Ken Painting

From the series, "Panhandlers of Harvard Square." My first panhandler painting of 2012. Ken runs, or ran, the sidewalk $2 book exchange on Mass Avenue with his wife Frenchy (see earlier on this page). He closed down the sales element of his "bookstore" last fall, turned it into a book giveaway (apparently he has 30,000 books in storage to get rid of!) and is now simply panhandling on the street in front of his old spot. His reasons for closing down the business were increased costs for buying books and competition from Kindles and the like. Frenchy was quite ill this winter, the encampment where they had been living was shut down by the state police and Ken was able to wangle a permanent room in a shelter for the two of them. He's now trying to get on SS disability. I suspect he sees it as a matter of honor and self-respect to be "pulling a fast one" on the authorities. He is one of the hardest-working lazy men I know.

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:18 W x 24 H x 1 D in

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