Nancy Wissemann-Widrig, Garden Grid, oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in., 1986.
New York Times food and garden columnist Leslie Land was a Cushing neighbor and friend who welcomed painters into her garden to paint. On many beautiful days, I would meet there with Lois Dodd, my late husband John Wissemann, and others. At the time, when we discussed realism in painting, the topic of “the Grid” would come up. So when for whatever practical reason Leslie put up a net with large open squares, the title suggested itself.
The garden alone was of course a work of art and I feel lucky to have preserved a bit of it in honor of Leslie and all gardeners.