Winslow Homer was born in 1836 and lived into the twentieth century. I was introduced to the paintings of America’s greatest watercolorist (and one of her greatest painters, period) by my uncle Eldridge King whose own affinity to the medium made Homer his favorite. One Christmas, Uncle El sent our family a beautifully framed print of a Homosassa River fishing scene, so I sort of grew up with Homer. His paintings are truly authentic. He was mostly self-taught and relied on his direct vision rather than that of other artists. Many of his subjects came from his personal experience as an avid fisherman and outdoorsman yet their appeal is universal. Of course, his other work in oil is powerfully immediate and personal, but it is the watercolors that have had the greatest effect on me.