LifeStory 3
Sugarcane Kingdom
Oils on Linen 91.5 x 122 cms (36 x 48 ins) In a private collection
Before seeing his property, I asked this quiet farmer to describe it. His usual reserve melted as he talked about the land with obvious love and pride. Jokingly I asked: "So this was your kingdom?" The look in his eyes said it all; and gave me the title for his portrait. In the valley, fire races through the ripe crop, preparatory to harvest. Near the stubble field, we see the farmer who, at seventy, still green-cut his own planting cane. Horses that he remembered with affection from early days pull a cultivator, 'supervised' by his handsome Scottish deerhound.
see LifeStory 4
