"The Tony Gwynn Winners, Baseball, And Me!"

My happy winners, Samantha and Keola LaGrimas...

 It was great fun.  One half an hour before Adobe started giving away their raffle prizes, I confidently marched over to one of the school administrators, Linda Sellheim, and requested that she announce my intention to raffle off the portrait. I had started painting the portrait a while after lunch, but was often distracted by the many visitors who, sort of, look over my shoulder as I struggled with Tony Gwynn's likeness and chit chat.

I'll always stop to talk baseball!

Linda graciously announced my intention to raffle off Tony. I was flattered as there was just as much excitement for the raffle as there was for Adobe's promo. Linda's a real promoter and was quite effusive with her praise of me and the portrait. The little dynamo and I go way back to Art Center days.

As the first no-show name was pulled I thought, "Oh great... no one's hung around for this!"  But, the second pick from the "hat", sprung forth Samantha and Keola LaGrimas from San Diego, the couple I had spent quite a bit of time talking baseball and our love for Tony Gwynn. Both are graphic designers who, like me, had a booth at the San Diego ArtExpo... who knew?

Their enthusiasm for winning really made me feel that the effort was well worth it.  We three posed for promo pics with their prize, and this is one of them. I would have loved to spend more time with Samantha and Keola, but I had a late night dinner appointment I was gonna be late for, if I had started talking baseball with the winners.

Copyright 2014/Ben Bensen III