Hot Plate Boogie!

Here's a funny song I wrote a long time ago in about 30 minutes. Recorded it the next day with my buddy Duane Freeman, who put down a very entertaining vocal. Finally got around to making a video. Crank it and smile!

Hot Plate Boogie (words, music, all instruments by Nick Simmons)

My mama never cleans but Lord she loves to cook all night
No huffin' or a-puffin' or a rubbin' and a-dubbin' in sight
She just stand up in the kitchen hopin' everything will be alright


You see the rent's not paid so they took it all away, dunno where
Except for the kitchen you'd be bitchin' that there ain't nothin' there
But my baby sees it different and at dinnertime she don't care


She do the Hot Plate Boogie
And it goes somethin' like this


The children got no shoes so they gotta walk to school real slow
When in times of trouble it's their stomach that's the last to know
She says a well-fed baby never worries where the money goes


Well she should be cryin' but my baby will be fryin' tonight
Pork chops, green beans, anything you like she just might
That ol' hot plate glowin' and a-smokin' to my baby's delight


She do the Hot Plate Boogie
And it goes somethin' like this

Southern Caribbean 2011

Olga, Larissa, and I spent a glorious 11 days on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas in late November. From Cape Liberty in New York Harbor to beautiful Labadee in Haiti, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Antigua, and St. Kitt's. Olga's brother Denys (see above) is First Officer on the ship, serving under the most famous captain in the business, Olav Nyseter. As in previous voyages, we were privileged to be on the bridge during a departure, and Capt. Nyseter let Larissa sound the horn -- something she nor the island of St. Maarten will forget anytime soon! We were also honored to sit at the Captain's table for a very elaborate dinner. Lots of sun, fun, and adventure. "Tak" and "spasibo" to the Captain and First Officer for making our vacation so memorable!

NAWA at Strathmore Mansion

North American Watercolor Artists (NAWA) was formed in 2010 to represent the United States in international watercolor exhibitions, and is the only group of its kind in the country. Kathleen Alexander, Carol Carter, Mark Mehaffey, Thomas Schaller, Nicholas Simmons, and Keiko Tanabe have already shown their paintings in Mexico City and Madrid, and continue to receive exhibition invitations from around the globe.

Each member has gained a reputation as a leader in the development and critical acceptance of the watercolor medium, and each has been highly recognized for their art, garnering prestigious honors and media attention. NAWA enjoys a combined worldwide audience that includes virtually every watercolorist working today.

Their backgrounds -- personal and professional -- are as eclectic as their paintings, which demonstrate an impressive range of genre and approach: realism; impressionism; abstraction; figures; city, land, and seascapes; florals and botanicals; images depicting locations and cultures from Europe to Asia, as well as compositions that defy category or description.

Contemporary watercolor is a demanding and intensely competitive field, requiring one to maintain a personal vision amidst countless painters who consistently expand the limits of technique and creativity. That six artists should unite with a shared purpose is a testament to the camaraderie and mutual respect fostered by their common bond. Standing on the shoulders of the greats who have preceded them, they blaze a trail that promises a bright future for their beloved medium.

Strathmore website

NAWA feature in The Art of Watercolour #5