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"Boomin" Houston"
1948 8x5 |
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"Studio South"
1949 20x16 |
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My first studio was
the room above the garage at my parent’s house. There was electricity but no
plumbing or heat. But as a teenager it was the independent retreat that was
perfect. The garage was a Dutch design with the door on the west side,
double windows on the east and two dormer alcoves with double windows on the
south and north. The room had been strictly utilitarian and was used as
storage. My father had done some of his art work there but allowed me to
take over.
My mother controlled the selection of the paper and colors. The floor was
painted dark green, three walls were covered in a muted green and tan plaid
and the fourth wall was covered in trailing morning glories, definitely not
my choice but at least there was lots of green. The old cedar chest was
given a green cover and my father built the storage chest with doors covered
in painted 1/2” hardware hardware cloth with the wall paper behind it. White
sheets were the curtains.
Art work went up on the walls and I see in the photographs a
pencil sketch of me by Marjorie Woodruff, a caricature of me by Claud
Blanchard, two of my early paintings and a watercolor by a Chinese artist
visiting the University of Houston. A small sketch of an old man is by
Gordon Blouin. The lamp was a piece of driftwood brought home from
Galveston. A suspended table with lamp displayed some early sculpture. The
painting of the man is a self portrait influenced by El Greco and was
exhibited in The Houston Artists Show in 1949.
The first change of decor occurred with the installation of travel posters
over the morning glory wallpaper. Later the floor was painted white with
Jackson Pollock splatters of orange and black. The walls were painted black.
A white cabrito rug, purchased on a trip to Monterrey, Mexico was put on the
floor with a low marbleized table in front of the bed. This composition is
in a painting owned by Ann and Michael Judd.
The room remained much the same until I left for the army in 1954.
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