The Way They Were

Okay Folks,

Here we have some family nostalgia. I did this in a class with Gladys De Moras several years ago. I show it to you to prove that I am not much of a portraitist. But it does hold a place in my heart. These are my parents. The photo from which this was done was taken shortly after they were married in 1943. As you can see my dad was handsome in his WWII uniform and I'd guess from the cat's meow grin on his face, he was pretty pleased with himself over having snared this lovely bride. My mom doesn't look so sure.

I like the painting for a number of reasons, beyond the obvious fact that the subjects are dear to me. I like the light on it. It's a bit back lit and makes the figures really stand out. I like the clothing and how it evokes the era. Ditto the hairstyle. Mom was always stylish.

This is done on a 16x20 inch canvas, in oil, on cotton. I don't like that it is so illustrative--looking more like an illustration than a piece of art, but that's my failing and I've never gotten very good at doing people more artistically. OK, I've gotten better at it, but it's still not really satisfactory to me.

This was a favorite photo of theirs, but by the time I painted this piece, after 50 years of marriage Mom had passed away and Dad had remarried and was already showing his Parkinson's. So, to spare him possible upset, I never showed it to him. I keep it hanging in my studio in hopes that some member of the family will want it someday. One never knows!

Thanks for putting up with this one.

Jay