I was fortunate to meet Mrs. Reed on the Italian island of Giglio in 2012.  She was in Italy studying under David Jon Kassan and I, along with her husband, was contracted to support the wreck removal of the sunken cruise ship Costa Concordia.

While she was not studying, Elizabeth would apply her talents capturing the many hardened and hearty eccentrics working the project.  Her ability to reach into the soul of a subject and capture their character on canvas gripped me.  I learned more of these people in her paintings.   Simply put, there is a humility to her work that people did not know to find in themselves.

In 2017 I married a woman very much adored by her father.  I knew it was difficult for him to let her go and I needed to express some degree of understanding in that regard.  I decided to commission my first painting as a gift to her parents and went straight to Elizabeth.  She had never met my bride.  Yet  through pictures, a brief autobiography I wrote and some great conversation, Elizabeth was able to capture her for who she is. Her strengths shine in the portrait, as does her fragility.

Forever Grateful and Inspired