People
Goose and Becca
Oil on linen – 20 x 16 – Private Collection
I met Becca’s husband at the Arabian Scottsdale show and we talked about a portrait. From then on it was all long-distance but many commissions are. We were able to work back and forth by email and phone until his present to her was finished and ready to ship.
Freedom Solstice
Oil on linen – 24 x 36 inches – Private Collection
Max, the young man on the floor, believes in local, nutrient-dense real food and the freedom to acquire it. Because he delivered raw milk to his customers, he ran afoul of the state government. The other four men are nationally involved in the defense of a person’s right to decide what foods they eat or feed their families; they came to the small Wisconsin town to show their support for Max.
Dr. Mike and Emery
Oil on linen – 32 x 34 inches – Private Collection
Mike and Mary and I had all been in high school together but hadn’t been in touch for decades. They, however, always wondered how far I had taken my art. When they saw my ad in Southwest Art Magazine, they called and we reconnected for two big, enjoyable commissions with their champion German Shorthair hunting dogs. And friendship – did I mention the friendship?? The process of creating this painting is explained in detail in A Portrait in the Making.
Grandpa, the Artist Before Me
Oil on linen – 17 x 12 inches – Collection of the Artist
My paternal Grandfather was an extraordinarily talented man who never got to pursue his art because of the time and place in which he lived. He was also the kindest and gentlest of souls. When he realized he had a granddaughter who drew all the time, he supported my dreams with all his heart. I am grateful he lived long enough to see me on my way. When I sign a painting “Maderich”, it’s for both of us.
Making Big Bubbles
Oil on mounted linen – 6 x 7 inches – Private Collection
This was an accidental portrait. One summer I looked across the street and there was my neighbors’ young son making big bubbles, everything backlit by the sun. I grabbed my camera and took a number of photos from which I did this small study. It felt odd to think of taking it across to his parents – here, buy this – so I hung it in my home. Eventually I had a party and someone pointed it out . . . and it now hangs on their wall where it belongs.
Above All Else
Oil on linen – 30 x 42 inches – Private Collection
Susan and Gibraltar were an effervescent force, each making the other more happy. It was a joy to watch them together. We were only to the stage of the large preliminary drawing when Susan notified me that her beloved stallion had died. We paused briefly, then kept going. When I began the painting, in the first layer of his dark paint, I scattered a tiny bit of Gibraltar’s ashes. Susan has concerned about having the painting after his loss but later told me she ended up talking to him every day.
Reflections in the Green Room
Oil on linen – 58 x 45 inches – Collection of the Artist
In my fourth year at The Atelier I was supposed to paint a three-quarter portrait but somehow it turned into a life-sized depiction of my long-time friend, John. Everything in the scene represents important memories in his life: the needlepoint on the footstool, the books, the table, the framed photographs, the plant stand, the framed art and the wine goblet. I had never worked so large and struggled part of the time but it was a glorious experience, for both of us.
Words and Music
Oil on linen – 18 x 11 inches – Private Collection
I’ve known John since college. After he sat for me for free so I could paint Reflections In The Green Room as a student at The Atelier, I thanked him with this portrait of him with Doug, his partner of over forty years. They requested that I keep this looser than my usual work. The title refers to Doug’s love of opera and John’s involvement with theatre as both actor and director.