"Ansel Adams and Friends"

“Ansel Adams and Friends”
Giclee print
Image size: 8.5" x 10" - Edition: 50 signed and numbered / 15 remarqued artist proofs.

In 1979, I had the pleasure of meeting Ansel Adams through the Lighthouse Frame Shop in Monterey, California, where both of us had our artwork framed. The owner of the shop, Don Hartman, introduced us after Ansel expressed interest in my paintings. Over time, our friendship developed, and in 1981, Ansel invited me to his 80th birthday showing in Monterey. He also invited my photography students from the University of Nevada, whom I was instructing at the time. It was a wonderful trip for all of us, as Ansel gave us an opening show tour and signed autographs on his new books.

After that, Ansel invited my wife and me to his home in Carmel. I asked him to pose for me for a new series of paintings I was working on, titled "Great Americans and the Arts," where Ansel would represent the art of photography. He agreed, and we had a great time taking photos, which I feel is conveyed in the painting. The background image is one of his personal favorites, "Moonrise Hernandez," a fleeting moment he managed to capture in the instant before it lost the light.