Nan's Inspiration

This painting is dedicated to the memory of my grandmother Ann Mittleman...known as Nan or Nanny to those that loved her.

I have a large painting by her that inspired me to do this one. Her painting is my favorite work by her and a constant inspiration.

She started her artistic career as a sculptor studying with Robert Laurent. After turning to painting, she studied with Tchacbasov, Philip Evergood and Lewis Daniel. She has had numerous one woman shows and group shows in the Whitney museums of New York, Berlin, Germany and Tokyo. Her work is in the permanent collection of 19 museums in the United States and 2 in Israel. She is included in Who's Who in American Art and Who's Who in American Women.

While numerous travels abroad, her home and art life was always New York City and the small country town of New City in upstate New York. I have many fond memories of being a small child in the New City country home. When I was supposed to be taking a nap in the upstairs bedroom across from her studio, I would sometimes wander in and gaze at all of the wonderful things strewn about and savor the mystical aroma of oil paints and turpentine. Even with a large fan blowing out the window, remnants of those smells were always present and it made those partially done paintings even more mysterious and special.

Every now and then while painting with many of her original tubes of paint and beautifully worn brushes, I get a sensory flashback to a long lost memory of my grandmother, her studio filled with mystery and energy and that little room in the little house in the country.