Thank You Bob for contributing this picture. This painting is called French Kiss.

This one is approximately 3’ X 4’, not including the hand-painted frame. It was in the window of Gingerbread for one of his shows somewhere around the 77-78 season. The medium is egg tempera and fortunately has not discolored as have some of his other paintings from that time.

Bob met Van Eno at that show and later saw him several times at Gingerbread and at get togethers at a guest house owned by his college roommate and youngest daughter’s godfather, Teddy (Merlin) Branchik. (Teddy is also remembered in the Aids Memorial.) The only clear memory Bob have of Van Eno is that he was rather quiet and unassuming.

This 1985 painting (acrylic on canvas) measures 22″w x 30″h. Our appreciation goes out to the Key West Art and Historical Society (from the Michael Dively Collection) for contributing this image to this site.

My best friend Kathleen Palin Parent had purchased this painting around the same time I got mine. She was accompanied by her aunt, Harriet (a gallery owner from Maine) and the 2 of them selected this painting from the Gingerbread Gallery together. Kathy very much wanted to own a Van Eno. Kathy and I have been best friends since we were 12 years old. At the time of her purchase, it was one of those rare periods when we were not speaking to each other. Couple of years elapsed and a sudden phone call from Kathy and just like that, we picked up where we left off.

In April of 2006, I received an unexpected package from Kathy for my birthday. I unwrapped it to discover this beautiful painting as her heartfelt gift to me. I was in tears. I know how much this painting means to her. Just like this painting, she is one of a kind and her friendship, I will always treasure.

Kathy died of cancer in the Fall of 2006. I miss her very much! This site is dedicated to you Kathy, my dear friend!

This beautiful painting was submitted by the Greene Street Gallery in Key West Florida. It was painted in 1985. Here’s the story of this painting. The owner of the “Card Game” was an acquaintance of Van’s. An artist to artist relationship. This was in the early days of the 80’s. After Van’s passing, there was a retrospective at the East Martello Towers Museum put together by Craig Biondi. Card Game was in the retrospective, purchased at Gingerbread from Richard Heyman at his first gallery. The retrospective displayed lots of erotica, pixies with large phalluses. Unfortunately, the owner never spoke to Van about this painting.

Frank and I were having Mimosas at La Te Da on Duval Street. Earlier that day, I just gave my partner a lecture about curbing his spending. After a few Mimosas, Frank says that “Van is having a showing at the Gingerbread Gallery and that we should go take a look.” At the gallery, I came across this painting and went into an immediate aesthetic arrest. I wasn’t able to move and quickly fell in love with it. I gave Richard Heyman (the gallery owner and mayor of Key West at the time) $100 as a down payment to hold the painting. It took a year to the day I gave my first deposit to finally paid it all off.
After Van Eno’s death, the East Martelo Museum did a retrospective showing to honor the artist. I was in the gallery to purposely make another payment when Richard Heyman informed me about this showing and that this painting will be hanging in the show. When I attended the show, it was then I realized that this painting graced the cover of the brochure. It was also the featured painting in the show being the very first and prominently presented as you entered the museum. This painting is dated 1986.