The Alaskan

Without going into family politics, it is simpler just to say that grandmother had to hunt down her oldest son, for 25 years before she finally found him. So, in 1989 she flew up to Alaska to see him. I will not comment more, politics you know.

While she was there she apparently met a guy appearing like this. When she got home she painted him. I would guess she added a bit of gray to him as she was not really drawn to gray haired men. Sorry, politics slipped in there.

Although it has hung on my wall for years, it is not my style. But, something about it rings with honesty. If I met this guy on the streets I would probably recognize him.

Bavarian Mountains

Another of Grandmother's mountain scenes. She did quite a few of these painting and quite large as well!

This oil dates to the early 1980's I believe.

Of all of them, this is the nicest I think. She did do one more landscape after this and I am hoping to acquire these soon. But, due to size is difficult to transport and is quite some distance from here.

Aladdin's lamp

Grandmother's last husband was named Reuben Parsigian, he died in 1979. He was Armenian and Turkish, so had that dark "foreign" look about him. Combined with an easy laugh, he was someone you would pretty much come to enjoy rather quickly. Good man.

He had such a face, so full of expression and character. I think he was a bit of a character as it was!

About 1980, after his death, she did this painting of him as someone holding Aladdin's lamp.

I am actually hoping that the kids or grand-kids from his first marriage will contact me. They ought to know what their father/grandfather was like.

Over The Top

If I have one weakness, it is all things American Old West in nature. Of course, I am smart enough to know I really would not have done well in that time period, but it does fascinate me.

I have no idea what she used as the subject for this but during the late 1970's and early 1980's she painted several western style paintings. This was one of only two I have been able to recover for the family. I still wait and watch for the other three to show up on the market.

This painting won several awards at shows in Northern California. Luckily, because of this she chose not to sell it.

Spinning Wheel

Grandmother returned home from her visit with us in South Carolina and continued to work on her oil painting. Several more landscapes and then this one appeared..

It is interesting she chose to do another spinner and she went with her daughter as the spinner. Outside of the hair, it is definitely my mother's face, done from memory. Of course mother was a strawberry blond her entire life.

This was done about 1971.

Lake Tapps - 1987

When my uncle moved to Lake Tapps, outside of Auburn, Washington - this was the view out his massive glass window in the living room.

Grandmother came up from California and painted this scene. Kept her off of the streets and busy.

Those whom know the location have all commented this was her best work, but I think she did much better. And, no one agrees with me!