52 Ancestors Week 22: Creativity

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 22

The theme for Week 22 is "Creativity." Whether it's doing arts and crafts, making a meal of out seemingly nothing, or playing music, some of our ancestors were creative people. Sometimes we have to be creative in finding our family tree! As always, feel free to be creative in how you interpret this week's theme.

It's modern art!

    Creativity clearly runs in my family. Let's do a headcount shall we? We have my brother and my dad's cousin Joe who are musicians. My brother plays the guitar while my cousin Joe plays the piano. Come to think of it, I have a few other musically inclined cousins on the Italian side of the tree. The again my uncle Bob on my mom's side has been known to sing a few tunes from time to time. My grandmother Natalie did needlepoint and often made clothes for all of us grandkids. Results, of course, varied! Even I have a creative side! Aside from having my own webcomic, I've dabbled in video production and have even made a few things in pottery class. Are the bowls a little lopsided? Yes. But, it still holds stuff! That's what matters! Also, I have this blog! So, that counts!

    What can I say? We're all creative people here. Even my grandfather Marco was creative in his day. Not only did he build the house I grew up in and part of my dad's office. He was an accomplished painter as well. Was he Leonardo da Vinci? That's debatable. He still painted some amazing things over the course of his life.

Very sublime piece of work. Truly.

    Take this piece for example. This oil on canvas painting currently hangs in the breakroom of my father's office. The painting depicts my great-grandfather Vincenzo enjoying a meal with his second wife, Fortuna.

    For as long as I can remember this painting was at the office and I'd look at it every time I came in for a cleaning or whenever I'd drop by. It's a pretty powerful piece if you think about it. Marco definitely got the looks down pat. This is coming from someone who has trouble drawing people. It's okay. Even Stan Lee couldn't draw people!

    On the table we see wine, bread and cheese. Clearly, Vincenzo and Fortuna were just finishing up an antipasto dish of some kind. Fortuna even has what looks like a hot pepper in her fingers. I wish I could say if the background was their house in Haverhill or not. It might have been. My dad isn't even sure what the background is from. I guess we could say it's their house.

    I do know that the painting had to have been painted sometime before my dad opened his practice in the early 1970s. It was given to him by my grandfather as a present when he started and it's been hanging in that spot ever since. 

The artist himself!

    We have other paintings that Marco made in our archives but this one is the one that I think of the most when I think of my grandfather's artwork. It was the first painting of his that I ever saw. It was also the first image I ever saw of my great-grandfather. It's funny isn't it? Most people see a picture of their great-grandfather first before seeing an actual painting! Crazy, huh?

    The painting also has a place in my heart because I remember coming into the office after school and sitting down to write some of my own stories at the table under it. I would look up and smile at the painting because I was doing something just as creative as Marco did all those years ago.

    So, I often wonder what he'd have thought of my stories and even the pictures I've drawn. I've also drawn many things while under that same painting. It's kind of cool. Though, I do wish he could have seen the creative things I've made. 

    That's not the only painting he made! We have several other paitings of his like this one!

    I look at this picture and I can't help but think of legendary scenery painter Bob Ross. Look at all the happy little trees! No, this isn't a Bob Ross Marco somehow got a hold of! This is a Marco original!

    Not only did he capture his father and step mother in oil-based paint. He painted a beautiful river at sunset. I'm not sure which river is represented here. If I had to take a guess, I'd say it's the Merrimack River during the fall.

 That's my story and I'm sticking with it!

   Here's another painting he made!

This is a very adventurous painting isn't it?  We have sailboats at what I assume is Salisbury beach. I'm doing a lot of assumptions with these two paintings aren't I? Don't blame me! I never had the chance to ask my grandfather about these three paintings. 

    They're all very cool and not to mention creative. It's good to know that both he and my grandfather Robert  were creative in their own ways. Bob just took photos with his camera. My grandfather painted. Maybe that's inspired me to get into drawing and eventually writing my own stories. You never know. 

        I guess you could say that creativity is in my blood. I've been surrounded by creative people all my life. Some people sing. Some people play instruments. Some people paint. Art is the ultimate form of expression my family has clearly been finding ways to express themselves. The paitings Marco left behind serve as a reminder of just how creative he was. Let's hope they continue to stand the test of time!

See ya next time!