I was a child of the eighties, so the fact that I had the good fortune of seeing the Dead perform at all, and indeed only months before Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, was rather like barely making it to the table for the Last Supper.
Missing that invite would have been comically unforgivable! And I am sure I would be a different person today if I had missed the experience.
The Grateful Dead have had a place in my heart since I began collecting CDs and seriously listening to music, and I soon became an ardent fan of the lyrics of Robert Hunter. With such a strong connection, you can imagine that when I was asked to paint a picture of Jerry Garcia on commission, I was elated by both the challenge and the joy of the task.
I will firstly admit that I decided on the medium of oil out of pure craziness. I had done all of three canvases prior to executing this one, and to say that I was inexperienced in the medium is a perfect truth. Thankfully, my clients were of the mind that I had the talent to do this; so with their confidence instilled in me, I did the necessary research on materials, and then bit the bullet and purchased everything I needed to get the job done.
Working on a canvas measuring 40 by 60 inches was also a challenge. I have done a lot of detailed work and paintings larger than this one, but nothing this detailed on this scale.
In the end, I feel exceedingly proud of what I produced. It must be one of my best paintings to date. And I walked away with a profound and newfound love for oil.
Having seen you workingon the painting in the “Playroom”–I knew it would be a masterpiece.
Hugs to you and your little Rose.
Karen