Good Grounds

Good Grounds | 14”x 11” | Oil on Canvas 

Have you ever lived away from home and needed a good set of surrogate grandparents for your children? This was our case as we spent three years in PA while I attended art school at PAFA. Lucky for our little Emma, just through the wall in the row houses where we lived, were the Crawfords. John and Ruth became our great friends and Emma loved them. She would watch sports with John and give him heck about those cigars he was smoking. Ruth is a sweetheart and she too was so good to our girl.

After we were back in Utah, Ruth sent the items featured in this painting, with a request that I do a painting of them. The name “Good Grounds” naturally fits the subject of the painting, but it
also fits the feelings we have for the Crawfords. Where and how they live is good grounds for love and acceptance. We have very good grounds for loving them forever.

As an aside, Emma got the ‘good news’ from Ruth that John has quit smoking those cigars. John made a stain glass of Emma’s name as a gift to her, it hangs in her room and I suspect it always will.

“You should have the Art you Love.”