Missing California

Aside from the environmental problem with air travel, which I'm sure we'll solve, there's the problem of being capable of feeling at
home in so many places. For me California was a total surprise. I
did not expect to love it so much, to have the urge to get back
there as often as possible. Of course a big part of my family lives there full time -- my niece, her husband and her two children all of whom I love big time, and my nephew and his girlfriend and their new baby daughter.

The painting I'm including today is a portrait of my nephew,
Jonathan and his girlfriend, Kathryn. They are both actors,
and Jonathan (Jon) is also a magnificent writer. They
just had a sweet baby girl, so I now have a passel of relatives
out on the coast, and they are all so warm and kind and
funny, that I really wish we didn't have to climb into the
big bird to go and see them.

Plus I now have a wonderful artist friend there, my friend Pam,
and artists I'd like to study with like Bob Burridge. So all in all
the place presents a powerful draw. I painted this portrait when
my nephew and Kathryn were living in Toronto. Kathryn had
decided she had to go to L.A. at least for part of the year to make
it as an actress, and Jonathan didn't want her to leave.

I like the mood in the painting. The couple posed for me
a few times, but I had to work mainly from
photos. Despite that I like the huge impression of Jon's
arms around Kathryn, and the clear feeling of love between
them. For me that works. It's a big painting -- 3 ft. x 4 ft.,
and one of the first paintings I worked on in a larger format.

I wish I could be with all of my family and friends in
California, and that it was just around the next block.

Have a knowing-you-are-lucky day.