Portrait / Kotah Moon

I met Kotah during a residency I did called the Fields Project about five years ago. I lived for about six days with a farm family as did the other artists. It was a good time and I would do that again. One of the other artists lived at the house across the way. He's about as tall as I am but outweighs me by 30 pounds and presents an imposing figure. When I got to know him, I found him to be friendly, generous and a kind and sensetive person. He changed his name for personal reasons. Kotah drives a converted ambulance which has the space and carrying ability that would serve a metal sculptor --- carries a lot of weight. While I was out plein air painting, Kotah was using a torch to cut designs in metal. When the weeklong art experience is done there's an art show on the following Sunday in a park in Oregon, Illinois. His work is quite beautiful -- metal sculpture and jewelry. Kotah, from Poland, Indiana, does a lot of outdoor art shows during the year -- traveling here and there in a scheduled pattern week by week. Me, you ask?????....I just don't like to do outdoor shows and especially mall shows. I used to do a few shows in malls when I first started painting, but then I heard people walking into the mall saying "Look there's an art show going on." They are there to buy shoes, clothes and snacks, not art. Whoops! almost forgot --- the details on the painting --- this is a portrait I did from a photo -- about 11" X 14", oil on linen.