Artist Reply: Dear Ian, Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment on this. When I feel I have exhausted my desire to paint the Canal Zone, I do plan to exhibit them When I have moved on to another subject. Same as when I completed my Biwling Ball House series and moved on. I actually had 3 exhibitions for those and turned down a 4th. So yes a great idea. ??. Thank you for your kind words on this. Hugs, Sharon

Artist Reply: Dear Marie José, Thank You So much for your wonderful comment on this. You are right; they are my memories. All my paintings except abstract & gem ones are my memories. It is just like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and other Master artists painted their home and surroundings. Musicians write about their home and what they know, etc. We travel further in today’s world so many of my paintings are trips I have made. Like my paintings of Giverny at Monet’s home and waterlily pond that he created to paint. I have also done many paintings of that pond and of the town of Giverny France too. Those are my memories too and of Nuremberg Germany castle, London, Grand Canyon, San Antonio, TX and many many other places in the world, including Panama. All my paintings are my memories. I photographed them and am now painting from my photographs. It is just that now I am painting from my photographs of Panama. I painted from my memories of other places first. Panama is still my memories Now since I go back all the time just like I go to other countries all the time too. And the active Canal Zone are in my memories as an adult too not just childhood. My parents left and came to Florida to live when I was 25 years old. But I kept going back because a lot of my friends were still there, and are still there living. ?? Thank you for POD on this; you have made my day. Hugs, Sharon

Artist Reply: Dear Lyle, Thank You very much for looking and for your kind words. My dad was the one who knew him. They were good friends & my mom too. I was 6 months old when he and my dad taught me to swim. But I did know his grandson, as you probably read from my response to Brenda. And most likely I came in contact with his sister and nephews, nieces. Most likely since there was one high school on the Pacific side of the Zone and 1 on the Atlantic side. However we grew up on the Pacific. We did not pay attention to things like that. Maybe I will look through my year books looking for Weissmuller. I know Tarzan Johnny was an Olympic award winning swimmer. So I certainly had the best teaching me to swim. And my dad was a great swimmer too. ???? Hugs, Sharon

Artist Reply: Dear Brenda, Thank You very much. You are so right. I was very lucky. My dad & Johnny Weismuller were good friends. His sister lived in Balboa and he would come to visit her. A few years ago I met his Tall Dark VERY Handsome grandsone with last name Weismuller at the Panama Canal Reunion in Orlando. I knew immediately who he was & started talking to him. He thought I was much younger than I was, because he made a pass at me. I knew his age because he had a Balboa High School Class reunion that year. Perhaps his 5th; It was at the 1999 Panama Canal Reunion in Orlando, and we were having a very stimulating & interesting conversation. Because I knew the year he graguated, I decided I would share the year I graduated.. Bam the conversation stopped. That is when I realized he was interested in me & not just sharing our interesting conversation. Talk about feeling Old. However I was torn between that and being very flattered. Hahahaha Hugs, Sharon

Artist Reply: Thank you Ivo. Yes and many many many others memories too. It is where I was born; it is home and where I lived the first 20 years of my life and go back to all the time. Because, you see, the Panama Canal Zone is history and there was never another civilization like it in the world Ever. Annnnd That is what artists paint; their home; their surroundings. That is what artists sing and dance to; music of their life and surroundings. That is what artists write about; their life and experiences, whether they write fiction or truth. Where they lived and grew up and experiences go into their writing. You notice that the great singers have the passion and are living what they are singing. The master artists painted their surroundings and where they lived. Claude Monet’s are impressionist, but they are All where he lived and grew up. Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings are distinctly His of where he lived. To not paint what you know and live are artificial paintings. And others feel that. Someone wrote about this painting on FB “Your memories become mine in your beautiful paintings.” Allllll my paintings are/were the life around me where I lived and visited. My life in Arkansas where I first started painting; my trip to the Grand Canyon, San Antonio, TX, Giverny, France to Monet’s home and waterlily pond and his town and surroundings, to Nuremberg Germany and many other places in the world. In each I was there and documented by taking a photo and then painted. Many years later since I did not start painting until late November 2002. Hugs, Sharon