Framed Lighthouse

The Lighthouse saga has a happy ending for me, the artist. My dad loved it, and he wanted something to identify the location. He said I should add a little tag/cartouche type thing at the bottom with the years he was stationed and served there. He had lots of lighthouse stories. His first day on this lighthouse, Dad said he was in charge of the place and had to run it all by himself. His first day there was in November 1955, and my dad lived on Faulkner’s Island and served on the lighthouse with the Coast Guard for a whole year. Tomorrow, my brother and I can hang this painting up for him in his room at the nursing home.

I was lucky with my dad – he wasn’t too picky about the framing. He didn’t even mind if I kept the original and just gave him a print, he said. But he’s getting the original. He even said, “No need to frame it” to save me money, because he was worried it would get stolen. (We can put his name on the back and keep track it so no one steals it.) The maintenance man once mistakenly took his clock, and long story – that’s why he said what he said about the stealing. I purchased this frame for $8 at A.C. Moore today, and the girl in the framing department helped me put it together right there, which was nice.

Now my mom’s bird painting is another story. Her’s is getting a professional frame job (she’s picky), with custom mat and custom frame … can’t wait to pick that one up in another week or so. I’ll show you what that looks like framed because framing really does “add to” the whole effect.