My "New" Old Picture

Yes pholks, that is a new image of me to the top of this column. And yes it is a “new” old picture. I need to explain.

The graphic actually is not a photo but a portrait by a very talented woman, Ellen Milinch, an award winning local artist who drew it from a photograph taken of me more than a dozen years ago. It is my wife Kathy's favorite depiction of her husband, the photo she claims shows my character, especially the mischievous smile. That smile, she says, was part of the allure which captured her heart when she captured mine.

Now I know some of you pholks will say that I don't look like today's self but honest pholks that picture was not touched up. Ellen created that portrait from the photograph and did no magic with her pastels and charcoal pencils. The woman is great. When the photo was taken I did have more hair and more teeth but I still have the same beard and moustache. The hair, what is left of it, is a tad more gray (I prefer the word silver) and the impish grin is still lingering. There are several other descriptions of that grin, including one dealing with a cat and a canary, but I will leave the others to you imagination. It has been likened to that of Paul Newman. Except for those fantastic blue eyes, there probably is little difference between the two of us. Of course, Paul is a lot older.

Just how my “new” portrait came to be is a story in its self.

Ellen came by the Valley Voice to discuss running an advertisement for her art work which, in my opinion, certainly is impressive. During our initial discussions I mentioned that I was in need of a new photo for Miles Around and we came up with an agreement which ended up with what you see. My wife “suggested” her favorite picture of her beloved. As a veteran husband, I immediately agreed with my wife's “suggestion.”

Armed with the black and white photo and a few of her own color shots to get my coloring just right, Ellen left saying she'd be back in a week or so. She came back with an original eight by 10 drawing which looks exactly like the photo—except with color. That one will be framed and treasured. A copy of that image is what appears in the Valley Voice.

Ellen is a surgical technician in Kaweah Delta District Hospital's labor and delivery unit and an artist who describes her art as “my safe obsession.” Until last weekend some of her work along with that of two other local female artists was displayed at Café 225 in downtown Visalia.

In addition to portraits Ellen does seascapes and landscapes and her works have won some pretty prestigious awards and acclaim.

Although she didn't “realize the gift I had” until later in life, Ellen comes from a artistic family background. Her father, Richard Bibler, is a retired art instructor at Monterey Pennisula College and also the creator of the “Little Man on Campus” comic strip, Raised in the Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel area Ellen was surrounded by art and the picturesque costal setting.

Ellen has two grown children and she and husband, Mitch, live in Visalia. Mitch plays golf. Ellen doesn't. Mitch doesn't paint or draw. Ellen does.

As a Gemini, Ellen is naturally a creative person, she says with a captivating smile which belies her sense of humor and an artist who admits to receiving warm feelings when her work evokes emotion from those who see it, especially the portraits.

There has been talk about doing a whole body drawing of me but some there are still a lot of details, and other things, which would have put into shape before that could happen.

Ellen is a great artist. She is not a magician.

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THERE WAS SOME MAGIC IN THE AIR for some of the Woodlake High School students, including my step-granddaughter Gem Armstrong, who went to the Visalia Convention Center last weekend for their winter formal. They went to dinner at Crawdaddies and, because they were all dressed up, were ushered to the more elegant dining 2nd Floor where they were allowed to order from the more moderately priced first floor menu.

It was one of those magical nights for those lucky teens.