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DUTCH DREAMS
Oil on canvas, 48 x 36 inches, 2002
(Private collection, Winter Park, Florida)
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Dutch Dreams were commissioned by an acquaintance who is a nationally-recognized ophthalmologist, laser-surgery pioneer, and a family man with a wife and three children. The painting attempts to fulfill the owner's requests to feature his ancestry, his work, and his active family life. A few elements relate to his profession--the telescope on the balcony and the letter chart on the door of the windmill--and to his pride in his Dutch heritage. Besides the obvious Dutch windmill there are boats shaped like clogs and a design resembling Pennsylvania Dutch folk motifs. However, the most apparent Dutch clue is the Dutch proverb at the top of the painting, between two monarch butterflies. A careful reader (viewer) must be warned that no such proverb can be found in any Dutch folklore collections. The proverb was entirely invented by the artist to conceal the last name of the owners. Actually, the trick worked so well that the owners would have never found the name without the artist's help. The remaining elements of interest include stylized Grand Teton Mountains, an encounter with a bear, and a Lego house for the three sons of the owner. The artist's signature is concealed (and written in Latin) at the bottom of the Pennsylvania Dutch sign.
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