A Brief Story

In the winter of 1995-96 the National Gallery in Washington D.C. presented an exhibition Johannes Vermeer.  It was a rare opportunity to see a relatively large number of his paintings in one place.  Arriving at the National Gallery late on a Sunday afternoon I went directly to inquire about the procedure for gaining entrance to the exhibit the following day.  I had been warned it would require a 5 to 6 hour trial of standing on long lines in the January cold.

     Inexplicably, at the information desk after being informed of what would be required the next day one of the staff workers pulled me aside and with a wink offered a ticket that allowed immediate entry to the exhibit.  She hurried me up the stairs and in one magical moment I was standing awestruck before Vermeer's painting View of Delf.   Since that moment I decided to accept what felt like an invitation - I admit possibly a delusional one - from Vermeer to share in his work.  Each year since, I have reproduced one of his paintings as faithfully as possible.  While studying his work I find it remarkable that despite the distance of an ocean and a sea of time we can still talk.
    Although my art is quite different in appearance, I know that his influence is embedded in my work.  These yearly visits I have with Vermeer represent a form of spirituality that I find renewing.