amazing self and amazing work deserves to be seen. He is a treasure trove of a little man, so when you hear me talk about Dino, you now know who I am speaking of.
Today for instance, he helped me take apart a huge vinatge fan that the pottery studio, where I create pottery things at the Tucson Museum of Art, was throwing out. It would not fit in my SUV in its 7 foot stature, so, after trying for 1 hour and a half we took it apart. Guess what? They don't make fans like they used to. It weighs as much as two little children. Ha, almost the size of me and Dino, two 5' 2" little old children.
We tried to be cute before we left. It didn't really work. I made him carry around this bowl I made and then take a photograph in front of this amazing art horse. The things I put him through...
I was thinking of putting Dino's work on Etsy?? I don't know. It is so good to have him here and to know he is in a safe warm home.
