18"x36" mixed media on canvas

We would often ride our bikes to Lake Pontchartrain to go crabbing and fishing. There were a lot of swampy areas around the lake that made the crabbing part really easy. Just tie a chicken leg to the bottom of a crab basket, let it sit for a few minutes and before you knew it, crabs were flocking to get in on the feast.

So, I’ve been asked many times what the story is behind this painting. Is it about my dog’s love for crabs? or maybe it’s about the crab’s love for my dog? Well, this is how this encounter went down. The day started out like any other day at the lake. We set up shop, dropped the baskets, cast our fishing lines, and just waited. The dog came and sat in the shallow water and watched, then out of nowhere, he started crying, whimpering. and running in circles. We couldn’t figure out what was wrong, we check his ears, his paws, his nose, his tail, until finally he dropped on his back and showed us his belly… then it all became clear. It seems a baby crab thought my dog would make a tasty treat and latched on to the dog’s “sensitive” area. It was not a pleasant experience for either one, but the situation was addressed, no permanent damage was noted, and the dog learned a very valuable lesson about sitting in shallow swamp water.

Painting available for purchase on eBay till August 02, 2010

"An Icee & a Slim Jim" 12"x36" acrylic on canvas 2005

My dad wasn’t around much when I was growing up, but that didn’t stop him from being the best dad he knew how to be. He called often, sent greeting cards for every occasion, and later in his life, I found out he always carried pictures of me and my sister  wherever he went. Of course, these are all things that weren’t appreciated to the fullest extent until later in my life.

One of my most fondest memories was when he took us to a supermarket named Schwegmann’s. There he would take us to the cafe area where he would buy us an Icee and a Slim Jim, happiness was so simple and inexpensive back then. It’s those small thoughtful moments that made time with my dad so special.

Five years ago I made & brought this painting to him in Colombia as a Father’s Day gift. It’s been 3 years now since he passed away and I find myself often remembering those final moments we had together, especially around Father’s Day…