Came across this old piece, an early attempt from 1994 before I was showing my work in public. It’s painted in way, a direction I never followed much further but it is a piece that always makes me stop. Don’t know where it came from or why I painted it. Don’t know why I gave him some sort of seaman’s cap and striped shirt. I loosely refer to this as the Sea Dog.
I don’t think there was a narrative at all. It just came. But after 24 years or so, it has developed a story, of a sort, for me. I see him as sailor in an exotic South Seas port city on a misty and mysterious night. A scuffle, a knife fight and a man falls down dead on the dark, wet streets. He flees the port and begins on building a new life with a new identity.
For a minute this morning, I saw him as a young Santa.
Maybe that’s Santa’s backstory? A murderous sailor redeemed?
I don’t know about that. But, hey, you never know.
That brings me to a Christmas song. Well, kind of a Christmas song, one that’s keeping in the spirit of a Killer Kringle. It’s from John Prine, and it’s Christmas in Prison. It’s been a favorite of mine for decades so I was surprised that I haven’t played it here yet, after ten years of this blog.
Well, today’s the day. Give a listen and don’t mind the subject or title too much. It’s actually a beautiful song. It could be Santa singing, in different circumstances.
Redtree Times 
Sometimes I’m a little too dense for these singer-songwriters. Even after I looked up the lyrics, it was hard to get into the song. But the music’s great, and it was one I’ve never heard. “Killer Kringle” made me laugh.
As they say: You better watch out ’cause he’s coming to town.
And he sees when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake.
That Kringle is one scary dude.