Piano and Pencil

As a young kid when I showed an interest in piano my parents sent me to a really good teacher, Ruth Kazdan whose home was near Hazleton lanes. The poor woman was a serious Conservatory type who was probably a concert pianist teaching to pay the bills. I had no rhythm or other musical abilities, and I found myself filling out theory pages and all I wanted to do was play Air Supply tunes. Finally I convinced my mother to send me to Mrs.Hedderwick.

Agnes Hedderwick (I'm not joking) had an orange house, a piano painted orange and orange hair with a pink tinge. She was into the ragtime thing. She taught in her basement which smelled of mould, but at least I didn't have to do the dreaded theory. And I could do as much Billy Joel as I wanted. Theory Free.

This painting is simply "Piano and Pencil", 36 x 12.

(There is still time for me to legally change my teenage daughter Francesca's name to Agnes Hedderwick. Dagmar and Gunnel are other names I threaten her with.).