All the commission works that I produce contain many personal references to the commissioner’s past. In this painting, high on the list of “must haves” was a forceful reference to the International Truck dealer in St. Agatha. In my experience it is unusual for a customer to pay such a tribute to his supplier from many years ago. I think that Vernon’s insistence on such a major inclusion says much about the man and the values that he places on personal connections. As we talked, he waxed nostalgic about time spent with the people at the dealership and the difficulties and the successes of those earlier years. It is a pleasure for me not only to picture the past but also to learn from it.