Monday, June 9, 2008

Gene Baer in his natural habitat

Our " Meet the Vineyard series continues". You'll note that I am avoiding talking about Hillary Clinton as I am taking the week off, for the most part! This series features Martha's Vineyard artists, musicians, actors, singers, characters, and favorite people!

Meet Gene Baer, who happens to be my dad! He is a bit of everything stated above.



Everyone on the Island knows Gene as the art teacher. He taught generations of kids art. If you are 50 or under and grew up on M.V., chances are you know and love my dad! He taught for 35 years, always performed magic tricks, and painted your nose blue if you agreed to it.

Gene is also an accomplished musician, and played down at the Ritz bar every summer for many years.
Here he is singing " Why'd you eat those onions" for me.



My father also is one of the best painters I know. If you notice a resemblance in my painting style, that is because I spent a lot of my life copying his work. In fact I am still copying his work!





Now my father has chosen writing as his passion. He has many published books. Kids books, and art lesson books being his most successful! Here he is hanging up some his his recent work to dry!



So if you come to Martha's Vineyard, never mind dropping Carly Simon's name. Drop the name " Gene Baer", and most likely you will hear lots of very funny stories!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gretchen,
Thanks so much for sharing your fun family with us!
Lynn

KCmustang said...

Hello to Daddy Baer! I love that picture of his recent work hanging to dry.... i imagine a caligraphy pen and ink well ...put ink jet printers have the same issue. It is so cool these artist got together and had Gretchen Baer! I wish i was there... you knew i would say it! <3 the Baer's

Paintress Gretchen said...

KC you are too much! Much love, G

love23 said...

Just back from Douglas, and playing SCRABBLE with Harrod, Alicia & Shawnee, and Shawnee's first word was a 7 letter bingo! He won the game of course. I love Gene Baer's art! These paintings are amazing! I love the children's book I have of his, all the kids love it!

Anonymous said...

I miss Grumps! Thanks for the pictures.... :D