“Fond Hearts” (portrait of Joe & Terry Graedon)
Pencil, pastel, and watercolor
2023
Many of you will know Joe & Terry from their longtime NPR show “The People’s Pharmacy”. They actually live (everyone has to live SOMEWHERE) in Durham, NC…..where they’ve been married, successfully procreated, written all their books, and generally had astoundingly productive lives. To learn about their work, go to: https://www.npr.org/…/the-people-s-pharmacy-radio-program
I’ve known them for years and admire them deeply, so this portrait will be a gift to them. My only problem (but it’s a big one) is that, after all these years and no matter how often they’ve been to the house, I have a difficult time looking them in the face while they talk. I first liked and “knew” them, for years, via the radio, so I find it difficult to look at them while they talk. DO NOT ASK ME WHY….I DON’T KNOW. They’re very pleasant/understanding, predictably enough, about the matter.
I also admire their marriage/partnership a great deal. Here’s a song for Terry and Mister Joe (condemned, for better or worse, to always having to play the straight guy….both on the show and, certainly, at my dinner table). Go to: