This is a self portrait painted by my grandfather Merlin Dailey. My grandfather or "Papa" as we called him had a life long love for art, so much so that he and my grandmother or "Meme" as we called her, hosted to oldest asian art gallery in the US that ran for 33 years in Victor, NY(The East West Gallery). Their love, dedication, and creation of art has touched so many people throughout their lives and beyond. I wish to share this early self portrait that my grandfather painted as a young man. As a child along with my brothers, sisters, and cousins, we would always play hide and seek at the family farm in Middlesex, NY and there was always someone who would hide inside the little closet in the loft where this painting was stowed away. Ive always loved and admired this painting but I never understood why it was always hidden away in the closet for so long. Perhaps it is the artist inside all of us that wishes to keep certain beauty a secret. Or perhaps it takes someone else to understand the beauty even more than the creator. Whatever the case it is a piece that I will always love. I wish to expose the beauty of this art so that it might continue to inspire other people as it has me.
