Watercolor by Joseph William Arcier, my uncle
Uncle Joe
Rags-to-riches to rags and sandals…
The millionaire, bouncing carefree
around posh New Canaan in Bermuda
shorts. Wife said, “Joe, that’s not right.”
He succeeded at iconic artwork,
but his real artistry was in the stock market:
A short, stubby man, possessed of a brain
lithe, literal, and shining bright.
Uncle Joe hung with Robert Frost and
the edgy, eclectic artsy set. We’d visit
each summer; Joe and my mom, Charlotte,
sat up drinking, crooning tunes out of spite
for his wife Caroline, virtuous virago, waving
her washed-out Mayflower credentials. The
Barlows looked down at Mom, the sister-in-law
who sang in clubs, hair bleached Harlow white.
Joe and Charlotte both married into this
marred mix of thoroughbred and “We
Lost it all in the Crash.” My dad was
the only anti-snob we girls could cite.
Joe, cigar in the ashtray and a
parchdry martini close by,
taught me to dance, my small bare
feet on his Fred Flintstones each night.
Up late, singing show tunes; Caroline
would appear, her long (natural) blonde hair
pulled into a bun so tight – severe as
Judgment Day. We singers got tight
as beer and vermouthless martinis.
Olives floated easily, like our voices.
Dad couldn’t keep up, nor my sisters.
Just the three of us howling at moonlight.
When Joe died, it was quick as his smile.
The twinkle in his eye dimmed, he coughed
and fell off the chair face down. His
cigar butt burned a hole in the white white
carpet, and Caroline fretted about it
throughout the funeral. I stayed back home
to tend dear old Auntie Ruth. Didn’t
have the courage to see Joe dead, not quite.
© 2013 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
For ABC Wednesday, brought to you by the letter J; also for Three Word Wednesday, who gave us Edgy, Iconic, and Lithe as prompt challenges.
Uncle Joe was indeed a fine watercolorist, as you can see in his work above. He considered himself an artist first and a rich man second. Funniest moment? In the expansive, expensive back yard, which sported a huge glacial rock and a bocce court, he once took a deep breath and exhaled mightily. “You know what that smell is?” he asked his nieces. Dramatic pause, then his reply: “Money.”
His idea of the perfect martini was a lot of gin and then the cap from the vermouth bottle waved somewhere over the top of the shaker. He was a funny, wry, clever man who drank to excess and invested in the post-Depression market to unbelievable success.
He was Aunt Caroline’s polar opposite. He was the rain forest to Caroline’s Arctic; the happy-go-lucky slob to her pearls and tortoise shell hair combs. His habit of bopping around New Canaan, Connecticut (home to IBM scion Thomas J. Watson and many others) in shorts, Hawaiian shirt, and sandals drove my aunt nuts. This only made me love him more. He was an iconoclast: Well-read, poorly bred, bald head, lots of bread. Frost was indeed a friend, but he never bragged about it. Man, I miss that little big man. Peace, Amy
seingraham
You paint a pretty good picture yourself my dear…Joe has come to life on this canvas once more and he’s wonderfully drawn and painted here…I can smell the vermouth and the money! What a lovely tribute Ames – you do tell a story well and your singer’s voice is heard in every line…I’m sure Joe is tapping a Flintstone toe in time somewhere, grinning widely…
readerwilReader Wil
I can understand that you miss Joe! The painting is excellent!
Wil, ABCW Team.
Björn Rudberg (brudberg)
Wonderful story. What a very interesting family.
vivinfrance
I love your Uncle Joe, and the way you portray him. He may be gone, but you brought him back to sparkling life. I don’t think I like your Aunt Caroline much!
PS that painting is superb.
pandamoniumcat
What a colourful character, not sure I’d share his love of martinis had my first one before christmas… awful drink! Still I do like his watercolour and his attitude. Lovely tribute.
oldegg
I could have laughed and relaxed with him. What a fantastic cameo you have painted (or should that be carved). I am so glad your life has been colored this way.
meenamenon
Thank you for dropping in! The pic is so tru”true to life”! N ur uncle indeed seems a colorful character himself 🙂
brian miller
wow…that is a pretty amazing watercolor…really nice detail for a watercolor as well…sounds like an interesting character…hey he taught you how to dance so, that i s important…he went as quick as his smile….i like how you put that….
kaykuala
You had the best of what Unc Joe had given. Lucky you, Amy! Your tribute to Unc Joe is a real classic. A personal touch made it all so interesting. Great water-color painting there, Ma’am. Unc Joe sure is brilliant! Nicely!
Hank
Jae Rose
Sounds like a character..must be a family trait – clever..witty..creative..all those good things 😉
Lisa A.Williams poetry
What a lovely portrayal of your Uncle, no wonder you miss him. The painting is wonderful, a very talented man. Great poem!
lmkazmierczak
Great memorial….your comments are poetic as well♫ All the best to you♥
Roger Green
This is a lovely narrative.
Rallentanda
Very interesting and glamorous family. Your Jean Harlow Mum who was the cabaret singer is my favourite…mine was strictly pearls, gloves and Chanel no. 5! You write very well Amy …Enjoyed this.
Ann
Very vivid portrait of Uncle Joe, I felt like I was staying up all night singing and dancing right along with you. I really hope you are keeping all of these posts and creating books to have in print. Beautiful post.
Carver
Fantastic tribute to your uncle Joe and I like the painting. Sounds like a remarkable man.
georgefloreswrite
I think I’ve fallen for your Uncle Joe 🙂 You captured the personalities so well here. Funny how the essences and the interactions are the things we remember the most. My favorite part was the Fred Flintstones feet dancing – what a time you must have had! A very good memory there. I also liked his painting because most watercolors seem melancholy, but he captured life and movement in this. I thought it was a photo when I first looked. Have peace and be well, Amy!
kimnelsonwrites
You paint a detailed portrait of a man I could easily love. Lots of fun there!
http://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2013/03/20/as-a-river-flowing/
Mama Pajama
long live Uncle Joe. wonderful remembrance here, Amy, thanks for sharing!
El Guapo
Based on the picture, talent runs deep in your family!
Audrey Howitt
You paint a wonderful and loving portrait of Joe—lovely–no–a gorgeous write
Sherry Blue Sky
A wonderful write about a pretty cool character. Love the family history – can just see Aunt Caroline and her frosty expression. Can see him too, in his Bermudas and shiny head, looking kinda like my dad. Loved this, Amy! So much!
SaraV
Amy, I miss him too and he wasn’t my uncle! What a character and a talent, I love watercolor, he was amazing 🙂 Just like you! Your rhymes are so natural, flowing that it took me a minute to realize there was a pattern–Excellent!
uponthewingsofnight
He sounds like a man who, like Sinatra, did it his way. I don’t have anyone in my family quite so iconoclastic but I guess I can see a bit of him in Frank Zappa…always doing things his own way and not caring what others thought. Good stuff as always, Amy.
deanabo
There is something special about uncle Joe’s. I have one as well. That painting is amazing.
Sheilagh Lee
what a great way to tell the story of your Uncle.
Bunny Raasch-Hooten
What a wonderful find–love your work….only stumbled on it because I was looking up your Uncle Joe. He and your Aunt Caroline were my parents’ friends AND he was my art teacher when I was in what was then called junior high. Wish I had one of his paintings (my brother does, but he won’t part with it.