Watercolors judemann.com

STAGE IV From Bermuda to New England and the Disastrous Millenium 1999 - 2000 Up to this point, I had felt reasonably pleased with my professional accomplishments. I was enjoying the freedom afforded by a leave combined with a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. I had shown the watercolors at Amherst College, and the oils at the Bowery Gallery in NY. But Bermuda proved to be a real turning point. I had copied some Homers of Bermuda, and wanted in particular to find a spot in a place called Salt Kettle. I got busy painting on the tiny lanes of St George's, and somehow it was time to leave before I got around to discovering the Homer site. We had been gone for over a year and my elderly mother was unwell. We set sail north for the final week at sea, and the wind died, right in tandem with our engine. We were in sight of the island but turning and sailing back in with no breeze proved to be a 24 hour affair, assisted at the finale by a tow from a mega yacht entering from the Caribbean. As soon as we'd gone to sea I'd regretted not paying homage to Homer, and vowed that on our return I would do so. That return proved to be swifter than I'd expected, thanks to the break down, and I wasted no time detecting my exact site, A question at the tourist agency turned into a phone call to the director of a foundation, who in turn offered to escort me to the spot. Tom Butterfield of the Masterworks Foundation was not your prototypical foundation director - he actually rubs shoulders with artists anddid so on this occasion, arriving on a small scooter and rushing me over to be ministered to by Hazel, proud owner of the land I needed to sit on, and a gracious hostess. Meeting up with Tom later in the week I showed him my Bermuda watercolors, spread out on a ubiquitous pink tablecloth, and watched with amazement as he grew genuinely excited and began arranging with the curator, Elise, for my return as a visiting artist the following year. We left pleased with that aspect of the second visit, if not with the engine repair (let's just say that grace and competence were wanting in the mechanic) and returned to American life. This pretty well meant that we didn't come up for air again until the following May when it was time to rejoin Flight. In January we had driven down to the Florida Keys, thinking to find some sunny painting subjects. IN the end the National Parks and the Everglades were our only break from the tacky t shirt and booze shops that line the road from Key Largo to Key West. The following May, late in the month, I departed for Bermuda by plane, as the weather did not cooperate and we refuse to be caught out by the weather when we feel pressed by obligations. P stayed on board the boat in New England and I went down for two months of painting, exhibiting, playing and selling work. I did not have my best photographer (Peter) with me, and did not come back with much work - the foundation kept all of it for framing and a permanent display. continued

- Home - previous - next - Here and There - Stage I - II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII -