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| Acrylics on paper 14"x17" |
Grandpa’s visit to New York
One of my early works of art.
The first photo restoration project transformed into a painting. Who would’ve thought years later, I will provide this as one of my art services!
This is a portrait of my family members. Mainly my cousins and my grandfather. It was his first trip to New York City. I recall him saying I love my family, but I can’t stand New York! As a country boy born and reared in North Carolina, perhaps the city life was too much for him. I can understand why. I guess it was such a great difference between the concrete jungle and people cramped up in tall brick boxes verses the flat and open fields of seasonal crops, grass, trees and mostly one level homes in North Carolina. It also didn’t help that it was a time of multiple blackouts, burned tenements. (Arsons cause by landlords for insurance gains). I don’t mean to sound matter of fact, but this was how it was in the first years of my life. Fires! Blackouts! Fires! Blackouts!
Anyway, this portrait was based on a damage photo that I discovered in my grandmother’s house many years ago. I asked for her permission if I could take it with me back to New York and have it fixed.
I was frustrated with the different reactions from various photo places in Manhattan. Didn’t want to touch it it was beyond damage. It was one of those old Polaroid photos of the cardboard mount. Then I decided to create a painting as part of the photo restoration.
This was a challenging assignment. I began with small sketches of my uncle and my cousin who is in which was extremely damaged to re-create construct their faces.
When the painting was finished, I gave the painting to my grandmother as a gift.
My grandfather in the middle surrounded by Uncle Norman “Barney”, cousins Kents, Norman, Kenneth “Keith”, Jeffery and the youngest child with a big smile is me!
I would love to re-create this restoration portrait when I have time.
My skills have changed over the years and I’m curious to see how “we” will come out!
Stay tuned folks.........
