People
Garage Sale
She had been a drummer in an all-girls band in the 1930's-1940's and she was carefully stacking the old 1940's sheet music that was for sale at her family garage sale. I was so intrigued by her appearance and blue apron I returned the following day hoping the sale was still on. It was, and she didn't mind posing for a photograph
Hilda Canning
The farm women of the midwest are superior at food preservation. Not only could they grow the food, they canned it in Mason jars, sealed them by boiling in a hot water bath and put the filled jars in the cellar for winter use.
This woman was the mother of ten children and the jar of pickles she holds was but one of the hundreds of quarts of pickles canned each summer. Her garden produced enough cucumbers to make twenty gallons of sun-cured dill pickles at a time. The huge crock of pickles cured, placed in the farm yard in the South Dakota sunshine.
Ice Cream Break
The ice cream parlor was right by the Greyhoud Bus Station. This woman stopped in for refreshment before beginning her journey
Ensign on the U.S.S. Rapidan
Ladies Luncheon
With my sketchbook in my lap and out of sight, I sketched these four women engrossed in their luncheon conversation at the Kenwood restaurant in the Sonoma Valley wine country. It appeared that two daughters had taken their mothers out to lunch.
Playing Defender at the Video Arcade
Cairns Fruit Vendor
Ma was in her mid-eighties and on one of her winter visits. She used my studio area in the daytime to paint and every night, befoe she went to bed, she wove little doilies on a string loom.Since she wove while sitting in that same spot several nights in a row it seemed to be a good opportunity to paint her portrait. I straddled a chair backwards, propped my canvas against the back and began the basic work. For two nights in a row, she barely acknowledged that she was the subject of my painting. When it was bedtime she would put away her loom and walk by me without a glance at the canvas. This was partially because her night vision was not the best.
On the third night I began to paint in the details, like wrinkles, and she had lots of them. In the bright light of the following morning, her attitude changed and she was plenty interested. She carried her breakfast coffee to the studio and stood in front of the painting. She was looking it over thoroughly and she was not pleased. She set down the cup, and with her forefinger applied a little friction over offending parts of the wet canvas.
"What are these?" she asked. I watched as she rubbed the wet canvas and several wrinkles disappeared under her fingertip. "Wrinkles, Mom," I answered.
"And what are these?" she asked, as she again applied her magic finger to rub out another mass of wrinkles. I watched as the years dropped from her painted image. Once she had revised and eliminated the wrinkles in this manner, she liked the painting. I ended up leaving the face just the way she had rubbed it.
She wasn't too pleased with the "knobby" hands and didn't buy my explanation that these were the hands of woman who had worked very hard. She was a treasure.
Strawberry Vendor
This strawberry grower has been a vendor at the Redwood City Saturday Farmers Market for several years. The Market opens at 7:00 a.m. in a downtown parking lot and the vendors must put in a long day to reach our city from the areas in the fertile valleys where their produce is grown. They probably get up at 4:00 a.m. or perhaps even earlier, to bring their products to us. There is usually some sort of entertainment at the market. Yesterday there was a group performing the Hula and singing South Sea Island songs. It is always a pleasure to attend.
Life Guard
Self Portrait
Just me and my shadow - well not quite - and a mirror. What else can I say?
Life is Like a Glass of Beer
Life is Like a Glass of Beer We were celebrating our 55th wedding anniversary at a harbor restaurant. Outside the window an afternoon outdoor wedding was winding down. Watching the wedding participants caused me to reflect on life and its progressions. I concluded that life was like a glass of beer and, at our age, we were rising into the foam. This was the inspiration for this painting.
Michael V Tai Chi Instructor
This cheerful fellow instructs a Tai Chi class every two weeks at Gordon Manor, a remarkable care facility in Redwood City, California. When he steps to the front of his class this guy just lights up. He is obviously doing something he cares a lot about, and he does it well. An hour of graceful Tai Chi movements performed to the extent of their limitations along with Michael's light-hearted banter leave the group, many in wheel chairs, with better functioning limbs and charmed by his kindness, good humor and encouragement. A unique man.
Balloon Vendor
Caught in the Grip of Art
Closing Time
Closing time in a bar. A time for new beginnings and sad endings -- and both happening simultaneously.
Fresh Strawberries
Balloon Clown
Petoonya, the Balloon Clown appeared at the Redwood City Farmer's Market every weekend and always drew a crowd. She completely captured the attention of her young customers with her balloon wizardry. Every child would stand straight and motionless as they watched her work her magic.She enjoyed them and they loved her company.
Sisters
Sunday Morning
A teenager spends leisure time in her room.
The Good Life
A sketch of my son as he relaxed in the kitchen provided the basis for this painting.
Woman Shopping
Let's Shop Some More
Teenage Boy