It all started at Skowhegan.

At the renowned summer six week program for artists in Maine.

Students hailed from all over the world.

I asked Neil Welliver if I could go. He gave me a scholarship on the spot.

(That’s when I was a student of his in the MFA program at Penn.)

When I looked up the prizes in advance of my going, there was a Nathaniel

Saltonstall Award in drawing to be donated to the Colby College Museum of

Art. I said to myself, I can win that. (Robert Reed instilled such

confidence in my ability. Anyone else who had the privilege of taking

drawing classes from this remarkable teacher knows exactly what I mean.

He left Skidmore to join the faculty at Yale.)

And win it I did, for the handsome prize money of a whopping ten dollars 🙂

The image was totally imagined in my mind. Several paintings evolved

from it such as this large party scene below.