Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Painting Memories!

I talk a lot about what inspires my art. With my most recent painting I found there is a difference between inspiration and a calling to paint something.
When I grew up I was fortunate to have the best childhood a kid could ask for. Of course at the time I thought we were too poor, my parents were too strict, and we never did anything fun. But there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about a friend or neighbor from my childhood, or silently chuckle about a memory of growing up on Schaefer Street in Appleton.
We were a tight group; the Ciskes, Vissers, Huevelmans, Marx's, Christiansons and many more. There were kids everywhere and we played and fought and cared for each other. Our parents had no problem keeping all of us out of trouble. It was a close knit group. I think is tough to find these days.
October of 2011 the father of one of my best friends passed away. At first it was a bitter reminder of losing my own father. But when I looked at the pictures at the wake and the smile in his eyes in those pictures; my childhood came flooding back to me.
And then, I was called by them to paint his portrait. My memories of Mr. Ciske range from getting yelled at for bring junk back to their house because myself, and a few of his sons, couldn't believe the neighbors were throwing something so good away; to playing sheepshead and drinking beer.
I needed to paint MY memory of Big Jim. And I wanted so bad for his family to know how much I value my life in our neighborhood and all they contributed to my awesome childhood.
Call it inspiration, but in some cases art goes beyond that. It is the way an artist expresses what is in their heart and releases a piece of their soul.
Below is my painting of Big Jim.