Old Watchmaker

As a mature artist, I seldom paint portraits, preferring to consider human personality through its cultural expressions – home, family, village scenes, and cityscapes.

But character studies like Old Watchmaker confirm that this was not always the case. Early in my career, I was fascinated by intimate descriptions of the human spirit – much in the manner of my artistic heroes Titan and Rembrandt.

My Old Watchmaker painted in oil when I was in my early twenties and just learning my craft, is a warm portrayal of a human-type that was dear to my painter’s heart, but remote from my world – the master European craftsman. The watchmaker’s patient skill is inscribed in his careworn, wrinkled face, in the intense concentration of his gaze, in his wonderful, supple-strong hands. This is the man whose diligence and steadfast character has allowed him to endure the many obstacles he has faced in life.

In this tribute to the watchmaker, I think that I anticipate the depth of my developing commitment to my own craft. Like the Old Watchmaker, I somehow knew that God lives in the details and that as scripture affirms, it is good to work well with one’s hands.