"My Indian Friend"

"My Indian Friend"

18 x 24 egg tempera on panel From Private Collection

One day, my Indian friend, Fred, stopped by the house to swap me some avocados for his persimmons and I was in awe of his fine appearance in his colorful shirt and his turquoise and silver necklace, so I asked him if I could photograph him. I took several photos and later from these I did his portrait in egg tempera. I used egg tempera because I wanted to get fine details in his hair (click on it to see a larger view). My friend passed away shortly after I finished his portrait, and I miss our talks about gardening and nature. He was a wise man who is missed by many. I think this portrait captures the essence of a man who lived a good life full of nobleness and adventure.