A friend and fellow artist, Robin Gilmore Jopp called me one Sunday evening in late July
and asked me to come to a meeting early the next day. Extreme Makeover Home Edition
was looking for local landscape artists to help create some work for the Brown's house.
I was intriqued since I have watched the show on occasion and after calling a few fellow painters
to see if they wanted to do it, I went to the meeting with Andrea
the young woman in charge of getting whatever the designers needed.
It was pretty hectic right from the very start since Andrea was talking to us and on her phone at the same time.
If you have ever seen this program and know how crazy it seems, believe me
it is a lot more frantic and crazy in person. We drove over to the project on the east side of Bridgeport
and after learning what was needed I got to work.
My assignment was to recreate a beloved family heirloom that was damaged in the fire
that started the whole episode to begin with. It was an 18th century landscape painting
by the Spanish painter Urbina. After leaving the site I went to the local art store in town,
Colonial Square Art Shop and explained what I need to do and the owner
was very happy to donate a very large canvas. So, Monday afternoon I was busy painting away
on my version of the Urbina. Those who know me know that I paint very quickly
so by the end of that night I was pretty much finished. I planned on going down
and helping out at the job site the next day. I called Andrea the next morning and told her my painting
was done but that I would drop it by later on in the day after letting it dry a little in my car.
That's when it got interesting. Andrea asked me if I could do two more impressionistic paintings
for the home since another artist had backed out. So, in two hours I quickly worked up
two smaller 18 x 24's.

So, the episode has aired and I did see my painting twice. It seems to be located just outside the bedrooms of the two girls. It was pretty exciting to catch a glimpse.

copy of Urbina

for more episode pictures please click here