a painting of my father

Here is a painting I did of my dad way back in 1972. I was living at the time with my friend and her boyfriend. It was over on Elliot avenue in south Minneapolis. I recall my parents coming by to see me, or perhaps give me some rent money. The apartment was only $100 a month, but I could not afford even that.

I recall my dad sitting in the dining room and the way the light hit his face. I was at that time influenced by the Fauves and wanted to add some emotional dimension to his face through color as well as show his finely developed features and natural intelligence.

As I recall I painted it in one session....but memory is fuzzy here and it could have been two sessions....

It has hung for years above my Dad's table just behind the kitchen door. I feel the painting has retained it's freshness and vitality. Like the painting of Dorian Grey, in a way it holds onto who my Dad was in his younger years and that vitality still comes through despite his gray hair and sometimes unsteady step and memory.

I will soon enclose two photos of the painting here. ( experiencing technical difficulities!!) One with my Dad peeking around the corner of the painting.