Postmarked for Eternity

The 13 cent Canal Zone stamp was the first postage stamp published using my father's artwork.  Issued February 23, 1976, pictures the dipper dredge, Cascadas.  The Canal has always been a subject matter my father has embraced.  He created a drawing, etching, and painting of this composition. 

The original is part of a permanent collection owned by the ACP (Autoridad del Canal Panama) and was reproduced in the widely distributed Panama Canal Review in 1975.  In addition, the black and white drawings of this collection were reproduced and sold in packets early in my father's career.  I remember as a child going to Stephens Circle with my mother and selling these packets of drawings.  Many people still have these black and white drawings framed and on display in their homes today.  

The 15 cent Canal Zone postage stamp was the last postage stamp produced by the Canal Zone before the ending of the Canal Zone postage system.   The first day of issue was October 25, 1978.  The image captures the operation of the electric "mules" as they guide a ship through the lock and is probably the most recognized Canal Zone postage stamps

The original painting used for the 15 cent postage stamp is part of the permanent collection of Al Sprague paintings found in the rotunda of the Administration Building of the Panama Canal in Balboa Heights, Panama.  It too, was reproduced in the 1975 Panama Canal Review.

Since the production of the Canal Zone postage stamps, my father's work has been used to produce six Panamanian stamps.   

Painting the People of Panama

"Muchacha Sentada en el Patio", Oil, 1988

Experience the Beauty of Panama through Al Sprague Artwork... this has been a saying I have used for many years.  My father truly captures the essence of Panama through his artwork... it isn't just the Canal or the beautiful dresses of the Pollera... it's the people... they are what makes Panama such a beautiful country.

My father has a keen sense of seeing the beauty in some of the most simplistic things.  He gets excited about the way the light reflects off the brightly colored fruit at the market or the different colored bottles on the cart of the raspadero.  I can't count how many times we stopped the car on the way to the interior to take pictures of a vendor on the side of the road selling vegetables or flowers.  I have to credit this to his artistic eye.  He just sees things differently than the rest of us.

"Flower Girl", Oil, 2008
Available as a Giclee

My father captures the lighting, colors, and strength of the market vendors in his paintings of the marketplace. 

"Tomato Vendor", Oil, 1991
Available as a Giclee

You can almost smell the scents of the market, feel the texture of the fruits and vegetables, and feel the warmth of the sun when looking at his work.  Many people love his renditions of the raspadero and his cart.  The paintings bring back memories of chasing down the cart vendor and waiting for the delicious taste of the icy treat.  

"Raspadero", Oil, 2010
Available as a Giclee

Over the years my father has consistently captured the traditional wooden carts used by the market vendors.  These carts are typically filled with fruits and vegetables and pushed into the streets during the day.  When walking through the market areas, it is common to see multiple carts lining the street - each filled with fresh treats for sale.

"Market Carts", Oil, 1975

"Vegetable Vendor", Oil, 1988

If asked, I would have to say, the market vendors remain one of my favorite subject matters of my father's because he consistently captures the beauty of Panama through the everyday life of the people of the country.  

  

Art Teacher Al Sprague

We all have our favorite teachers from the past.  Somebody that touched and made a difference in our lives.  I can name a few of those teachers in my life, can you? 

My father is one of those teachers who made a difference in the lives of many students at Balboa High School in Panama.  He understood teenagers and did things a little different than the normal teacher.  

Over the years, I have heard stories from past students on how my father molded them into the individuals they have become.  Many went on to become artists, architects, or simply art lovers.  

"Cascadas", Oil

It was a common experience for the students of my father's to watch him work on a painting at the same time they themselves were working on paintings.  Many watched him create some of the pieces that are now displayed in the rotunda of the Administration Building of the ACP (Autoridad del Canal de Panama).  

One of his favorite activities with his students was to take them out of the classroom to paint the jungle.  The class would pack up their watercolors and head over to Admin Hill where they would sit and capture the beauty of the fauna of the jungle.  He would say there was no better way to learn to paint then to be out in the natural light and experience the outdoors while creating.  Still to this day, one of his favorite ways to paint is to go outside and capture an image in natural light.  

"Pixvae Palm", Watercolor, 2009

I was an elementary school student at Balboa Elementary School at the time my father was an art teacher.  Going to visit him while he was up on the hill above my school was one of my favorite things to do.  I felt really special to be able to climb up the hillside and sit with him and his high school students.  Not only did I feel important because nobody else was allowed to climb up the hill, but I loved to watch my father create something from nothing.  Still to this day, it is one of my favorite things to do to sit in his studio and watch him create a masterpiece from a blank canvas or paper.  What a gift!  

Young Al Sprague creates while outdoors

Not only does he have the gift to create but a gift to teach as well.  So many people learned from him and he is constantly teaching people.  Over the years he has taught printers in Panama how to set up their own silk screening businesses, taught people how to cast sculptures, create fishing lures, and how to use new techniques in art.  The amount of people he has touched and influenced never ceases to amaze me!  And I know, he will continue to teach and influence as long as he has the ability to do so.  

Crazy Gringos

Panama means "Abundance of Fish."  Anybody who calls Panama "home" knows fishing is a main way of life for much of the country.  Manned with only the essentials, native fishermen travel across the waters of Panama in search of any kind of fish they can catch and sell at the market. 



"Into the Storm" by Al Sprague, 2010 captures the native fishermen heading out for the day


As a child growing up in Panama, I  had  my share of days out on the water fishing for every type of fish you can think of.  You see, my father (Al Sprague) is an avid fisherman.  He had us kids out fishing since we were three years old.  That was and is still a huge part of our lives.  In the early morning we would load up the boat for the day and head out to see what we could catch.  As we traveled out to the nearby islands of Taboga, Tabigilla, and Malonis (I called it Bologna Island) we would watch the natives heading out in their pangas. 




"Afternoon Return" by Al Sprague

My father, being an artist, would never go out without his camera.  You never knew when the best composition was in front of you.  It was normal for us to be heading out when my dad would say, "Wow, look at that!  I have to get some pictures.  That would make a great painting!."  He would hand over the control of the boat to one of us kids and he would pull out his camera.  We would then slow the boat down and begin to circle the fishermen as they threw their nets, pulled in their hand lines, and traveled out to sea.  This would happen several times throughout the day.  I'm sure the fishermen thought we were some crazy gringos!  



Native fisherman brings in the net in this 2006 original oil by Al Sprague.



In his paintings, dad captures the moment, the sky, and the water.  He brings the tropical feel of Panama right into the homes of the many collectors who hang his marina paintings on their walls.  Once again, he captures the essence of Panama...it's people and traditions. 



One of my favorite fisherman paintings.  I love the shadow in the net! Not sure the date but I believe this was painted in the 90's





Painting a Transit

The Panama Canal - one of man's greatest creations - stretches 47 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.  Each day ships from across the world transit its waters, making it one of the busiest waterways in the world. 


It was the operation of the canal that brought many families to Panama to live and work.  This was true for my family...my grandparents (Josephine and Howard Sprague) moved from Brooklyn, NY to Panama during the depression.  They were told that jobs were plentiful in this small country the size of South Carolilna.  At first my grandfather worked for an oil company but later went back to school for accounting and was hired to work for the Panama Canal Commission in the Accounting Department.  He later retired as one of the top accountants.  His office was located in the Administration Building in Balboa Heights. 

The Administration Building of the Panama Canal. 



Today, in the same hallways my grandfather walked and worked, my father's artwork hangs for all to enjoy.  One of the many collections of Al Sprague paintings housed in the Administration Building line the upper rotunda.  This collection takes one through a transit of the canal.  This collection was originally painted in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Canal. 


This plaque hangs in the upper rotunda of the Administration Building



This painting is part of the Transit Collection which hangs in the upper rotunda of the Administration Building.  Dad wanted to capture the line men who row out to the large ships to connect the lines to the mles that pull the ships through the locks of the canal. 

Other collections can be found in the Administrator's, Assistant Administrator's, Administration waiting area, and the Board Room. 



An Al Sprague pollera bronze sits on table in Alberto Aleman's (Administrator of the Panama Canal) office.

 
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This Al Sprague Painting hangs in the Board Room of the Adminstration Building



This painting hangs in the Administration Waiting Room at the Administration Building.  It was painted in 1969 and was part of a collection of paintings of the locks overhaul.  I love how it shows the massiveness of the gates of the canal!

In a recent trip to Panama with my children, Al Sprague's grandchildren, my father took the the time to walk around the Administration Building and show Braden (my son) and Kendall (my daughter) his collections housed in this beautiful and historic building.  As I listened in to his conversation, I heard him explain how he wanted to concentrate on the people that make the transits possible.  We have great means of getting a ship from one ocean to the other but we couldn't do it without the people. 

Obviously I am very proud of what my father has accomplished over the years in his career and it brings much joy to be able to share this information with others.  I hope you enjoy following his work as much as I enjoy displaying it!







THE BEGINNING

"From the Causeway" by Al Sprague
This was Sprague's first painting.

As a teenager, my father, Al Sprague spent a lot of time in trouble.  One day he came home after getting in trouble in school and his mother met him the door.  His mother, Josephine Sprague, was an artist herself.  She gave my father an easel, paints, brushes, and a blank canvas.  She handed all the supplies to my father and told him not to return until he completed a painting.  My father took everything with him and headed out to the causeway where he painted "From the Causeway" (shown above).  Upon returning home, my grandmother asked him, "So, what did you think?"  He responded with, "I loved it."  At that moment she promised to send him to school to get a degree in art as long as he commited himself to art.  The rest is history.....

Al Sprague first entered into Mississippi Southern but later transferred to American University in Washington D.C. where he earned a Master's Degree in Fine Art.  During his educational track, Sprague painted his surroundings of Washington D.C. and Virginia.  Much of this work was shown in galleries in Richmond and Arlington. 

In 1967, Sprague returned to Panama where he began his career of painting Panama.  He has since become one of the most recognized artist of Panama with works displayed in some of the most respected collections around the world.

THE AL SPRAGUE BLOG

Life as the daughter of artist Al Sprague has proven to be quite an adventure.  I have had so many opportunities to meet individuals from across the world who have an admiration and love for his God-given talent.  His work has crossed all types of barriers and touched the lives of many. 

It is because of this wide spread love and respect that I decided to start this blog in hopes to share a little insight into his art, life, and career. 


FROM THE BEGINNING

As far back as I can remember, my father has worked in a garage studio in our house. As a child, I spent many hours watching him paint.  It was, and still is, one of my favorite things to do.  Today, he continues to paint in a studio in his home.  It is where he returns each night to his homeland of Panama. 

His subject matters include the polleras (national folkloric dancers), fishermen, market vendors, and the canal of Panama. 

My blog will reveal a portfolio of Sprague's artwork thoughout the years.  I invite you to join me on this adventure...it is sure to be interesting.