In a year of fundamental and existential shifts one of the most profoundly traumatic and transformative was the untimely passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In a year when not a day went by without weeping that day, we heard the news, was truly the nadir among all the trials and sorrows. A test from the Stoic Gods at war with the Muses.
Tribute upon tribute recorded her legacy as a “Prophet of Justice”. That was a fine place to begin.
The hand painted teacup is among my finest Her two gilded handles…the scales The stalwart facade of the wooden bench flanked by a single marble column…on the left Iron clad lace trimming a plain muslin cloth and the beaded stars heavenly hung in dissent and wisps of whimsy trailing notes of the sublime
Dearest Prophet…may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
I’ve already introduced you to Jack the Lad
and his pal…
Now you get to see the behind the scenes story of our collaboration…
Jack the Lad
This painting came into being by way of a commission.
And a most challenging one at that. The gentleman you see seated in the center is a loyal patron of the gallery who wanted to immortalize his pup Jack …who is an even more loyal visitor, indeed many would say, ambassador to the gallery.
I met Jack there, in the gallery for our first meeting, on a bright October morning. He was sitting with rapt attention focused on his pal, or more specifically his pal’s pocket wherein there was a stash of green beans. I knew instantly that anyone who would carry a pocketful of beans as treats for his dog would be a subject worthy of exploring and that any pup who would gaze that lovingly into the eyes of a human for…a bean…be still my vegetable gardeners’ heart.
So, the challenging bit that I mentioned at the start was not the subjects themselves, but rather the fact that there was a very short overlap in our schedules. We had a brief time together in the gallery so the pressure was on…but I needn’t have worried. I fell instantly in love with both of them.
It was easy to do as neither of them ever stopped smiling.
Jack, the lad, wandered freely among the paintings and antiques but his spirit was primarily drawn to people. He quickly took the measure of each human who entered the gallery and adjusted his greeting accordingly. The wagging bushy tail, energetic and playful with a group of young children…then softly gently laying down before a woman and her cane…and always, always with one of those soulful brown eyes checking back in with the bean man Himself.
The Granary Gallery is a special place. That big old Red Barn is more like a general store than an art gallery, at least for the regular patrons, and the year round Islanders. Like the bar at Cheers, where everybody knows your name, new friendships are made and old ones deepen each time the bell rings above the opening door.. and the owners and staff make the kind of genuinely gracious human connections which these days is an art all of its own.
Looking back now, despite the brevity of our meeting…or maybe because of it…what lingered throughout the months afterwards, as I worked to find my way into this commission, was the tender upbeat energy that those two souls exuded. This painting became a blended portrait both of them and the gallery itself.
There are lots of details which, like the scavenger hunts the Granary makes for the children to have fun exploring the gallery are just that…fun. But zoom in a bit, just past the red dots under the cormorant statue, and before you count those blue violet bottles on the window shelves…just there beneath the table, at the foot of the tie-dyed man you will see what this painting is really all about.
The heart tugging twinkle in that all adoring look
that tells us all we need to know of Jack the Lad…
The exhibition of summer shows at the Granary Gallery opens tomorrow night…and I’m sending all manner of good art vibes to my pals who will start the season off with a bang…
Ken Vincent – Morning Has Broken 24 x 8 Oil on Panel
David Wallis – Morgan Whaleboat 28 x 39 Watercolor
Alison Shaw – Whaleboat, Gannon & Benjamin Boat Yard 2013
Dan West – Kingfisher 12×10 x 7 Sculpture
And a nod to our fellow art night pal John Hagen whose work is on display at the Granary and who will hopefully be ready to show new work very soon…
John Hagen – Plein Air Path to Edgartown Light 14 x 11 Oil on Canvas
It was one of the top five best days of my life when I first walked into the Granary Gallery…and after 12 years of partnering in art… the depth of my gratitude for the fine work that the entire staff knows no equal.
Congrats to you Chris and Sheila on being chosen, once again, as the Best Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard…and beyond !
