Joe Ruffin, oil on canvas, 40x30, 2001
private collection
In 2001 I received a grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. I used this grant to paint a series of portraits of local Washingtonians: Joe Ruffin (artist), Anna Maria (restaurant owner and entrepreneur), Kelly and Maze (Twins Jazz owners), Mohammad Ali (local TV host), Peter Fraize (jazz saxophonist), and Federal Jazz Commission (dixieland band). I painted the musicians from the many sketches I did during their performances; they lent me their music as the sound tracks for the paintings. The rest of the people set for me in my studio. I recorded them speaking as I painted them.
The sound quality isn't great unfortunately; this was before iphones, so I used just a basic recorder.
Joe Ruffin is a DC artist and talks about art and a few other things.