Arnold Palmer Portrait...

Since this is the week of the Masters I thought would tell a little story on myself....

 

Back in 1967 when I was only 31 years old I painted an oil portrait of our favorite pro golfer, Arnold Palmer... My wife Nancy and I were part of Arnie's Army...We followed him from tee to tee and ooooed and aaaahed whenever he came on the screen...Our TV screen...And one day that year I decided to paint a portrait of him and I did...I was working as an illustrator for the S.C. Educational TV at the time...I used the photograph above as my model and it took me only a day or so to finish it....It was a probably 18 x 28 inches in size...After showing it to my friends at work...My friend Jim (an avid golfer)  said he would drive me to August on the first day of the Master's Tournament to see me give it to him...I put it in an inexpensive frame and packaged it up in a cardboard box...Jim had convertible and we put it in his back seat and after work, tooled over to Augusta on Thursday afternoon...the first day of the tournament...

 

Back then they didn't have the security at the course they have today...We found a parking spot and went wondering into this beautiful park with azaleas blooming and Live Oaks flying their Spanish moss...We found the Press tent and went in...

 

A gentleman approached and asked if he could help us...We asked him if we could meet Arnold Palmer...He kind of chuckled and said that Arnie had already left the club and asked us why we wanted to meet him...I explained that I had painted a portrait of him and wanted to present it to him...He said,"I tell you what...just bring it back here and give it to my secretary over there and I will see that he gets it tomorrow morning when he comes back to the club." He gave us his name which I don't remember but we believed him and went back tot the car and got the portrait...When we returned he was nowhere in sight and neither was his secretary...but...There walked in a very distinguished gentleman in a green coat ...We explained to him why we were there and to our surprise he warmly said to us that Arnie was a personal friend of his and if we give him the portrait he would put it in his locker and see that he personally got it...

 

So on the way back home I said to Jim, "What if he opens up the package and likes the portrait and keeps it and Arnie never sees it?" (I was a little naïve back then)

 

Jim answered me and said not to worry that he was coming back to the tournament on Sunday and he would ask Arnie when he was on the practice putting green if he got it...And that's what he did...

 

He said to Arnie," Did you get the oil portrait we left for you?"

Arnie said,"I sure did...did you do it?" 

And Jim said,"No I didn't...My friend Ron Chapiesky did!"

Arnie said," well a friend gave it to me!"...

And Jim asked,"A friend?"...

Arnie said," yes a friend...The president of the First National Bank of New York City"...