Sunday, January 8, 2012

He Walked


He Walked, watercolor on arches, 10x12
I picked him up about ten miles outside town.  It was shortly after the 9/11 attack and I had been listening to CNN coverage on my car radio.  I said, "It was terrible what happened in New York."  He said, "I didn't do it." 
He didn't want me to drive him home so he got out of my car at the traffic light in town and began walking west--he had seven miles to go.  Maybe he got another ride; maybe not.
I miss seeing him on the road.  I imagine he still walks but no longer needs his cane and his back is straight.

(My mother taught me that whatever one does on New Year's Day, one does for the rest of the year so I began this painting at 10 p.m. on January 1.)
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30 comments:

  1. Both your painting and your story are wonderful images.

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  2. I enjoyed reading your post about meeting this gentleman and enjoyed this painting very much.

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  3. Absolute poetry. a poignant glimpse into a day, a life, memory.
    On new year's day, I cooked a wonderful meal for a great bunch of friends and family--that is promising, I was surrounded by love, good food and happiness : )

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  4. I like your accounting here of this man which tells me much about your own character as a kind and giving fellow traveler. I'm glad to know you as a "blog friend". I also like your painting of this man who wonders this earth/time/space with us. I also think our mothers had much in common!
    So much allegory and character in this painting.
    Steven

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  5. Thank you SamArtDog. Art or comedy--it's a toss-up.


    Hi Ann. I thought about your painting of someone's mother in the front yard when I was working on this.

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  6. You have the best stories. I love his hat, and his hunched back. Guess you almost made a new years resolution when you decided to work on this, good luck with that.

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  7. Indigomar, what a nice comment. On New Year's Day, I ate my usual black-eyed peas and turnip greens for luck; then I painted.

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  8. Hi Steven. When I moved back here from the MD suburbs I was surprised to find that people still walk the roads, and some of us offer rides (no local buses or taxis).

    I like your work; especially the trees. I'm guessing you had black-eyed peas and greens for New Years, too.

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  9. Thanks Robin. No resolution; every year, I make sure I don't do any housework on New Year's Day, and I work at art sometime before midnight--even crayons count.

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  10. And Robin--you're right. After thinking about your comment for a few minutes, it is close to a resolution.

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  11. Resolution was probably a bad word choice...

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  12. You did it!! And seems like you have been doing watercolor forever, no uncertainties here. So if this is what you did at 10 o'clock first of january...don't stop! And great story , so much a 'Hallie-story'.
    Ans as an answer to your question on my post, I wet the paper first, put in the colors and just let them blend. In this case I looked at a bouquet of Anemones, but normally I just paint and let the colors 'decide' how to proceed.

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  13. Wow, this is amazing, Hallie. One of my favorites to date, and the story is both funny and poignant to me. I wonder why he didn't want a ride all the way home? You did an exquisite job with the watercolors!

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  14. Thanks Jane. This is not one of those gloriously flowing watercolors like you do. I worked on this from Jan. 1 to Jan 7, but I did try the wet in wet for the background--working around the sketched-in figure. I'm afraid I'm a tedious watercolorist.


    Hi ConservativeBo. I think he was probably the type who would accept a ride if you were going in his direction, but never ask for favors. If he had a destination, he'd simply start walking--we should all do that.

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  15. Hallie,

    Great work! I knew the Gentleman very well. He was close to you and your family, more than you realize. He is now walking tall and straight. "I was a stranger and you took me in. Thanks for the ride."

    Everette McGill

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  16. Now that's the type of New Year's day celebration that I can appreciate! I love it! Both the painting and the succinct tale. They both tell so much in just a little space.

    His left hand gives me the feeling that he's un-hitchhiking. His hand is up, but his thumb is tucked away. He won't refuse a ride, but he's not looking for one either...

    I can't help but wonder what his reading material is... Is it a newspaper? or maybe he's been to the track?

    -Don

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  17. Hi Everette. I learned after he passed away that he had a barber shop in the back of the country store my parents had sold in 1960. There is a connection.


    Don, you're right--he never hitchhiked and didn't even glance at passing cars; he concentrated on each step. I think, too, that he might have had a problem with his left hand; maybe a stroke. This is from a photo I took in 2005; he was at the hydroplane boat races here in town--thanks to digital photography I know that's a program in his back pocket. Thanks for the comment--I like succinct.

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  18. Great watercolour and sweet story. Love his reply....I didn't do it!

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  19. Hallie, you are really getting the hang of watercolors. I am impressed with the way you handled values and got the folds in the clothing so nicely. His hand is well done. I immediately clicked to enlarge and have a good look at the hand. Love the story.

    In our neighborhood a very old man dressed in his traditional Sikh attire walks every morning about 5:30. I see him when I ride my bike to the gym. He walks stooped over his cane with his left hand holding his hip and back at the waist. I admire his fortitude and am sure his longevity is a result of his determination to be as healthy as possible. He never misses his walk. I think what a long journey he has made in his lifetime from his native land to California. I would like to paint him.

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  20. Carole, I liked his reply, too. I think his life was tough and he had little time to worry about things beyond his control.

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  21. Thanks Mary. I worked on this in bits and pieces of time; mostly at my bathroom sink just before going to sleep. That allowed the paint to dry and I could add/darken the following day--not a great method, but I did learn a bit.

    I think my subject was probably born with a bad back and walking was just a way of getting around--not for exercise. Your painting would be interesting--there are so many different kinds of journeys; from country to country, and from town to town. 5:30 a.m.??

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  22. He reminds me very much of my own Uncle..a good man who liked to joke a little and walk everywhere. Men like these are the "salt of the earth"! You did a remarkable job with this painting..he's authentic and dignified.

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  23. Hi Celeste. "Salt of the Earth"--exactly how I thought of him. Thanks.

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  24. So natural a pose - love the skin, the texture of it, the feel of it. The grasses too. This is a fine watercolor! Your last sentence (before the parentheses) says in words what I usually expect to see in your pictures! Happy New Year.

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  25. Thanks Dan. One day I might have one of those nice flowing watercolors; maybe I'll drink, then paint. Happy New Year.

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  26. very nice painting...
    I love the story behind it... I think every painting needs a story to go with...
    I'm sure that you will be doing this the rest of your life, may it be long and productive!!

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  27. Oh Hallie,
    I love this story and your mother's belief. I sure hope my year is better than what I did on New Year's Day because I spent it in hospital looking at a total life change- not for the better. Things are slowly looking up (doubled really). The bad things have been ruled out but there are still so many questions.

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  28. Thanks JBKrost. I tried painting a bottle with watercolors; after the fourth attempt, I wondered why--there was no story. I'm past the point where I could die young. I've missed seeing your work--when will you be posting again?


    Hi Margaret. I read about your health scare and hope the worst is behind you. I don't put a lot of stock into Mom's saying; I avoid housework every New Year's Day; yet that's what I seem to do all year (maybe I'm just very slow at getting it done). Be well.

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  29. Thanks Hallie, I had forgotten all about this guy. When we first moved here Glenn and I gave him a ride. We had our old Blazer then and the poor fellow almost fell out of the car when the passenger door opened! Like the painting.

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  30. Thanks Linda. It's nice to live in an area where you can still catch a ride.

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