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'STORY TELLER'  18X24. OIL ON LINEN

   I've stood on my own without asking for much support from friends or family, simply because I didn't how to ask for or accept it.  When friends have reached out with genuine concern, I typically responded that I'm doing "fine", "good" or "great!", not showing weakness.  Growing up there was no room for vulnerability, mistakes, or trust.  So I was determined early to carve a self reliant path.  Eventually though, I let my guard down enough to enjoy a trusting and dependable relationship for many years, at least to the best of my abilities at the time. However, my confidence was eviscerated when that fell apart.

   I knew I was experiencing something within the commonality of man. Having enjoyed long conversations on the deck of the yacht club with an older friend named George, I had come to know his stories of both heart breaks and triumphs.  I trusted him to understand my situation so I reached out to him to talk.  He felt the pain with me, as he was reminded of his own experiences and offered what comfort he could.  Over time I dusted myself off and adjusted my itinerary, with a valuable lesson added to my resume.

'COMFORT'   18X24".  OIL ON LINEN

   After recently painting a couple memorial paintings of local sailors that had passed away, I decided to paint more of my local boat friends who are thriving now.  I selected George as a model along with another younger sailor named Brett.  A few different visual stories were composed;  'Comfort' is a reflection of the story aforementioned, 'Mentor' depicts a sharing of knowledge within the boater community, and 'Story Teller' shows one generation inspiring the next with tales of a full life of bravery and adventure.

  'MENTOR'  18X24".  OIL ON LINEN

I have created two short videos with George and Brett discussing our camaraderie.  You can view those videos HERE>>

These paintings, along with a larger collection of new paintings from Oceanside Harbor, Baja and Catalina will be on display at my waterfront studio gallery in Oceanside Harbor on July 27th, 2024 from 5-8pm at 1850 Harbor Drive North, Oceanside CA 92054
I hope to see you there!