David Hockney & the Christmas Angel
A freindship that spanned 35+ years.
Memories that will last a lifetime
My favorite memory w/ David
Of all the memories I have of David Hockney over the years, one remains my favorite.
Every year I hosted a Christmas tree party. And in 1985, it was heald at the Castle. On display were two ginormous christmas trees; one was decorated; one wasn't. It represented what was and what is. The only requirement was that each guest bring an ornament for the tree.
As people arrived that evening, David walked through the front door, found me almost immediately, and handed me a small canvas. On it was a painted angel—simple, colorful, and unmistakably David.
I looked at it and thanked him.
He smiled and said, “Don’t hang it yet. It’s still wet.”
That was David.
Not someone who went out and bought an ornament. Not someone who delegated the task to an assistant. He painted one himself and, true to form, finished it at the very last moment.
The angel still hangs in my home today.
Over the years I accumulated many memories of David, along with drawings, photographs, invitations, notes, and other small treasures that now feel even more precious. In recent years we didn’t see each other as much, but my affection for him never diminished.
David was one of the most generous people I ever knew—not just with his art, but with his curiosity, friendship, and enthusiasm for life. He possessed a rare ability to make the ordinary seem extraordinary, to see the world differently and encourage others to do the same.
People often speak of the color David brought to the world through his paintings. For those of us fortunate enough to know him personally, he brought color into our lives as well.
Every Christmas when I look at this little angel, I smile and hear his voice once again:
“Don’t hang it yet. It’s still wet.”
And that, somehow, is the perfect memory of David Hockney.
— Harold I. Huttas