"As a mature artist, I seldom paint portraits, preferring to consider human
personality through its cultural expressions – home, family, village scenes,
and cityscapes.
But character studies like “Old Watchmaker” confirm that this was not always
the case. Early in my career, I was fascinated by intimate descriptions of the
human spirit – much in the manner of my artistic heros Titian and Rembrandt.
My “Old Watchmaker,” painted in oil when I was in my early twenties and just
learning my craft, is a warm portrayal of a human type that was dear to my
painter’s heart, but remote from my world – the master European craftsman. The
watchmaker’s patient skill is inscribed in his careworn, wrinkled face, in the
intense concentration of his gaze, in his wonderful, supple-strong hands. This
is a man whose diligence and steadfast character has allowed him to endure the
many obstacles he has faced in life.
In this tribute to the watchmaker, I think that I anticipate the depth of my
developing commitment to my own craft. Like the “Old Watchmaker,” I somehow
knew that God lives in the details, and that as scripture affirms, it is good
to work well with one’s hands."