OJ-2 Observation Plane USN

Hi Gene, This is a nice painting. Good perspective. Overlap is your 'friend'. I see what you mean about the propellers. Thanks for the tip.

Gene: Thanks for the attaboy. This painting just appeared at an upscale show of regional realists here on the east coast. I was out of my depth, though I did sell 60% of my work. This painting hasn't sold yet, but there is a certain degree of interest. The currator put it off in the corner since it didn't match the feel of the rest of the show which was upscale decorative stuff in the $5000 to $10,000 range. I had one guy come in and burst into tears when he saw it. He had pulled a year of honor guard duty duroing the vietnam war. Another fellow who was extremely moved had been a consultant for IBM at Dover Airforce base as a civilian for 7 months. He ended up getting counseling from the base shrink. I never served, I am a birthright Quaker, but I do correspond regularly with kids serving in Iraq and Afganistan. Though I am a pacifist I admire the sacrifice of people who serve, which allows me the freedom to express my views on war. A bit of a contradiction but the only way I can mentally juggle my positions. On another front, since you do a lot of photography is there a trick to photographing your art work without distorting the image in a fish eye sense. Am I too close? And in yet another digression I love your faded glory phot and with your permisssion would love to use it as a model for a painting in the future, where I'll put it on a pennsylvania Farmhouse, of farm out building. I will credit the reference to you with your permission. Haldy Gifford

Gene... your paintings are getting better and better. Excellent painting.