"Back in July of 1968 at a company picnic, my original intention was only to capture a moment in time. I photographed our three-year-old daughter, Christine, with this delightful clown as she showed him her newly-won toy.
Several years later, I wanted to experiment with a new watercolor paper that would resist the tendancy to buckle. I reached for the photo of Christine and the clown and recreated the scene with the background just as I remembered it. When I completed the painting, it became a beloved part of my private collection.
Several more years passed. I had been receiving commissions for oils and pastels but not many watercolors. My husband reminded me that I needed to show an example of my work, and it was he who suggested I display the painting I had named the "Keystone Kop" in my studio. The work received a great deal of interest and inquiries, but I could not bear to part with it. The thought of making prints crossed my mind, however, not knowing the identity of the clown, I had to abandon the idea.
Then the surpise came. A young lady walked into my studio at Savage Mill and immediately recognized the clown as her father! It was a glorious moment. The woman brought her father to the studio, and he promptly and happily gave me his official release. I could finally have limited lithographs made.
He returned in costume for the opening to pose next to Christine once more, only this time he was looking up at her. Again I captured the moment on film, 20 years later! I use the image for the remarques, which are hand-drawn in sequence in the lower left-hand margine, representing the span of years.
The prints have been a popular item with young and old alike, have been given as gifts to diginitaries and hang all over the world, including in Japan.
All of this from one little moment, a long time ago. There are still prints available for purchase, legend included!
-Sylvia |
