Jack Dorsey turns 80 and an old painting of his turns up

Today we celebrate the 80th birthday of Dad, patriarch of our family of artists, Jack Dorsey.

This morning I wrote this post on Facebook thanking Dad: Thanks for always being there for me.Thanks for showing me that a man can be sensitive and strong.Thanks for not being ashamed of your faith in Jesus.Thanks for loving mom, providing for her, repenting when you screwed up , and keeping your covenant to her for 50+ years.Thanks for being a hard worker and showing me how to work hard.Thanks for spanking my butt when I was a kid and not being afraid to discipline me.Thanks for daring to be an artist.Thanks for going to work at Boeing to provide for our family when art couldn’t. Thanks for letting mom care for her mother, and Otto and Betty, and so many others even when it meant she was gone and helping others, not you.Thanks for hugging me and saying you love me.Thanks for being yourself: emotional, irrascible, enfuriating, irritating, playful, tough, caring. Thanks for showing me how to live.Thanks for showing me how to die.

Later in the day, I received a call, and then the following note from a man named Kim, age 72, who lives in Mount Vernon:

“…here is the watercolor that was purchase by my folks, Cliff and Nina F., in the mid 1960’s from a gallery or street fair in Skagit Valley. I graduated from MV in 1965 so I would have been around 20 years old. My mother had it framed. But I never was that enamored with the framing. My parents had it hanging in their living room my entire life and it was always enjoyed. They both passed away, and I took possession in 2010 at which time I had it reframed by Wilson framing in MV after hours of picking matting and frame. I have hung it with pride since then and have always wanted to trace down its artist…”

Kim attached this photo of the painting:

I’ll get back to Kim after I hear more of the story behind this painting from Dad.

Kind of a neat story to take place on Dad’s 80th birthday isn’t it. Anyway, enjoy these photos that Mom sent out of Dad: Dad with mom, Dad with his boys, Dad with Otto and Betty, Dad with his cat, Etc.

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