Never Forget Who Helped You Begin

An Artist’s Reflection on Family, Gratitude, and the People Who Open Doors

Sitting beneath the canopy of trees at Café Degas in New Orleans this weekend, enjoying brunch with my older brother Bob, Cynthia and I found ourselves traveling back more than half a century. The food was delightful, the conversation even better, but it wasn’t what was on the table that occupied my thoughts. It was everything my brother had brought to it over the years.

Bob is ten years my senior and has long called New Orleans home. I first visited him when I was seventeen, a young fellow from North Carolina with big dreams and little understanding of the world beyond my own backyard. New Orleans was bigger than life. Its music, architecture, galleries, and creative spirit stirred something within me.

Little did I know how important this city and my brother would become to my future.

Every Beginning Needs Someone Who Believes
Long before anyone knew my name as an artist, Bob believed in what I might become. He purchased my early paintings, helped secure commissions, and even assisted me in opening my first gallery.

Through his encouragement, I eventually had an opportunity to exhibit at the Bryant Gallery in the French Quarter. Imagine what that meant to a fledgling artist trying to find his footing!

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give another person isn’t money or opportunity. It’s the confidence that comes from knowing someone believes in us before the world has reason to.

Inspiration Often Has Family Roots
There’s a wonderful irony in where we chose to have brunch.

Café Degas takes its name from the celebrated French artist Edgar Degas, who came to New Orleans in 1872 to spend time with his maternal family. During his stay on Esplanade Avenue, he found new subjects to paint and fresh perspectives that contributed to his artistic journey.

More than a century later, another young artist would find encouragement and opportunity in that same remarkable city, thanks in large part to his own family.

The circumstances were different, but the connection struck me. Our creativity may be deeply personal, yet the people who surround us often help shape what becomes possible. No masterpiece is entirely the work of one person.

Never Outgrow Your Beginnings
My dear Aunt Kate, who helped raise me, had a saying that has followed me throughout my life:

“Remember where you come from, and how it used to be.”

As I approach my fiftieth anniversary of painting professionally, those words carry more meaning than ever. Nearly five decades, thousands of paintings, countless friendships, and opportunities I could never have imagined have filled the years since those early New Orleans visits.

Yet sitting across from Bob, I was reminded that success isn’t simply measured by how far we’ve traveled. It’s also measured by how well we remember those who helped us along the way.

A Thought to Take Home

We all have a Bob in our lives. Someone who opened a door, offered encouragement, took a chance, or saw something in us that we had yet to see in ourselves. And perhaps, more importantly, we all have the opportunity to be that person for someone else.

As we finished brunch, I realized that fifty years of painting have taught me many things. But one of the most valuable lessons has little to do with a brush or canvas.

Never become so occupied with where you’re going that you forget who helped you get there. Aunt Kate would have liked that.

And Bob, thank you for helping me begin.