Chapter one from my novella, The Man with the Dog: An Artist is Born voted a finalist in the 2016 novella literary contest by the 1888 Center for the preservation, presentation, and promotion of cultural heritage and literary arts.

I'm also honored that the prestigious international literary journal Ariel Chart has in 2020 published the first chapter of my novella, The Man with the Dog. It's a quick and enjoyable read—see below.

ACT I: LAY WAY OVER

“Sir, are you the man with the dog?” said the pretty airline representative. She resembled Sally Field when she had starred as the perky Flying Nun in the old TV series. We were standing near the lounge seats closest to the boarding gate. The plane was being cleaned and refueled.

I’m wary when certain people call me, Sir. 

“My name is Axel,” I said.

Her eagerness and thirst for knowledge about my canine status were not in my best interests.

“Mister Axel,” she said.

“No. Axel is my first name.”

She held a printout of passenger names and scanned the list. “Mister Lent, Sir …”

“Axel … call me Axel.” I remained calm.

She forced a smile.

It was four o’clock in the afternoon in Kansas City, my stopover from Los Angeles to Newark. A few people had plopped down their carry on bags and took seats in the waiting area. 

“Yes, I am the man with the dog,” I admitted. I was dog-tired, but no accidental tourist.

Harry, my five-pound Yorkshire Terrier, was asleep in the nylon tote on the seat in front of me. He was a good traveler born of urbane breeding.

“Where is the dog, Sir?” she said, her pert self-turning curt. 

Axel. Mister Lent. Axel Lent. Call me anything but Sir. It was hopeless.

I had left the tote loosely cinched so Harry could breathe. As if on cue, Harry awoke, stuck his cute face up, small wet black nose sniffing, brown eyes darting, and sparkling through his blond and dark bangs in the bright lights of the terminal. He resembled a miniature and debonair Ewok, the bear-like creature from the film Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

The airline attendant stared at Harry in the flimsy nylon tote, then lifted her eyes. I was now the object of her suspicion. An odd grimace formed on her otherwise pleasant Flying Nun face.

“Would you please wait here, Sir,” she said. “I have to call my supervisor.”

“Yes,” I said, feeling more numb than calm. 

As “Sally” rushed off, a beautiful fortyish blonde woman dressed in expensive clothing, possibly au couture, ran up to me. The woman kept checking her watch like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland who was late for a very important date. 

“Is there a Starbucks in this god-forsaken airport?” said the high-strung blonde. 

I shrugged, then looked around.

“That could be one there.” I pointed to a Starbucks signature green-type awning in the distance.

The fidgety lady blonde turned on her stiletto heels, which somehow didn’t snap off, and peered across the long row of shops and restaurants until she saw the awning. Before taking off into the din of the terminal, she took a breath of relief.

“Thanks and what a cute doggie, and you’re not so bad, either.” 

A caffeine rush sounded luxurious. I was beat. Starbucks beckoned. I was ready to follow the fashionable femme for a cappuccino, but the zealous airline gal was detaining me. I was the man with the dog. My airport drama had begun.

 CONNECTING ON A DEEPER INTUITIVE LEVEL

My art-making is based on the physical flow of spontaneous intuition, which involves a remarkable journey. Impulses of energy and information surge down my arm and, through improvisation, I compose visual jazz with line and color. If the art-making is magic, then the art is magic.

What does my paintings Inner Being reveal to you? There is no right or wrong answer. Trust your feelings, not the opinion of others, including art critics and so-called experts. Remember, if you see it, then it’s there. Enjoy. Click on the painting for more details.

To get a better feel for the scope and range of my art, please visit my collection of limited edition original Fine Art prints: each signed print features museum-quality materials, permanent pigment inks, plus acid-free matting that I attach to the artwork using conservation best practices.

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