| Every painting tells a story, and has a story behind it. Some of the stories are richer than others, and that's especially true of some of mine. My, “Orchids” painting sold recently to a delightful young lady who's own rich story brought her to our fair Youngstown from distant lands. The Orchid painting has roots deeper than any other I have available.
I learned to paint in high school, thirty years ago. It only took a few paintings to become pretty good at it. I moved out of my parents house, and into my girlfriend's on my 18th birthday. It was 1981, and I still had half of my senior year to finish. Somewhere around that time while visiting my eldest brother Pete, I saw a photographic enlargement of some orchids. Pete had taken the photo, and made the enlargement. It was probably 11”x 14”. I remarked that I thought it would make a good painting. He asked if I believed I could execute it, and I did believe that. In an uncharacteristicly generous move, he offered to lend me the photo, and give me all of his oil paints, canvases, brushes, etc. Pete had dabbled with the paint, as it was a good excuse to lock himself away from the world, (and his wife) for countless hours-typical Puccini behaviour. I never saw anything he did that I was particularly impressed with. I suspect he was too stoned to develop a good method.
I didn't start the painting right away. The first five years after high school were filled with stuff, like for most folks. The girlfriend I had moved in with had two young children when I met her. She had two more of mine by 1985. I wasn't dumb, just green, but I did some bit of painting, during those years. By 1987, I was living alone and giving more thought to art. I really can't be sure, but I believe I started the orchid painting around this time.
In the summer of '88, I had packed and stored my worldly belongings. And set out for lands unknown on my motorcycle. Lands unknown, or more precisely Kansas city. I had a job waiting for me at the IHOP, but shy of that, I didn't know what to expect. My bike was loaded down with as much as I could bring with me. I believe my metal case of oil paints was on that maiden motorcycle trip, if not, certainly a subsequent bike trip. The unfinished Orchid painting may have come on that trip as well, I'm not sure, but eventually it made it to K.C. with me for about 3 years, then to Chicago for 3 years, then California for a year. The summer of 1995 found me in an apartment across the street from the house I had lived in as a child in East Palestine. I was ready to start fresh, and commit to some artwork. I wanted to get right back to the orchid painting. In those years I was gone, I only executed one oil painting.
It wasn't hard to finish the orchid painting, I started another right away (The Life-saver Plant). When my brother gave me the paints, and supplies, many of the canvases had paintings he had started but not finished. I finished one of his, and gave it to him when I returned the photo to him. After the orchid painting dried enough, I lent it to one of the banks in downtown East Palestine, where it hung in the bank president's office for about five years until I moved to Youngstown. It hung in Cedar's for awhile when they had their restaurant. It was entered in various shows before it was sold last month. That painting was always in the back of my mind calling to me to come back to what I knew I should be doing the seven years I was away, and it stood for a lot once it was finished. I'm happy to see it go to a good home with someone who will truly appreciate it! |
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