Description
On the street leading up to our house in Fairfax, there is a persimmon tree. Joe and I had been living there for several years and every fall as I went by it, I thought “I want to paint those persimmons.” The fall of 2005 I knocked on the door and introduced myself to our neighbor Gen Racek, who was a spry 90 then. Camera in hand, I asked if I could take some photos of her persimmons. It had just rained, so I had the added benefit of water drops! That image just jumped out of the set of photos to be painted.
The leaves were a challenge. I had no idea what I was doing. I just stayed with them, looked carefully at the image and painted what I saw.
My dear friend Brenda fell in love with this painting even before it was finished. She says it reminds her of her deceased mother’s love for her. The original now hangs in her dining room – it became the first painting I sold. Brenda’s response to this painting and her support of my making art has propelled me forward as an artist.
October 2006
