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"The American Dream"

6"x10"
acrylic on hardboard

This painting was inspired by a family photograph that was almost thrown away.  My father rescued an entire box of photos discarded in the garage of his parents home.  The home was sold not a week later. I am known in my family as the historian or as one of my books would call the Keeper, which is the keeper of family history.  One day while visiting my parents my mother mentioned that she had some old photos for me. "I love old photographs!" 
In this painting I only recognized one gentlemen.  We called him cudd'n (cousin) J.T.  He is the shortest in the painting.  His wife was as tall as an Amazon. He lived to be one hundred years old, so I can safely assume that all the other gentlemen in the painting have passed.  They are standing in front of a series of houses in what we call 6th Ward.  In Houston whenever you hear "The Wards" you usually assume that it is an older area.  It was so neat to see that "The Wards" were once new and part of the American dream, as was ownership of a fancy new car that you can see in the background.  It also reminded me that we are still in pursuit of the American dream and for most of us it means the same thing that it meant over forty years ago. 
SOLD

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Unknown said…
beautiful painting and great memories to cherish.
Ricky Martin
November 25, 2012 at 9:01 AM
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