Over My Head

“Over My Head” was an idea that sprung from lyrics to a song. I was in art school back in 1995, and I cranked this one out for my grandmother Winnie as a Christmas gift. It’s unabashedly modern looking, and given the country rural interior my grandma’s house, I have to confess that I’m unsure what the hell I was thinking. She hung it in her house just the same, like she did all the art I gifted her. She was proud of all her family and our talents and accomplishments, great and small. Grandmother had recently moved from the country outside Essex, MO into town in nearby Dexter, reluctantly leaving her longtime, beloved homestead. At the auction, my mother landed this strange little painting of mine, which I had all but forgot.


When Winnie passed away this past week, some of my cousins came up front at the funeral to sing a favorite gospel song of hers, notably Denny on guitar and Doug on standup bass. They were great, too, keeping the tempo chuggin’ and the mood high- what fun! She would have loved it like those jam sessions at dusk after a Kennedy family reunion. One last time… play just one more, before it’s time to go. Sweet Dreams, Grandma-

And a later version from 1998...