portrait

man of substance /  by admin

©2011 gary garbett.com

Yesterday I met one of the richest persons I've ever known.

Douglas Moody is the shoeshine man at the Richmond International Airport. There were few travelers in the terminal as I passed by his stand in the afternoon, but his smile was welcoming and better yet, real. I was compelled to stop... just to say hello. The two of us chatted and laughed for a moment. His words were genuine and in between bites of his Almond Joy, he offered me his $7 shine for $5. He explained it as his "slow day" special. I wasn't really interested in shining my old Dr. Martens, but I knew at that price, the time with Mr. Moody would be worth every dollar. How could I possibly go wrong?

He gave my old docs one hell of a shine, but his tale about how to be a good man and an honest person really polished my soul. He was also quick to offer repeatedly just how much he loved his wife. His baseball cap pretty much said it all. Man of Faith.

As he finished shining my shoes, he wrapped up his story. Another customer then walked up and waited for a shine. Saturday was getting just a little bit busier for Mr. Moody and just as he had minutes earlier, he welcomed it all with his sincere smile. I handed him a $10 bill, told him to keep it, and thanked him for the special.

You're a rich soul, Mr. Douglas Moody. For a small $10 investment, I walked away a little richer myself, ...and with shiny shoes. Thank you again.

tattered. faded. torn. real. /  by admin



© 2011 Gary Garbett

This is a prototype image of a series I'm beginning to explore. Denim will be the common theme. Some will be full figure pieces while others will have an unusually cropped and abstract quality. The use of negative space will be a primary concentration.
Tattered. Faded. Torn. Stained. Real. These are all things I want to celebrate in the images, both for the blue jeans and those folks wearing them. My hope is to display a pure and honest quality.

With this said, I'll need subjects and models. Real people and real jeans. If you and your favorite pair of blue jeans are interested, let me know. cheers.

i drive /  by admin



© 2011 Gary Garbett

There isn't a time in my life when I haven't had a passion for automobiles. As a young boy, I'd often place my hand out the window as my father was driving. Then by shifting the angle of my hand ever so slightly,  it would glide and slice through the air up and down while I made loud motoring sounds with my mouth. A few years later, I received my learner's permit and a big dose of independence. That day was thrilling.

The first car I ever owned had an AM radio with a single speaker mounted under the dash. It was fabulous. My next car had an 8-track tape player with big chrome buttons. Again, fabulous. Today I listen to quite a bit of public radio. I've always been strongly adamant about placing bumper stickers on my vehicles. Seems that time, age, or life have an unusual way of changing things. I've broken down and now sport a small, white Apple sticker in the lower left corner of my back window. Damn.

Time has changed alot of things, but I'm really not much different than that kid who drove around with my Dad. I'm looking forward to my drive home from the office later today. A few years may have passed since I made those loud motoring sounds, but I think today I may have to do it again, just before Led Zeppelin's D'yer M'ker is added to my westbound soundtrack. Once again... fabulous.