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		Uncle John's Garden, Litchfield, CT
		The second NE tour took place early in the summer of 2001. It consisted of only two stops, both with relatives, and lasted little more than a week. This could have been a recipe for a lazy tour, but they were relatives I was not completely at ease with and wanted to impress favorably, relatives who valued art and, to varying degrees, cared about me but weren't quite sure what I was doing with my life. For once I sort of was. My aunt* in Litchfield had been my first patron. She had always been enthusiastically supportive. My uncle less so. Sharing their house for a few days, I continually had the sense that one thought my being there painting was the greatest thing; the other thought I was in the way -- which I sometimes was (see next image). At any rate, I didn't like my history of not connecting with Uncle John, and so for my first painting I chose to celebrate the garden he seemed to be especially proud of, by the small guest house. As a painterly effort I thought it came out quite well; as a PR effort it failed. I did seven more paintings over the next few days but to little apparent avail. (continued...) *technically, first cousin once removed