“There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What’s up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don’t think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!”
Terry Pratchett, an English fantasy writer, wrote this wonderful amendment to the tired old quip, “there are two kinds of people —-.” The quote is great fun to read out loud, with feeling. Try it on, just to see what entitlement feels and sounds like!
La Leche, Edgar Soberon
THIS glass of milk, however, is entirely full — of an artist’s vision. It is an oil painting by the still life artist Edgar Soberon, who lives and paints in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The link will take you to a small selection of his amazing still lifes. Their color, their realism, and their subtle fantasy elements are utterly captivating. Several years ago I was lucky enough to study with him during two winters, and it was a revelation in how to see, even more significant to me than how to handle a paintbrush.
Okay, there are two kinds of people in the world, those who can paint and those who can’t. But it’s all okay, as long as the first kind keep sharing with the rest of us!
Touch2Touch 
What a coincidence – we both wrote about Sir Terry on the same day! Or perhaps not, considering the release of Raising Steam…
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It is most assuredly a coincidence, J.E. — since I never heard of Terry Pratchett before coming upon this quote!
(I do love Ian Richardson of blessed memory, which might ALMOST be enough to send me off looking for more.)
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La Leche! La Chaim? And I love the vision here presented by Edgar Soberon.
Judith, I must confess to being one of the glass half, if not more than, full people but it doesn’t
take much for someone to come long and spill it all over the place. Then guess who has to clean it up!
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Thanks for my chuckle for the evening, Patti!
I’m not surprised that you’re a glass half full person. Who else expects — and finds — the most and the best in EVERYONE?
There’s surely a Zen proverb somewhere about what goes out attracts its like, joy attracts joy, abundance attracts abundance.
(And who better as a clean-up hitter? Pardon the pun!)
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First of all, we love Soberón’s work. His work with fruit and the vibrant colors is over the top amazing. Secondly, we LOVE San Miguel de Allende and the combination is perfection.
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Do you know his fruit and colors from the link here — or is it actually possible that you already know him from San Miguel? That would indeed be an amazing coincidence!
We went to San Miguel during three winters, and two of them I got to study with Edgar. I agree. Both add up to perfection.
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That’s a great work and quote. 😀
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Now I may have to begin reading his work!
Thanks for your comment, Cocomino!
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The paintings of plantains really jump out at me. What vibrant work he does!
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Vibrant they are! And good as the photos are, the originals are still more vibrant and amazing.
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Well, I’ve always thought if the glass IS half empty, it’s because I’ve consumed some of it already, right? heh heh. I must confess I am not a fan of still life but, wow, this man’s work is incredible. There is a sense of movement (hmmm, maybe therein lies my lack of appreciation of most still life – its lack of movement) and even a whimsy about it. thank you for introducing me to someone who has a bit of magic in his brush!
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Really interesting observation, Joss. I adore still life, but only if it has a special quality I’ve never quite been able to name. Your “Movement” is not a bad descriptor, paradoxical as it seems. Some still life paintings reveal an inner essence, a quality of being alive, I think of it as. Many, maybe most, are simply what the French call them, Nature Mortes. Dead, indeed.
Edgar’s are alive.
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OMG! I LOVE HIS COLOR PALETTE!! Made my heart race!
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Yes, exactly!
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Gosh I hope Terry Pratchett can still stick to that mantra with all he’s going through. Although I hate milk I do love the painting.
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Well, one out of two ain’t bad!
(Back in the day I used to enjoy the occasional Brandy Alexander. Not your tipple?)
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No I’m not a fan of the brandy but as usual always open to convincing.
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My idea of a drink, you might call a dessert!
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yes I can follow that train of thought 🙂
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Okay, we’ll see if you jump aboard —
😆
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Judith congratulations on your blog and for sharing the painting, La Leche with your readers.
May your glass always be full!
Thanks to everyone here for the kind remarks about the paintings.
Cheers,
Edgar Soberon
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Very happy for your visit, Edgar.
And I was thrilled to see so many new paintings on the website — this is a world which needs all the beauty you bring to it.
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If you had not heard of PTerry before, I envy you – because you still have all his wonderful books before you to devour, be surprised by and be thouroughly entertained … I can only do rereads.
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Now I will certainly have to investigate further — a new author is really a find!
Thanks for the encouragement, Fran. Do you have a suggestion for which book to begin with (since he’s written so many)?
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I quite like The Truth – a parody of newspapers. Going postal (has been made into a movie) – or Making Money.
The latter two dealing with mail – and banks.
A slight warning – you should have a certain affinity to Fantasy, as Pratchett plays with the clichés from that genre.
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Thanks for the recommendations. I liked fantasy quite a lot when I was younger, but haven’t read much in the genre lately (except for Alice in Wonderland, which is always current for me. Not exactly fantasy, perhaps). So we shall see!
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What captures me about Soberon’s paintings is the way he captures the light! And as for glasses, mine is always filling up and spilling over.
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Yes, and absolutely! (One of the reasons it’s such a pleasure to be with you.)
🙂
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I totally love that painting. Will go and check out his other work now … it’s rare that I fall for a still life this much. They way he has cached all the wrinkles in the table cloth, plus the fact that it’s white! Can’t be all that easy to paint something white, and here you can almost feel the texture in it.
I think I am a glass-half-empty type of person … if anything. That way I don’t have to be disappointed.
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I think I’ve always been like you, Rebekah, half-empty glass, forestall disappointment.
Now that I’m about a hundred years old! I think it doesn’t work. Gonna claim a do-over.
😉
(Enjoy Edgar’s paintings!)
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I did … enjoy this paintings! I seem to have a thing for those white table cloths … awesome!
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🙂
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A very fun post!
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I had fun doing it. Glad you enjoyed, Naomi.
🙂
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Nice one Judith – I learnt over life that, just like the spoons in The Matrix, ‘There is no glass’ so it can’t be in any specific state of fullness 😉 Everything in life is about knowing that some things will fall your way and some won’t. But we should never forget that a sound starting position helps. So many people start from a place where even the best rolls of the dice only result in meagre earnings to keep their families 😦 There are indeed 2 kinds of people – the privileged and the put upon. There is no half empty / half full in that one!
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And it seems like we’re suddenly (or not so suddenly) living in a time when that’s so blatant it hurts.
😦
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