Curious Bruce

Curious Bruce
Self Portrait as a Boy

in the Camden, Maine area from
a photo taken by my Dad, Frank H. McMillan, Jr.,
circa 1952, sketched on September 10, 2013

6"x 8" unframed, NFS

The prompt for this sketch was as an entry in the Daily Paintworks
Paint Yourself Young Challenge HERE

My father was a member of the Boston Camera Club. I remember going to the juried shows, which he entered and did well, beautiful large black and white prints, toned in blues or sepias. We'd sit at the back of the room and the three judges would look at the prints put up in the center light easel and raise their kitchen spatulas, one side and X and the other an O, and the print would remain until all the had raised their spatulas; then the print would go into the appropriate pile for further review and discussion by the judges.
        Dad was a non-confrontational person. He was a strong man, though of course as a youngster I never realized it. His photos of people almost always showed people looking away. I have many large prints of me looking away in Camden, on Lincolnville Beach, in Boston, on Prince Edward Island. We went camping in Camden and Prince Edward Island. He was always asking me to look over there, or in there, or simply follow me or my sister around with his 120 roll film twin lens Rolleiflex camera. It was no problem for curious me; it's always been my nature and has served me well.
        I sketched this watercolor from one of the large prints that was spatula rated at the Boston Camera Club, though I have no recollection of the result. But I remember the color of my high top basketball sneakers.

-Bruce