John Lurie’s ‘Painting with John’ coming to HBO in January (watch the trailer)

Back in 1991, Lounge Lizards leader and occasional actor John Lurie made a surreal travel show, Fishing with John, where he and some of his friends (Tom Waits, Jim Jarmusch, Willem DaFoe, Matt Dillon and Dennis Hopper) went on a fishing expeditions around the world. Catching anything was kinda beside the point as Lurie and company talked, ate, drank, and discussed the Big Questions in life. It's a cult classic, and you can watch it at The Criterion Channel.

Nearly 30 years later, John Lurie has a new series, Painting with John, a six-episode series that will air on HBO beginning January 22. "Bob Ross was wrong," Lurie says in the trailer which dropped today. "Everybody can't paint." He adds, "I was hoping this show would be educational but I really don't know what the fuck I'm doing, so I will teach you things from life as i go."

HBO describes the series as "part meditative tutorial, part fireside chat. Each episode has Lurie, the co-founder of musical group The Lounge Lizards, at his worktable, honing his watercolor techniques and sharing what he’s learned about life. With images of Lurie’s paintings, original music and his point of view all rolled into one, the series strikes an irreverent tone while reminding us to prioritize some time every day for creativity, fun and a bit of mischief."

Upon sharing the trailer today and announcing the series, Lurie wrote, "I am worried that this is going to hurt my standing in the Hermit community. But, I made it to cheer people up. So cheer the fuck up." Watch the trailer below.

Speaking of HBO and Johns, have you watched How To with John Wilson yet?