Friday, July 24, 2009

Local Trivia: Earl by Elaine

At the Goodwill in Bristol last week, P.C. and I found a painting of an old man in a suit, done on the sort of board one would find slid across cubby-holes in kindergarten (dense and very, very thin). After a bit of useless vacillation (the end was inevitable), we decided to buy him and give Elaine a grandfather. P.C. named him “Earl,” in honor of Elaine’s portrait-artist and of the fact that “Earl” sounds like an old-man name.

He’s currently perched on top of a chair I’ve designated to go to Waltham with me, next to Elaine but not leaning on her. P.C. and I agree that he’s probably more straight-laced than his “hippy-dippy granddaughter,” who as you can see, looks off into the distance as though seeing a happy future. (Really it’s just the 80’s coming. Elaine must have been pretty disappointed.)

Though it’s sad that we had to pay for Earl ($8), the money went to a great cause, and I believe this may begin a serious trend.

Give us five years, and then ask how many portraits of unknown subjects we’ve got.

I’m betting at least 7.

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