This painting is for Frank, the owner of the farm next to our summer cabin. We haven't seen him since last year when he was fighting cancer. His telephone has been disconnected and being thirteen hours away, we aren't able to stop in and check on him.
I've written about Frank before, the gruff Dutchman who was at first not an ideal new neighbor. He and his brother didn't want anyone but family living on the lake, and they collectively owned nearly all of the land that surrounded the seventy acre lake there. When bidding on the lot/camp, we had no idea the family dynamics that were built in.
Anyhow, my husband went over and introduced himself on our first trip there. As soon as Frank learned that my husband was also a Roman Catholic, Frank perked right up with a "Peace Be With You!". It seems that he's one of the few Catholics in that Northern Michigan county and thrilled to have another Catholic settlement next door.
The children love watching Frank till his 100+ acre farm. Despite being in his 90's Frank could really haul ass on that John Deere. His farm was always spotless and from the moment he was our friend, he was a dear one.
This is the fifth painting I've completed of Frank's farm. I hope to show it to him this summer. If he is no longer with us than I hope that he's tilling up the soil in Glory, keeping Heaven tidy, and finally getting back to the wife that he lost three years ago. He declined soon after she died and I suspect that being close to her again seemed an exceedingly agreeable option even though he had to get cancer to get to her.
Frank's Farm #5
Acrylic on Canvas
9x12
2015
$450
This piece will be at West Annapolis Artworks beginning this Thursday. Please feel free to join us for our Summer Party Thursday night 5-8 for food, libations, and a live painting demonstration by myself and my WAAW cohorts. It's always the best artists reception in town!