Sunrise, Washington, D.C., 20 January 2009, Barack Obama’s First Inauguration

William Van Doren, DAWN DAY ONE. Sunrise, Washington, D.C., from Lee Custis Mansion, Arlington, Va. Oil on linen, 36 x 48.

This seems like an appropriate time to reflect on the presidential inauguration that took place eight years ago. Laura and I attended Barack Obama’s first inauguration, having scored tickets for one of the not-too-far-away sections from our newly elected congressman. We would have been there in any case, but the trip was also planned so that I could make sketches for a series of paintings of that day’s sunrise and sunset over Washington, paintings I finished in the ensuing weeks and which I hope can be shown again this year in a gallery exhibition. Prints of three of the most representative paintings are still available here; a small album from the day can be found on my Facebook art page; and there’s a slide show on this site of 21 paintings in the collection.

Made for This Moment – Sunset, Monday, 21 January 2013

William Van Doren, MADE FOR THIS MOMENT. Sunset from Stony Point, Albemarle County, Va. Oil on watercolor block, 13 x 19.

Don’t Turn Back the Dawn – 2012 Campaign Poster – New Edition

New, improved edition of the poster, available through Imagekind or RedBubble.

Don’t Turn Back the Dawn – 2012 Campaign Poster

Just released today, January 20th, exactly one year before next inauguration day, this poster features my painting of the Washington, D.C., sunrise from Barack Obama’s inauguration. Available in a variety of sizes, framed or unframed. Also carried on RedBubble.

Predawn, Inauguration Day

Laura took this shot as we arrived at the Iwo Jima memorial before 6 a.m. on January 20th, 2009. It’s funny to think tonight of how cold it was then. The memorial was the vantage point for several paintings of the Inauguration Day sunrise, such as the two at the top of the page here, and several more in the gallery.

Del died May 15th, 2008, at his home in Great Falls, and I visited with him for the last time, three days earlier. I know Del would have enjoyed the inauguration sunrise/sunset project, and the way things turned out. May 2008 was near the end of the presidential primaries. The last words I remember from him: “I’m so sick of all this Obama and Clinton crap!”

Del Ankers, Photographer, Part 1

Copyright © Maria Elizabeth Freire

Tonight’s main post (August 1st) refers to my uncle Del Ankers, who was born on this date in 1916. The photos here aren’t meant to even try to do justice to his life, personality and career – which is why I’ve included links to both the obit and a special remembrance in the Washington Post – but rather they’re meant to celebrate a little connection between his experience and mine, something he might have enjoyed.

In Del’s photo above, the sculptor of the Iwo Jima memorial, Felix de Weldon, is showing the work in his studio to a visiting class of students.

(U.S. elementary school students of a certain era, note the ‘safety patrol’ badges on a couple of the kids.)

I believe the Marines in the sculpture here are positioned just the way they are now, in Arlington.

Copyright © Maria Elizabeth Freire

In this shot of de Weldon modeling the head of one of the Marines (and no, I don’t know if this is one of the veterans of Mount Suribachi, although I guess it’s possible), I’ve always thought the face at this stage resembles Paul McCartney a little more than it does the guy sitting there.

The funny thing was, when Laura and I got to the memorial before dawn on Inauguration Day (see next post, above), and looked up into those bronze faces, as finished by de Weldon and as seen from below the likeness was uncanny. We could recognize de Weldon’s, and Del’s, subject immediately.