Day 1344: A sweet little memory.

Dotted palm, photo, iPad digital

I was at lunch with Valerie ...

and I can't remember how it came up, 

but I mentioned the famous atist, Milford Zornes.

Valerie wasn't familiar with him but listened to my story.

I am lucky to be a member of Huntington Beach Art League

Ten times a year, we have outstanding artists demonstrate.

In June 2006, while ninety-eight years old, famous

Milford Zornes gave a master watercolor demonstration.

He was amazing & I took a photo from the side as he worked.

Later I finished the graphic & framed it. 

A few months later, I heard he was to be honored at the 

 

 

It was a big crowd and I didn't want to bother him.

So I left it for him with Mrs. Anderson.

Two days later I got a call.

A man's voice, asking for Jacki.

I responded with no idea who was calling.

"Jacki, this is Milford Zornes, how are you today?"

Near cardiac arrest, I said "Oh my gosh, really?"

He said he wanted to thank me for the gift, and was so kind.

He asked me if I was "working on my art today,"

and I said that "I was." He said "me too!"

A short conversation, but ...

it still thrills me all these years later.

James Milford Zornes 1908 -2008

Zornes' paintings are represented in the collections 
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,  Corcoran Gallery of Art, 

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Smithsonian,

the White House, the Library of Congress Collection 

and in galleries & collections all over the world.

 See more here.

I went to two later shows.

Art lovers were buying his wonderful paintings.

At the Anderson Gallery they had notebooks of his sketches.

I found one small scrap, priced at the top of my limited budget ...

and I splurged.

I treasure it & that special short phone conversation.

. . .

Milford Zornes attended his 100th birthday party, 
a celebration of his lifelong artistic career, on January 26, 2008 
at the Pasadena Museum of Art. He died a month later on February 24.

70 degrees, Santa Ana, CA

After class six of us had Pho for lunch with Demura Sensei.

Mei baked a yummy lemon bundt cake for dessert!

Thank you Demura Sensei. Thank you Mei!

For FB Throwback Thursday ...

1980

A smile for Thursday ...