There are times when one is reminded of the profound privilege of sharing artistic abilities. Recently I was humbled when friends asked me to create collage artwork for a fine lady on her 90th birthday. Clara was a teen when American soldiers and Allied forces liberated her homeland of Italy during the Second World War. The medium of collage offers the most creatively efficient capacity to embed a dozen or more images and symbolic elements that have personal meaning for an individual recipient. We honored Clara’s love of America and her lifelong gratitude to those who heroically sacrificed on her behalf — men such as Garlin Conner and John Squires, and so many others, including former U.S. Senators Daniel Inouye and Bob Dole. And, without a time-consuming process, I could at the same time recognize her particular appreciation of opera, the visual and literary arts, education, flowers, movies, wine, dogs, and a fondness for Mickey Mouse (who also turned 90 this year).
As an artist, I always find what I do rewarding, but it just doesn’t get any better than “the art of the gift.”
My friend Bill presents a birthday gift to Clara —
a collage miniature that I created with her in mind.