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“Glad You Got to See Me!”
The most personally impactful painting I’ve ever completed was also one of my first. In my junior year of high school, I took a painting elective class during eighth period to stretch my creative skills. For our final project, we were required to complete a painting based on a reference image. I chose to paint my late great grandpa Darwin. I titled the piece “Glad You Got to See Me!”
My grandpa Darwin was a hard-working farmer in rural Iowa, a community pillar, basketball referee, family man, and lover of fun suspenders.
He and his wife Hazel had three boys, Ron, Terry, and Bruce. I made this painting as a gift for my Grandpa Ron, who took the photo the painting was based on.
The painting’s title comes from one of Darwin’s famous catchphrases. Always a comedian, when you would exit Darwin’s company after spending time with him, he would send you off with the phrase: “Glad you got to see me!”
It was an accurate phrase, as anyone lucky enough to spend time with Darwin would’ve left happier than they were previous to speaking with him.
I began work on the painting in January of 2022, finally completing it in May of the same year. After I completed it, I took the advice of my art teacher and entered it into the 2022 Iowa State Fair.
“Glad You Got to See Me!”
2022
Acrylic on canvas
11 x 14 in.
The painting took first place in the youth painting category, earning my grandpa and I a blue ribbon.
After “Glad You Got to See Me!” was featured in the Fair, I could finally gift it to my grandpa Ron, Darwin’s oldest son. It had been ten years since Darwin’s passing, and my grandpa was deeply moved by the painting. Seeing my normally stoic grandfather touched by something I created was very meaningful for me.
I felt inspired by how my art was able to reach people. This reaction was ultimately a catalyst for me beginning the outreach of my art to my community. I wanted to be able to share my work and connect with other people. I fell in love with the feeling of knowing that what I was able to make was capable of bringing people happiness.
If you are interested in receiving custom artwork from me, please refer to my mediums and commissions pages for more information.
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