When I built our studio, in the AZ desert, I was dating my wife, Barbara Schuppe.
Before her, I was thinking of sophisticated, combinations of off-whites, to set off the sculptural qualities of the space, (white backgrounds for colorful paintings), but partnering with Barb, inspired me, giving me permission to push into rich colors - an 18' orange wall, a "Chinese Red" office with chartreuse trim!...
One of my best memories is from late one night: Barb is 16' up on a scissors-lift with a paint roller on a gigantic pink wall, while I'm below in a hazmat-style spray painting suit - covered head-to-toe, spray painting some other walls, when "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan" came over the stereo system...
we looked at each other, both of us moving with the music - we couldn't help it!
Magnetized - She rode the lift down, and we danced - (me in my paint suit and respirator, barb spattered with pink).
After the song, we went back to work - and I thought: "This is the girl for me!"
This picture was taken in Barb's booth at the Sawdust Art Festival -
“Odysseus” - Oil on Wood Panel - (set off by the color surrounding it).
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