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the state JOOBNAt losing, mich. D. 70,182 SUN. 69,552 m 2 3 1964 ,vv. ,.?╟?. ?╟≤ ?√ß ?╟≤ ?√ß ?╟≤ '?╟≤?√ß - ?√ß v ?√ß?√ß?╟≤?╟≤>-?╟≤?╟≤?√ß: mm mM m WM OWN PAINTING?╟÷Red Skelton, likes to do his painting in Bool, Wife, Georgia, looks on, (UPI Photo) Comic Specializes on Clowns O J9 s raintini HOLLYWOOD (UPI) ?╟÷ Some- one once described Red Skelton as ?╟úa funny man who through the years ha sbecome more than a comic ... he is now one of the world's greatest clowns, a star who can touch the heart ,as well as the funnybone." The thousands of visitors to Red's first art exhibit discov- ered that this is true not only of Skelton the performer but also of Skelton the artist. ?√ß ?╟úI came to the exhibit out of sheer curiosity,'' said a woman who, spent two hours examining the 52 Skelton oil paintings in the Emerald Room of Las Ve- gas' Sands Hotel. ?╟ Tvralwa?╟╓yS performer but I never dreamed that his paintings would be anything more than a pleasant diversion ?╟úNow I know that his paint- ings have the same sensitivity that he displays as a clown. The Sands management had anticipated that perhaps a few hundred persons would stop by to see the paintings, but they Were soon playing host to more than 3,000 visitors. ? α ? α ? α The exhibit came about when lack Entratter, president of the |^nd?║\ and ?╟  long ayWend of the stack of of Red?╟╓s comedian, noticed a paintings in a closet Palm Springs home. ?╟úRed, these shouldn?╟╓t be bur- ied away," said Entratter, a serious art collector. ?╟úLet's do an exhibition at the Sands where people can enjoy them." Awww, they're not good enough," shrugged Skelton. Who'd be interested?" But Entratter won Skelton over. Not only tourists and Las Vegas residents came to the exhibit. It drew art collectors and fellow performers. Some of Red?╟╓s paintings are still lifes of fruit and flowers, others are of animals, and one especially outstanding w o r k shows a charming little French town which he first modeled from his supply of cigar boxes ? α ? α ? α However, the majority of his work is, appropriately enough, of clowns. Many of his finest paintings are those patterned on such real life clowns as Paul Jerome, Bozo Snyder, Fe lix Adler and Lou Jacobs. People often comment about the elongated faces and big eyes of Skelton's subjects. ?╟úThe first thing I notice about a per- son are his eyes," he explains. , ?╟úTo me, the. eyes are the fur- nace of the soul and whe paint, I exaggerate to cap the true person as I see him.' Why are the faces so thin? ?╟úAgain, it?╟╓s because I'm ing to express the real per not the fat they might accumulated through the y That?╟╓s not an integral par their true self." Red and Georgia Skelton a fine collection of the w of such artists as Renoir, minek, Andrew Wyeth and garet Keane in their home of course, some of their work. Thus ^far, Red has tu down all bids on his paint although he has donated se to charity to be auctioned off _ Wouldn?╟╓t he like to see paintings in private collec and public galleries? He still insists: ?╟úA they're not good enough."