ent001330-169

RFO SKELTON'S WIFE, GEORGIA, LOOKS OVER HIS WORK Standing in pool, he chews unlighted cigar while he pa.tns Red's Serious A / -?√ß ?╟÷ Ho <OMEONE?╟?,onc e d e^. ) scribed Red Skelton [ ?╟úa funny man who trough the years has be* >me more than a comic . . he is now one of the orld?╟╓s great clowns, a tar who can touch the eart as well as the funny- one.?╟Ñ The thousands of visitors to ted?╟╓s first art exhibit dis- overed that this is true not nly of Skelton the perform- r but also of Skelton the irtist. Curiosity ?╟úI came to the exhibit out >f sheer curiosity,?╟Ñ said woman who spent twgdmi jxamining the 5Mj$?·tton oil paintings in Emerald / Room of La^^egas Sands/ Hotel. ?╟úI?╟╓vjTafWays admired Red as afpfrformeiybUt i never dreamed thgi-tns pamf ings would beM^thing^P*<??e than a pleasant diversion. , ?╟úNow I know that his paint- ings have the same sensitivity that he displays as a clown. The exhibit came a b o u t. when Jack Entratter, presi- dent of the Sands and long a friend of the comedian, noticed a stack of paintings in a closet of Red?╟╓s home. ?╟úRed, these shouldn?╟╓t be. buried away,?╟Ñ said Entratter, \w, they?╟╓re not good igh,?╟Ñ shrugged Skelton, ut Entratter won Skelton [aurice Chevalier, who i appearing in Las Vegas the time, asked. Red if he DETAIL OF SKETCH Red likes clowns could have a painting for his own collection. ?╟úRed was really floored,?╟Ñ jays friend,A1 Freeman. Chevalier has a $5 million collection of art in his home in France, and here he was talking about putting a Skel- UJn original in the middle of liis Cezannes and Van Goghs.?╟Ñ ?╟úRed is very sensitive about this part of his life,?╟Ñ says Freeman. ?╟úHe?╟╓s influ- enced by criticism a great deal . . ?╟≤ painting is more than a hobby to him; it?╟╓s a very important part of his world; a wonderful way for him to relax.?╟Ñ Skelton usually does his painting standing in his filled Palm Springs swimming pool, chewing on a cigar. It isn?╟╓t unusual for Red to decide to paint around mid- night. When he?╟╓s finished, he puts the painting by wife Georgia?╟╓s bed, ready for written criticism. Mrs. Skelton is an artist First Exhibit in her own right, a?╟ graduate of the Art Center School in Los Angeles, and it is ship who encouraged her husband to take up painting 15 yearsi ago. \ ?╟úThe paintings take me anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours,?╟Ñ Skel- ton says. Some of Red?╟╓s ..paintings are still lifes of fruit and flowers, others are of ani- mals and one especially out- ? standing work shows a J charming little French town . which he first modeled from \ his supply of cigar boxes. However, the majority of j his work is, appropriately | enough, of clowns. W)S * 3 19 5 \ ^?║1 Red Explains People often comment'.] about the elongated faces 1 and big eyes of Skelton?╟╓s sub- '; jects. ?╟úThe first thing I no- j tice about a person are his j eyes,?╟Ñ he explains. ?╟úTo me, j the eyes are the furnace of \ the soul and when I paint, I j exaggerate to capture the | true person as I see him. Why are the faces so thin? j ?╟úAgain, i,t?╟╓s because Tm| trying to express the reaM person, not the fat theyj might have accumulated] through the years. That?╟╓s not j an integral part of their true | self.?╟Ñ Thus far, Red has turned] down all bids on his paint-] ings, although he has do? nated several to charity to j be auctioned off. .1 Wouldn?╟╓t he like to see his paintings in private eollec-j tions and public galleries. ..4 He still insists: Aw,i they?╟╓re not good enoujgh. q United Pr^ess International ?·fg