Re: Where Are My People of Chilmark?

Almost a year ago now I deliverd a commissioned copy of Thomas Hart Benton's "People of Chilmark" to a buyer in Los Angeles. This buyer ended up selling the painting because at its original size (65x77 inches or 166x197cm) it was larger than he had anticipated...

Since then I have been trying to find out where this painting was.... because I wanted to know.
I had heard that it was sold to a restaurant or club but nothing was for sure so I posted missing painting report with a reward on this blog and saturated CraigsList in L.A. with want ads.

Just a couple of weeks ago the original buyer (Jim) was at a flea market in Los Angeles and recognized person who bought the painting from him. Jim knew I was trying to locate "People of Chilmark".
Jim was bold enough to approach the man, Ronald, and told him the whole story of my search.
It turns out that Ronald is a art collector. After buying the painting from Jim he had the canvas stretched and framed.
Ronald and I had a wonderful telephone conversation. I am very delighted with this happy ending. Thanks to everyone helping with the search and being supportive!
The findersfee goes to Jim.

Keeping Busy

Besides being very busy in the flower and the vegetable garden. I have been painting.
Here a vase with sunflowers. At 24x36 inches this is a large painting.
The vase they are in is one of my WorcesterWare vases. I made a series of six of these vases in 1990. Most of them were later made into lamps. See the second photo for detail.....

North Bend Garden

Gardening this year started out as quite the challenge.

All the water this spring got me off to a late start.... and the those !@#$%^coyotes that had been taking my chickens have left and been replaced by wild rabbits that ate all of the seedlings as they came up.
Since reinforcing the garden fence with chicken wire and replanting pretty much everything the ball has been rolling in a positive direction.

In this picture you see that I have help from friends..... "crop-sharers"instead of "share-croppers".
In the third picture you can see how fast everything is growing.
Note the sunflowers, they are not blooming yet, but see how tall they are.
We have already harvested several meals of summer-squash, little tomatoes, swiss chard, cucumbers, eggplant and even a pepper. All this besides the regular herbs. The pole beans "Kentucky wonders" are blooming. I like those a lot because of the red flowers. The hummingbird visits them a couple of times a day. ... You can set your watch by it.
Last but not least note the new fence. I am enlarging the garden for next year.

.... Bringing it back to me

This year I discovered a new nursery hidden out on Route 56 in Rutland called Southern Exposure Nursery. Most of my garden annuals and vegetables came from there.this year.
Tracy , the woman who works there is so nice, and so beautiful. We asked her to pose for the portrait group.
They have a Southern Exposure website so you can have a look.

I made a painting of the place but I am not very happy with it. The painting is too wide and the righthandside is just too much.
I do love the middle though, with the little yellow shed under the shade of a big tree. On the left I tried to get the colors of the flowers as much as I could.

Anyway, I bet when I look at it in January I will like it.

The Watercolors of May

This May I started watercolor painting more seriously with some help from my experienced friend Judy Tonelli. To get things started she suggested I use only three colors (red, yellow and blue) and combinations of these colors.
To paint with watercolors is certainly very different than oils!
Here are some of my first attempts with the colors Judy suggested:

Where are my People of Chilmark?

Last year I posted my project Thomas Hart Benton's People of Chilmark. I heard recently that the original buyer sold the painting because it was too large for his new house. As far as I could find out, to a restaurant in Los Angeles. I would love to know where it is..... I'll offer a $25 (twentyfive dollar) gift certificate to Amazon or whatever to the first person to contact me with this paintings whereabouts.

58th annual academic Artists Association National Exhibition

Sunday april 13 was the grand opening of the 58 th annual National exhibition of the Academic Artists Association. And it was GRAND. Jean Murphy and I went to the opening at The American International College in Springfield Massachusetts.

This is a juried show, and not that easy to get in. But Jean had a nice drawing voted in named "Jim".
Lynn Wrona had entered a lovely oil painting named "the Road Home" and won the Samuel E. Armour Memorial award for it.
Another Worcester artist I have known for a long time won a Honorable Mention, his name is Robert Duffy. His entry was an oil painting entitled "Maine coast".

Before the show opened a painting demonstration was given by yet another famous Worcesterite, Bob Aiello. He painted a lovely winter scene while everyone was asking him questions and giving advice, not an easy task.
My favorite in the show was a large painting named "Generations" by Sandra Wakeen of Somers CT. Here are some visuals:

Robert Duffy, "Otter Cove":
Bob Aiello, "Glory":
Sandra Wakeen, "Generations":

I Pose for the Painting Group

Last week, for some reason, there was no model available for our painting group in Princeton.
I volunteerd.... Below you can see the results:

Bobcat on the island

During the winter some trees had to be cut on the big island at Cooks Pond. To move the wood and concentrate slash the men decided to drive a bobcat to the island over the ice to do the work.

When the work was done and they had to return the machine it gained so much momentum going down the steep banking that went through the ice.
It took a lot of manpower, cables and winches and they succeeded to get it back on the island.
Now the motor was not working anymore.

As the bobcat was borrowed from a brother in law there was a lot of pressure and anxiety. In the meantime the ice melted, spring sprung, and the bobcat was on the island. What to do? Leave it till next winter? Build a cabin around it? Have it picked up by helicopter?

Yesterday it was decided to float it and have it pulled by a cable to shore.

All the fuel and hydraulics were emptied and sealed. Big air pillows were attached as pontoons and they pushed it down the steep banking.
We were all yelling :'pull, PULL!!!!!!!' and very, very, slowly it got pulled ashore.
Here are some photo's (sorry it was not the animal "bobcat" as you thought:)

The preparation:
The operation:
The sweet smell of success!

Back to Work

The procedure was done, and I am fine. I will have to lose some weight and lower the cholesterol level. Before I continue posting on the Joy of Art, I want to thank everyone of you for being so supportive. I am overwhelmed by the flowers, cards, telephone messages, and visits. It takes something like this to realize how many friends one has.THANK YOU ALL.

Before my achy breaky heart took over the program my painting group at the Princeton Arts Society was preparing for an exhibit at the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge Ma. the exhibit, entitled "Getting a Likeness" will hang the whole month of April.