Gil Garcia
About the Artist/Author
Having had five artist in the family my life, my life was set in stone, and I have never regretted a moment of it. Self-taught through my family of mentors, art was the common denominator and bonding mechanism of my family. My father a sculptor of metal, my brother Paul a sculptor in bronze/silver and a painter of modern art, my brother Ben an acrylic painter, my mother (our mentor) a water colorist, and my oldest sister (a late bloomer) has taken to water colors. I took to portraits and have been enjoying my craft for the past sixty-four years.
Throughout the years my mind has secretly recorded many of the events and antics of my family; some good, some bad, many humorous, some heartbreaking, and as the years past I attempted many times to record those memories to paper. It was not until my father's illness in 1954 that I realized that I knew nothing of my father's childhood and that of my ancestors. I decided at that time that I must for the sake of my children, and that of my siblings children, document all that I remember, and all that I have learned talking to my elders.
The result is a humorous story of an era when respect for your elders and fellow man was still taught in the homes and schools throughout the land. A story of a community though poor, was rich in character. A story of children being children.
If anything, I hope that in reading my book A Walk Back Home it will inspire you to jot down the memories of your own life, good and bad, including the little details you might know of your ancestors. Your simple notes set aside in a binder or folder will be a treasured road map for your children and your children’s children. A map that will inform them of who they are and where they came from. Tomorrow is always changing, and yesterday is always fading. Unless you begin to put these memories to paper now, the history of your ancestors and that of your family will be lost forever. It’s never too late to start, and I beg of you to try.
“When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things—not the great occasions—that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.”
Quote by Bob Hope
About the Artist/Author
Having had five artist in the family my life, my life was set in stone, and I have never regretted a moment of it. Self-taught through my family of mentors, art was the common denominator and bonding mechanism of my family. My father a sculptor of metal, my brother Paul a sculptor in bronze/silver and a painter of modern art, my brother Ben an acrylic painter, my mother (our mentor) a water colorist, and my oldest sister (a late bloomer) has taken to water colors. I took to portraits and have been enjoying my craft for the past sixty-four years.
Throughout the years my mind has secretly recorded many of the events and antics of my family; some good, some bad, many humorous, some heartbreaking, and as the years past I attempted many times to record those memories to paper. It was not until my father's illness in 1954 that I realized that I knew nothing of my father's childhood and that of my ancestors. I decided at that time that I must for the sake of my children, and that of my siblings children, document all that I remember, and all that I have learned talking to my elders.
The result is a humorous story of an era when respect for your elders and fellow man was still taught in the homes and schools throughout the land. A story of a community though poor, was rich in character. A story of children being children.
If anything, I hope that in reading my book A Walk Back Home it will inspire you to jot down the memories of your own life, good and bad, including the little details you might know of your ancestors. Your simple notes set aside in a binder or folder will be a treasured road map for your children and your children’s children. A map that will inform them of who they are and where they came from. Tomorrow is always changing, and yesterday is always fading. Unless you begin to put these memories to paper now, the history of your ancestors and that of your family will be lost forever. It’s never too late to start, and I beg of you to try.
“When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things—not the great occasions—that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.”
Quote by Bob Hope