Under Construction Mind the Gap!
What Is legacy Art?
When my father was dying, I was tasked with the monumental job of clearing a house with 80 years of life.
My hands physically touched hundreds of thousands of items, having seconds to decide the fate of each... Barely time to pause, reflect, honor the circumstance, history and mind that brought it into the house, deeming it worthy.
Is it an heirloom? Does somebody want this? Do I donate it? Shred it? Recycle it? Keep it? Each decision turned into piles of a life, dissected into pieces. It was awful.
Some items refused to be categorized, and resonated "Dad" so loudly that to discard them into a trivial label seemed irreverent. As their own pile formed, I thought, that looks like Dad. That looks like a painting.
As time was short, I settled for a staged photograph and then played around with it in a digital art program.
Legacy Art, then, is art that memorializes the life of someone who is here, or in the hereafter. It is evolving. Stay tuned.
"Dad"
(Above)
Things that go to make up a life:
From left: camping coffee and measuring cup, oil can, American Revolution Bicentennial Memorial flask, wooden box, thermometer, 1755 medical textbook, prism, salt and pepper shakers, stopwatch, camping shovel, mallard on wood art, doctor bag, icon, wood dice, camping flask, ivory obelisk, 1920s microscope, Holy Bible, plant, scales, wood carving, works of Shakespeare, gold globe, Volkswagen cologne, wooden box, black globe
Legacy Art - Still Lifes
Dorothy
Sugar bowl, icon of Mary, tea cup set, passport, maps, foreign currency, Western Garden Book, decorative pillow, diary, salt and pepper shakers, The Story of English, Holy Cross, measuring spoons, peeler, seashell, Christmas bows, wooden jewelry box, scarves of various fabrics.
Green Things
Coffee cup, A History of the State of Washington, post-its, stained-glass tile, ceramic bow, green beads, culinary herbs poster, pillow, Green Lake Crew Letter, green pepper, rosary, Ireland magnet, Bag Balm, pine oil, oregano, can of tuna, candle, green tea, strainer, Canada Dry lighter, journal, American Spirit Menthol, paintbrushes.
Dad
Camping coffee and measuring cup, oil can, American Revolution Bicentennial Memorial flask, wooden box, thermometer, medical textbook, prism, salt and pepper shakers, stopwatch, shovel, mallard wood art, doctor bag, icon, wood dice, flask, ivory obelisk, 1920s microscope, Holy Bible, plant, scales, wood carving, Works of Shakespeare, gold globe, Volkswagen cologne, wooden box, black globe.
The George Collection
Things that are Red
Christmas bow, port glasses, If Love is a Game, These are the Rules, The Underground Railroad, rowing gold medal, Swiss army knife, bead necklace, Siracha, tomatoes, cup of red pens, dice, lobster salt and pepper shakers, Origins Through Evolution, The Chinese Century, 50 Common Reptiles of the Southwest, Dereliction of Duty, The Cat Encyclopedia, The Sabian Symbols as an Oracle
Wine Label Portrait
Sandy's Wine
A friend lost a friend during the lockdown and asked me to draw a memorial portrait. They made wine in her honor. A full name or link to an obituary was unavailable.
Her name was Sandy and she liked wine and horses. Rest in Peace.
Photos courtesy of Jeremy Westin
Label design by Jeffrey Duncan
Portrait art by C. Fouty
Commissioned Horse Portrait
Red Hot Scarlet
Scarlet, a Registered Overo Paint, officially registered as "Red Hot Scarlet," was a 7 year-old mare that passed away unexpectedly. The painting was commissioned as a birthday gift.
12" x 16" acrylic on canvas, 2023.