Priceless vs Perfection

Four years was too long to wait.

Just wait. Punchline at the end.

Fifteen years ago, I drew George McGovern’s B-24J. Specifically, one of about six he is recorded to have flown in combat.

The whole story is best shared, and discussed among friends. Maybe one day, that will include you?

But suffice it to state, it was a rush project and my artwork of “YO-YO” sucked. I knew it. Worst of all, George knew it too. It remains my ‘worst piece.’ Adding further injury, a SECOND edition had to be run… and George suffered through another round of signing, signing, signing, my garbage art.

I took this photo. I don’t think George’s face is so much of a grimace as it is realizing we had to get this done, quickly.

Of course, I promised that I’d redo… George handled the whole mess fairly well; a life of combat, world politics, enormous success/failure, and personal tragedy had given him a skin thicker than even my hack work could penetrate.

The redo would never come. Four years - FOUR YEARS - passed between our first meeting and his death on October 21, 2012. I don’t even remember what my excuses where for not immediately setting the story right while he was alive — it was totally my fault as he and I stayed in contact. I even kept the issue alive, “You know, I’ve got to redo your B-24…”

In the end, I think my lack of fulling my oath was a reflection of the embarrassment I felt for having let down a man who, “Greatest Generation” author Tom Brokaw referred to as, “…one of (America’s) most decent and thoughtful public servants.”

When George was admitted into Hospice, I…bah. It was too late. A few days later, he Flew West. Ugh.

Nevertheless, something interesting happened between then and now — something I couldn’t have known while watching my awful art 'ku-CHUNK ku-CHUNK ku CHUNK’ off the press… another ‘old guy to interview and draw his airplane’ came up, then another, then another, then another…

Fast forward.

This past April, an opportunity arose to feature George’s airplane in a public display of gratitude and honor. More on that later, but suffice it to state, my ‘old art’ would not do. I knew I should do better.

This morning, I finally finished my second rendering of YO-YO. Plans are underway for its installment, too. Knowing that George won’t be there is going to be a constant burn for me, but at the very least, my contribution to furthering his story won’t be as suspect.

It’s better. But perfect? Hmmm…

Fifteen years is a long time. Last year, one of my most loyal patrons (who owns just about every veteran-signed print I’ve ever done) said that he’s been inspired by seeing the quality of my work improve over time. Of course, I’m not fooling myself — he’s ‘in it’ for the same reason I am; to remember and preserve the greater lives of greater people. I think if I drew [insert hero’s name here] airplane with nail polish and a cotton swab, it’d still be a priceless artifact once the person’s signature graced the paper. And he’d hang it in his office, too. It’s the story, the people, that are the real value.

I haven’t found the secret to Perfection. My new YO-YO is still littered with errors, most notably that George won’t be able to make it priceless. But it’s better, and largely because of the fifteen years of draw-repeat, draw-repeat, draw-repeat

But I can tell you this, I’m never going to wait so long to make good.

Blue Skies, George… at least we’ll have a better point to remember your legacy.

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Want to see the difference fifteen years makes? 2009 on the left, 2024 on the right.