READ BLOG ARTICLE: CT River Museum...AND MY PAINTING...Up in Flames!?

Checking the news today, I saw a story about The Connecticut River Museum in Essex up in flames. Thankfully no one was injured.

The Museum has a beautiful art collection. Several years back the Museum purchased an oil painting I created of Adriaen Block (Early Dutch explorer who was the first to map Manhattan as an island.... and named Block Island.). The Museum included my painting in their permanent collection and hung it prominently in a second floor gallery facing the Connecticut River. Yes, directly behind the raging fire in that photo hangs my painting! I called the Museum today to see if my painting survived. The Museum worker I spoke with was not certain, but early indications are that it did survive.

The Block painting was among the most enjoyable and challenging images I have ever created. Originally, I produced the painting as an illustration for the cover of Hartford Magazine. The editor hesitated when offering me the project because there is no written or visual description of Block, only his writings and maps. I worked with the Hartford Stage's costume department and the curator of The Connecticut River Museum to gather period props and reference material. I set up a still life that included a vellum map, an astrolabe and ensign for navigation and beaver pelt that Block would have traded with the natives. I hired a model and had him dress in a "Van Dyke" costume loaned to me by The Hartford Stage theatre company. I then spent weeks producing the painting.

I had, in my collection of studio stuff, a stunning scolloped, gold gilded antique frame. I paid a conservator to have the frame restored. I created the painting to fit the frame (the first time I have ever done that). The Block painting including the frame, became a full page color illustration for the feature article...bumped from the cover at the last minute by our Governor, Jodi Rell. With all respect to the governor, I thought my painting made a much better cover. After a bit of time and negotiation The Connecticut River Museum purchased my painting.

Although I would be saddened by the loss of my painting, no fire can destroy the experience I had in creating it. For me, true creative meaning is always found in process.