A red-haired lady stands in a green field under a muted sky. She is wearing a long white gown and part of her hair is held up in a ponytail with a blue ribbon. Her mouth is open and she has a troubled look on her face. Perhaps the watch on her wrist is telling her she is late to an important date. Whenever asked about his work, renowned folk artist Jake McCord would always insist painting was a hobby for him, a supplement to his full-time job. Indeed, for 40 years McCord worked as the groundskeeper for Thomson, Georgia, where he soon became a local celebrity thanks to his hard-work and bright, "jolly" paintings. These paintings were showcased on his porch, where McCord said they kept him company. McCord was insistent that each piece be displayed on his porch until "it was ready to go," and only then could it be sold. Common subject matter for McCord's humorous paintings were dogs, cats, and portraits of women with prominent hairdos. These figures would be painted on large plywood boards, oftentimes with a nail hole on the top of the board from where McCord would hang his pieces. McCord passed away in 2011, and his work has since been featured at the House of Blues in Florida, the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center in Virginia, as well as in many private collections. Artist: Jake McCord Year: c. 1990 JTM-#8-FIRSTLEVELFLOOR
