Another Family Portrait

The snapshot was taken on the event of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, in June of 1999. They are both still living, as are all the rest of us, a major miracle—I sometimes think—given the odds. We, the children, are arranged from youngest on the left to the oldest. Yours truly is second from the top:

And here is the sketchbook version (from memory):

And another, more characteristic grouping of the same gang:

I believe the overwhelming pressures of growing up in this chaos has made a profound impact on the art I make. It often feels as though I am perpetually untangling a big mess. It's not always clear what generates the imagery, although sometimes I am caught up short by the obviousness of a particular piece.