Four years ago today, just after midnight in the wee hours, Georg died. My dad. Artist, teacher, chef, friend. I know I have been harping on him off and on for the last four years now, and I’ve also tried to make this blog talk about different things. But he was the impetus for starting this blog at all. His death started something new in me. Let me ponder that for a moment.
Anyway, even though it has been four years, my sister and I still haven’t settled his estate. This is huge, and I ask everyone out there who is reading this, before you die, please settle your affairs so your offspring don’t have to do it.
Even though it has been four years, I will feel the loss of him every day. I suppose there is a more positive way to say this. Every day, I still feel his presence. With every burst of swallows from a corn field, every seagull call, every lone feather appearing unexpectedly on the sidewalk, Georg is there.
Sometimes, when I’m driving and lost in thought, a bird will fly right past my windshield, startling me back to the present. I always take this as a sign from Georg. Wake up, Lisa! Keep your mind on the road! But, along with that, he is telling me that whatever I was just ruminating about is going to be okay. He is telling me, Trust your instincts. Yup. That is what he is telling me.
So, Dad. Thank you. Again. I know you had to move on. And, I am learning each day that you are actually still here. Your wisdom and knowledge will always stay with me, a bird on the wing.
Lisa Vihos: Poet and Novelist 
This was nice Lisa.
I was just looking at a signed photo of an installation of one of Georg’s large drawings (maybe 5′ x 6′) that he used as a mailing to announce his new studio on Yemans. It’s dated April Fools Day 1994. It has a small personal note on the back. It’s an 8″x10″ photo mounted on a thin cardboard.
It is titled “Spirit Wins!”.
It’s lovely and I keep it on my desk.
I helped George frame about a dozen epic-scale drawings, Tim Booth and I were his assistants. So perhaps I am the only person left who knows the ins and outs of the method. I also helped him hang three or four of them over the years, often with the late Rob Tyner as one of the other helpers. I can’t tell if this picture is one that I helped hang. I like to think it is.
Not sure what to say about people cleaning up their own estates. To some extent there are things that will always have to be done by the survivors, in George’s case the volume and size of all his work must be pretty overwhelming. He would appreciate your diligence in taking that task on, and I appreciate it too. It needed to happen, so thanks. And remember:
Spirit Wins!
Hi Dick, you wrote this so many months ago, and I somehow missed it. I have not looked at the blog in ages. I happened to look at the blog today because someone found a drawing of Georg’s in a consignment shop in San Francisco, bought it, and reached out to me through Georg’s website to find out more info. As I started to tell her things, it made me want to look back at some stuff, like this blog, and then I found your reply. Thank you for reminding me that Spirit Wins. I really, really need that message today. I am going to copy this text and send it to you in Messenger too, because I want to make 100% sure you see it. So, please forgive any redundancy. I hope you are well and I look forward to staying in better touch with you, if we can. – Lisa