Long-Ago Inspiration

Way back in 1987--when I was 11 years old--I entered an art contest: "Youth in the Electronic Age," the Fifth Worldwide Photo and Drawing Competition, sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). My drawing of bugs operating amateur radio was chosen to represent the United States in this contest. My drawing took a seven-stop worldwide tour; my family went to Washington, DC to see it in the Smithsonian when it was there. I wish I had/remembered more details, but I don't have any more information.

Fast forward to today. This morning Sherree e-mailed me a little note that she was using a new desktop background. "Maybe when the weather gets a little warmer, this could be me!" the message read. Attached was the new image.

I was amazed when I opened it! I had this drawing of Garfield as a poster hanging on my wall when I was young. This poster was my inspiration for my bug drawings! Right at the top of the drawing you can see a little bumble bee and in the lower-left corner a little green caterpillar. Compare to my drawing and it's easy to see where my eleven-year old ideas came from!