Portraits

Scho

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:20:16 GMT

Karl Schofield (also known as Scho) is my wife’s brother-in-law. He is a retired professor of biology at Cornell University and an excellent photographer. We have become close friends through the internet and our shared antagonism toward Mr. Trump. (Sometimes bad things can have good outcomes!)

Martin

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 19:47:38 GMT

Before he retired, my friend, Martin traveled the world as a photographer with Germany’s top news agency. Since then, his life centers around family and his sailboat. Martin also helped me build the yellow tree sculpture that decorated our center courtyard. That aside, he is also a bright, articulate and well-informed person and could not be a better friend.

Werner

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 16:19:34 GMT

WERNER SONNE and I have been friends since we met in Washington 30 years ago, when he was a German TV journalist. Over the next 5 or 6 years, we wrote 4 historical novels together – all published in Germany. Werner has gone on to write 8 non-fiction books and is constantly involved as a moderator in various discussion groups. As a long-time fan of Israel, he has been there over 50 times and has recently written a book about the relationship between Germany and Israel. An interesting man and a good friend.

Tinasche

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 17:40:52 GMT

TINASCHE was born and raised in Kenya and then moved and worked in South Africa, before applying for a job with the Seabourn Cruise Line. He was a part of Sagar’s team of waiters. (You can see Sagar’s portrait on the site.) That smile and his joyous nature is a permanent part of who Tinasche is – a wonderful human being.

Karim

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 17:33:00 GMT

For generations, Karim’s family has been running an unusual business in Tangier, Morocco. From a wide variety of plants, they produce oils which are then combined in different combinations creating useful lotions like massage oils, for example. Since I bruise easily, I bought a bruise oil from him that disappears a bruise in 3 to 4 days (usually takes 2 to 3 weeks!). An interesting man, with and interesting face, running an interesting shop.

Sagar

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 18:01:08 GMT

We met this young man on a cruise ship where he was the staff manager at the largest restaurant on board. SAGAR was born in a small village in India and then studied at the university in Chandigarh. Following his dream, he worked in Bangkok, then in Bahrain and gained experience in hospitality in Dubai, which led to his present position with a luxury cruise line. Sagar’s motto is: Dreams are not what you see while sleeping. Dreams are what don’t let you sleep.

A really fine fellow.

Tonio

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 11:58:34 GMT

Antonio Pflueger, known to his friends as “Tonio”, has a PhD in Physics and has had a long career working for the German government in various compacities. He is also an accomplished pianist and a very experienced sailor, besides being a very nice guy.

The Sculptress

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:15:59 GMT

I met URSULA SAX at a senior citizens home in Berlin. Although she is 88 years old and confined to a wheelchair, she is still full of energy. In the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, she was a very prominent sculptress in Germany. I urge you to google her to learn of her background, see what she looked like as a young artist, and see some of her works. A very interesting woman!

Mathias

Sat, 11 May 2024 18:13:22 GMT

Believe it or not, our friend, Mathias, is a high-ranking officer in the criminal investigation section of the Berlin Police Department. His specialty is the investigation of suspicious deaths, and he has done over 600 cases. That aside, Mathias is clever, funny and a very good friend.

Vlado

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 16:06:17 GMT

Last year, my wife and I took a cruise along the coast of Croatia on a very small yacht (18 passengers). The director of the ship was Vlado, a very polite, helpful and pleasant man. We spent a good deal of the trip talking with him and got to know him well enough that I wanted to do his portrait. I hope he likes it and that you can see the kind of person he is in my drawing.

Wolfgang

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 16:01:05 GMT

Wolfgang Blut, a retired professor at a technical university, has been a lifelong sailer and a member of our sailing club. He is also an accomplished musician on the guitar and accordion. He and his band have provided the entertainment for an untold number of club events. Wolfgang is also a real gentleman and a good friend.

The Drummer

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 19:21:30 GMT

Our daughter Ricki has finally found the love of her life. Meir is the drummer in one of Israel’s most famous bands, and he is recognized as the best drummer in the country. You can find his band (Schlomo Artzi) or his solos (Meir Yisrael) at YouTube. These two musicians have been together for over 40 years. I have yet to meet him but, when I saw a photo of Meir, I knew that I had to do his portrait.

Davud

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 18:32:42 GMT

Davud is the owner of the Kiosk in front of our building. He and his wife are originally from Iran and now have two children. They have been living in Berlin for over 25 years and also have an apartment in the building. I think you can tell from his portrait that he is a really nice fellow.

Herr Google

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 14:58:00 GMT

We met this gentleman during a cruise along the Croatian coast and were very impressed with his knowledge on so many topics. I spent many hours sitting next to him at mealtimes and learning so much about so many things; thus the name Herr Google.

Ricki

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 19:13:00 GMT

Ricki is our daughter who lives in Israel. Like her mother, she does not look her age (62 in December) and recently became a grandmother. Among other things, Ricki is a dressage horse rider and has won countless tournaments, including first place in the Israeli Olympics. She owns and runs a stable with 17 horses and with her group of trainers, gives lessons to hundreds of people. She is also a psychiatric therapist, dealing primarily with mothers who have lost a child. A very special person who we are very proud of.

Oligarch?

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 18:21:31 GMT

Based on his facial expression, I was reluctant to approach this man drinking a beer at an outdoor café, but surprised when he agreed to have his picture taken. Before I had a chance to interview him, he paid the waiter, nodded a “goodbye” to me and got into a white Porsche SUV and drove off. I had just enough time to spot the Ukrainian symbol on his license plate. During the past year, we have noticed a lot of very expensive cars with those tags in Berlin, and I always assume they are oligarchs who drove here to escape the war.

George Henry

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:38:27 GMT

George Henry, otherwise known as “Georgi”, is the beloved pet of our friend, Dagmar, otherwise known as “ChiChi”. She acquired that nickname from Georgi’s predecessor. Dagmar is a very intelligent and knowledgeable person and . . . but WAIT! This should be about Georgi and since I cannot interview him, his portrait will have to speak for itself.

Unknown

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 19:16:01 GMT

I found this man sitting on the steps in front of our building, smoking a cigarette. It took me no time to realize that he spoke no German or English, but with sign language, I got his acceptance to take a photo. When I had what I needed, I tried to find out where he came from. He replied with a shrug of his shoulders, stood up, and walked away. So I have no more to say about him, except that he had a great face to draw.

Linus

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 13:38:30 GMT

LINUS is our youngest grandchild, who is just celebrating his 15th birthday. He is a straight A high school freshman and has every intention of becoming a para-medic. (And who knows where that might lead?)

Feline

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 19:50:00 GMT

Feline is the daughter of our friend, Nuri (You can find his portrait on page 5). She is ten years old but has the wisdom, mannerisms, and maturity of a twenty year old. I think you can see that in her facial expression. Feline speaks fluent English and is also fun to be with. We can only imagine what she will be like as an adult.