It always amazes me how many creative people labor away anonymously,
eclipsed by what passes as “artistry” in our world of popular culture. Their stories need to be told.
One such person is George Moffett. We befriended George and his wife Suzanne
quite by accident. They were strolling
down the dock where we kept our boat late on a summer afternoon in Connecticut. At the time we had just purchased a 40’
Hatteras to live on during the summer months after having recently moved to
Florida and we were working away, thoroughly cleaning the boat, I on the
outside and Ann in the galley when a couple around our age stopped to chat.
They had a smaller boat on another dock but said the life
we were living was their dream, especially on a boat of this nature. So I said, would you like to see it even
though it’s not exactly ship shape right now, we just bought it. We would love to, was their immediate
reply. I ducked my head into the boat to
tell Ann we have some visitors. What,
she replied, the boat’s a mess! They
know, don’t worry! So they came aboard for
a tour and before we knew it we ended up sitting on the back deck for hours,
Ann having whipped up some impromptu appetizers, drinking wine, watching the
sunset and talking. It felt like we had
known them forever. That was thirteen
years ago and over this time, we forged a meaningful friendship.
While still living in Connecticut they planned a road
trip to Florida primarily to see their daughter who lived in Ft. Lauderdale at
the time as well as a first-time brief visit to our home. On their way down they received terrible news,
their beloved only child, Kelly, had suddenly died from an interaction of her
medications and they were asked to pick up her remains.
When Suzanne called us with that shocking news she told
us they were then heading back to Connecticut.
Ann insisted that they at least
come for lunch. They agreed and finally
decided to just stay the night as we would not hear of their driving any
further that day. But as they grieved
and we lent emotional support to the best of our ability, we persuaded them to
stay several more days, needing to recuperate from such an overwhelming trauma.
During that time we became even closer
as we talked and shared our histories.
It was then that we learned some surprising things about George, who we
discovered was a talented artist as well as a musician, picking up both
creative endeavors later in his life.
Before this tragic event they had sold their home in Westport,
bought a condo in Milford as well as the boat of their dreams, a 43’ Hatteras.
Only three days after holding a memorial service
for Kelly, George had a life-threatening stroke and was hospitalized in St.
Vincent's Hospital in Bridgeport and spent more than three weeks there
undergoing daily therapy.
The prognosis was poor – he may never walk again unaided
and he might have difficulty expressing himself. He was seen by the traditional
medical community and an acupuncturist and although they were very instrumental
in his recovery, equal credit goes to George for his determination to regain
his cognitive and physical abilities, even when the medical community had its
doubts.
Each day he wrote in a journal
and although initially it was all gibberish due to the stroke, slowly it began
to make sense.
He forced his mind to
work again and to this day he writes in a journal, like a runner would run
miles to stay in shape.
Almost all of
his physical abilities returned as well. It was at that time they decided to
move to Savannah and to sell the boat.
George worked as a house painter most of his life. He had his own business. That morphed into faux painting skills with
his work in large demand by owners of some very beautiful Fairfield County estates. His creative energy was expressed in that
form as well.
As a younger man it also came out in music.
George and Suzanne had several musician
friends such as the baritone sax player, Jon Lanni, who played with musical
great Maynard Ferguson as well as a bass player, Walter Urban, and many
others.
Walter was in the market for a
new bass and Suzanne approached him to purchase his "older" bass for
George who always wanted to learn how to play an instrument but was discouraged
to do so since his two brothers before him failed at their own musical efforts.
Suzanne wrapped up this gift in some pretty
white paper and a big red bow and placed it right in the middle of the living
room as a big “surprise” for George……like an old friend who just happened along.
"Hurry home, George," it called out
to him, as Suzanne fondly remembers.
So
you could say that she was very instrumental in creating George, the musician, while
having to listen to the screeching sounds as he practiced and eventually
learned how to play.
George then began to study with a number of teachers including
Clyde Lombardi, a well known American jazz bassist who had extensive classical
training. Before long – and this is
while he worked as a house/faux painter, George became a keen student of jazz
and started a second career playing gigs in Fairfield County, and New York
City, including accompanying the piano great, John Mehegan as well as many
other fine musicians in the area. Can
you imagine picking up this incredible skill in mid life and playing at a
professional level?
But then on to his discovery of the inner artist. One day
George came across several oil paintings that so inspired him that he decided
to contact the artist, Frank Covino, who had an art academy in Fairfield,
Ct.
George enrolled and a whole new
expression of art came to life. You might say an artist was discovered.
Many of the paintings depicted here are from
those early days, particularly the portraits.
He sometimes worked from photographs, but
frequently just as he imagined the person. His portrait of Rembrandt was painted
during one long day and strictly from memory.
After the stroke, his musical days were behind him, and
he had given up on art as well while he worked at his recovery.
But two years later he said it was time.
His first post-stroke attempt was of a woodpecker,
but he was discouraged by it and again put his painting aside for awhile.
Eventually he went back to it, deciding he
would let the painting “do him” rather than his attempting to “do the painting”
so it was at this time he began to do abstracts and to this day his art has
sustained him.
So when Ann visited Suzanne in Savannah recently – a
“girl’s weekend” – I gave her a camera and asked her to take some photographs
of his paintings.
Unfortunately a few were
unavoidably photographed at an angle and others taken with a flash, both of
which distort the painting.
But she did
the best she could and with some editing I’ve managed to use as many as
possible.
They tell the story of a man
who found recovery through art, as well as showcasing a remarkably creative
person.
Hopefully, this blog entry
preserves some of his work.
Using most software, you can click onto the first
photograph and create a slide show.
The
paintings are labeled as part of the JPEG title.
George has successfully worked in portrait,
animal, and abstract painting, all in oil and all truly remarkable.
