I rode by a garage sale last summer and this painting was propped up against a table. It caught my eye from the street. It and another one were selling for twenty bucks. I said I only wanted the one and asked what the price was for that that. The woman said it would be twenty bucks so I stopped haggling and took out my wallet out. She told me she taught art at Irondequoit High School and she said she really liked the painting too. She had looked online for information on the artist, Horace Furminger, but couldn’t find anything. I rode home with the painting under my arm and showed it to Peggi.
It occurred to us that it would be a perfect gift for our friend and neighbor, Rick. He is a clown, went to school for it even, and already has a small collection of clown paintings. I had not seen clown paintings in a home since the paint by number ones Brad Fox’s father did when we were kids. Monica saw the painting in our living room and I told her I was thinking of giving it to Rick for his birthday. She didn’t seem to like it much.
Well today’s Rick’s 60th birthday and I plan to bring it over there tonight. People have been bugging me to paint something other than crime faces and I’m thinking if a clown series. I’d be lucky to do one as nice as this.
8 Comments
You’d like the Clown Room, where my dentist’s hygienist plies her craft. Many of the clown pieces have been removed at her request but two originals remain, painted, I assume by virtue of the relatively primitive execution, by patients. They are both rather strange; one is just a standard clown face but the small canvas has this weird asymmetrical decorative border painted on that gives this particular clown (which looks like a sad clown having a rare good day) a weird mind’s-eye kind of aspect that kind of haunts me.
he will love it
I like the image of Paul riding with a clown painting under his arm.
That painting has everything about clowns that gave me nightmares all thru childhood.
I think Horace is still in Rochester …
https://www.dobsearch.com/people-finder/view.php?t=1273250185&sessid=0218e55a06384f12e95790d661a597e2&searchnum=21542959585
Clown sex is the worst.
I am in tears…Horace Furminger was my Grandfather … I googled my grandmothers name and this picture jumped out at me! I cant believe it…
Thanks for sharing. I really liked the clown painting. It’s one of the rare clown faces who look sad.