“I think of George all the time and wish I could just talk to him about a painting problem I am having or an idea for my work. That was the kind of person he was, always approachable and willing to talk to you about what was on your mind. Actually, George seemed to like to talk. He was the best storyteller. I used to watch with amusement when I was a grad student at OU while he charmed his painting classes with stories of artists he had known or ones he admired and knew the history of.”

“He knew a lot about painting, about materials and art practice and managed to stay humble and accessible to all of us. George was kind and smart and was a painter I admired greatly. When I was his student, my work was very different than his, but he seemed to be able to have a good conversation with me about how I might work through a problem or resolve something in my work. He was like that. He wasn't arrogant about his ideas or locked into one approach in his ability to think about art. As it turns out, I was influenced more than he or I realized by his work and his thinking in the way I work today. I still really like to see his work because it always impresses me with the intelligent way he used color and space and handled paint.”

“Several years after I graduated from grad school, I was able to curate a show at the University of Texas at Arlington where I teach. It was such a pleasure to show his work and see him interact with my students. I really feel the work he was doing before he died was some of his strongest painting. He wasn't diminished at all by the years and had self-discipline in his art practice to be admired. I hope he is more widely recognized some day for his work and his dedication to students and teaching. He continues to be a strong presence in my studio while I practice my art.”

Marilyn Jolly
University of Texas at Arlington