Clockwise from top (Left Side):

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Harry Truman

Dean Acheson

Adlai Stevenson

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Felix Frankfurter

Clockwise from top (Right Side):

J. Edgar Hoover

Richard Nixon

Joseph McCarthy

Whittaker Chambers

THE LIVELY GHOSTS OF ALGER HISS

(1968)

OIL ON CANVAS

48” X 24”

This is Lewandowski-Lois’ most overtly political painting. The six righteous men on the left had vouched for the character of Alger Hiss, the man in the center, who helped form the United Nations. The four evil men on the right were famous at the time for dominating American news with their pumpkins and phony typewriter. These men couldn’t convict Hiss of espionage, but when he sued them for libel, they managed to incarcerate Hiss for perjury during the height of the hysterical, anti-communist days in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, spearheaded by Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Lewandowski-Lois and I still stand with Roosevelt, Truman, Acheson, Stevenson, Holmes, Frankfurter–and Hiss.

SATYR

(1970)

OIL ON CANVAS

14” X 18”

Lewandowski-Lois always loved Greek mythology. So much so that she painted an imaginary portrait of Daedalus using my body and the face of our carpenter as her models.

In the portrait above, she used the imagined body of a friend of ours with his own face and a goat’s legs to represent a Satyr. Fortunately, he had a sense of humor and we remained friends for decades.

ALEXANDER LUKE LOIS IN HIS BOAT

(2009)

OIL ON CANVAS

48” X 48”

When her grandson Alexander was 5 years-old, he would come for sleep overs every Saturday night. Rosemary and I would fashion a series of toys for him out of simple cardboard boxes. Cardboard trains, planes, automobiles and boats were always around our apartment. Alex spent hours in his boat, navigating the high seas in the vast living room of our apartment. This depiction of Alexander Luke Lois In His Boat sails on in the Lois family’s memories while it hangs on our walls.

GEORGE HARRY LOIS, 18

(2007)

OIL ON CANVAS

30” X 40”

You’re eye-to-eye with Lewandowski-Lois’ startling (Renaissance-like) biographical study of her oldest grandson, George Harry Lois, age 18, when he was about to enter the Tisch School at NYU to prepare for a career in film. The young man is adorned in his often used wet suit and scuba gear (he is a licensed scuba diver): air tank with attached regulator and gauges, a buoyancy compensator vest, and diving mask; his beloved iPod and headphones; a Navajo bracelet, a gift from me, his grandfather (“papou” in Greek); his two favorite books in high school, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Lord of the Rings; and his Apple iBook computer, as he gracefully fingers his intricate trumpet. His artist grandmother (“yiayia” in Greek) obviously adores her handsome young Adonis, as well as the sublime objects that have inspired a path to his promising future.

AMERICAN BALD EAGLE

 (1964)

OIL ON CANVAS

36” X 48”

In 1782, the Continental Congress introduced a powerful symbol into the vocabulary of American design to symbolize the strength and independence of a new republic–the magnificent Bald Eagle. Since that time, the eagle has penetrated American life, assuming an aggressive stance on the sterns of our early ships of war, and gracing our public buildings, coins and bank notes, featuring a laurel of peace in one claw and weapons of destruction in the other. Lewandowski-Lois grew up in WWII (America’s last “good war”) and experienced the Korean “Conflict” (when as a new bride, she feared for my safety) and in 1963, became an early protester of the impending Vietnam disaster. In 1964, her image of the American Bald Eagle evokes either a magnificence of democratic purpose...or prophetically, a creature seemingly out of control.

THE ART DEALER

(1970)

OIL ON CANVAS

72” X 36”

During the course of our collecting art, Rosemary and I met a debonair French-North African aristocrat, the owner of a fragrance company, a collector of Tribal Art, and ultimately, an art dealer. With a penetrating, pluperfect eye for quality, he spent a lot of francs buying great works of art, gaining a somewhat notorious reputation among his fellow Primitive Art dealers and his compliant clients. Balancing his endearing Gallic charm and his killer instinct in going for the jugular, Lewandowski-Lois (using a Janus motif associated with Tribal Art) boldly reflects the two sides of his bipolar personality.

THE DIVORCÉE

(1970)

OIL ON CANVAS

24” X 24”

Lewandowski-Lois intended to do a double portrait of a couple she greatly admired, (and as usual, without the subjects knowing, with no posing, all from memory). But just before she put brush to canvas, she saw them together, and later told me, “There was something in her eyes that kept me from painting them as a couple.” So Lewandowski-Lois painted her on a separate canvas, as an incandescent candle burning out, a woman supremely alone–and soon found out that the dynamic couple had been in the process of being divorced.

REBA SOCHIS

(1961)

OIL ON CANVAS

20” X 24”

Reba Sochis was a great designer, a great dame, a great curser. The loveliest lady in the world of design hired me when Rosemary and I were sweethearts in the middle of our second year at Pratt Institute, jump-starting our careers. A few months later, Ms. Sochis arranged a designing job for Rosemary, and with two paychecks, we decided to elope. I was soon drafted and fought in the Korean War and Rosemary replaced me as the head designer at the Reba Sochis Studio. Rosemary and I remained loving friends with our mentor until her death in 1992, and put her to rest a short distance away from our beloved son, Harry Joe.

This expressive portrait of Reba, who, as I have always said, “had a nose more broken than mine,” is a glowing remembrance of our love for her.

DAEDALUS

(1970)

OIL ON CANVAS

40” X 30”

In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skilled craftsman and a brilliant inventor, credited for creating the Labyrinth in Crete that kept the ferocious Minotaur captive. Since King Minos controlled the land and the sea, the ambitious Daedalus fabricated wings for himself and his son Icarus, made of feathers and held together with thread and wax–and father and son soon learned to fly. Preparing for flight, Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too high, because the heat of the sun would melt the wax. Exhilarated by their flight, young Icarus soared higher and higher toward the blazing sun, and fell into the sea. Lewandowski-Lois’ painting depicts a crushed Daedalus, bitterly lamenting his over-reaching aspirations for the human race.

DOUGLAS

(1969)

OIL ON CANVAS

36” X 18”

Lewandowski-Lois’ study of Dougie Fischer as a pensive child in an embryonic pose, suggested his puzzlement of the world around him. Now an accomplished copywriter, Douglas calls his painting “the young thinker.”

When he grew up, Rosemary took him to a rock concert. As the concert was ending, the New York City Blackout of 1977 occurred and all the electricity went out. Luckily, somehow, Douglas was able to get her back home to me.

MARIA OLIVIA

(1970)

OIL ON CANVAS

30” X 20”

Lewandowski-Lois depicts Maria Olivia, a Mexican-American beauty, accomplished pianist, and wife of David Judelson, in a sweeping portrait evoking the power and imagery of the great Mexican muralists, Rivera, Siqueiros, and Orozco. At first, Maria said she didn’t think the painting “did her justice.” Eight years later, she bought it. (Of course, she was 8 years older.) In a stunning room in her New York residence, flaunting eight sensational Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps, the portrait of Maria commanded immediate attention. Rosemary reminisced, “I painted her Inca gold.”

SPEAK NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL

(1964)

OIL ON CANVAS

40” X 30”

Speak No Evil, See No Evil, Hear No Evil: Lewandowski-Lois’ symbolic metaphor on the U.S. government’s escalation of the Vietnam War and the growing revelations of the Watergate scandal!

HARRY JOE AND ROUSSEAU

(1959)

OIL ON CANVAS

24” X 18”

As her first son, Harry (Harálambos in Greek), napped, Lewandowski-Lois painted her second portrait. She captured her bundle of joy (Hará in Greek means “joy”) ready for action but trapped behind bars in his playpen, as Rousseau, the family cat, roamed free, pausing a moment to pose for Harry’s proud mama.

ROUSSEAU DANCING

(1962)

OIL ON CANVAS

25” X 37”

Rosemary and I played a game with our cat, Rousseau (named after the French painter, Henri Rousseau) every night. We made small balls out of aluminum foil and tossed them to each other from across the living room. Rousseau stood on his hind legs and patted the balls in mid-air as we threw them over his head, and our kids ate it up.

So she painted him as a dancing cat.

JON, BILLY AND HARRY TRACOSAS

(1963)

OIL ON CANVAS

29” X 24”

This family portrait of our nephews was painted from memory, without one posed sketch. Their likenesses and personalities were indelibly etched in her mind, and captured perfectly on canvas, after caring for and corralling the three Tracosas boys, Jon, Billy and Harry, as well as our sons, Harry Joe and Luke, and our niece, Stemmie Chirgotis, every magical summer on Fire Island. After a long work week in Manhattan, I hopped into a seaplane and flew out on Friday evenings for the weekends – and was greeted on the Fair Harbor dock by Rosemary, all six kids and half the village who wanted to see the seaplane land and who was getting out!

LUKE AND HIS BIRD

(1966)

OIL ON CANVAS

14” X 18”

Inspired by the sight of Luke’s curly locks shining like a beacon under the Fire Island sun, Lewandowski-Lois, as in a dreamlike epiphany, impressionistically portrays her tow-headed, youngest son Luke, and his yellow canary.

LUKE GEORGE LOIS

(1964)

OIL ON CANVAS

21” X 25”

Luke George Lois was a “skeptical child” who grew up to be a skeptical adult. When he was young, his Greek and Polish relatives were always kissing and squeezing his cheeks and he always gave them a quizzical look with all that affection being displayed. He continually shows us all what a loving person he is. One summer, when Luke was about 10 years old,as we were getting ready to leave Fire Island for the season, we were settling our monthly bills at the local stores and found out that he was buying ice cream for all his friends, on our charge account at Hummel’s, the local ice cream store.

ZOW

(2000)

OIL ON FIBERGLASS

LIFE SIZE (COW)

Over 500 artists painted and decorated life-size fiberglass cows, that were then put on exhibit in all five boroughs throughout the summer of 2000–then many sold at auction to benefit New York charities. Lewandowski-Lois, whose mamma was raised on a farm, and where she spent Sundays visiting her Polish grandma as a child, couldn’t resist the three-dimensional bovine canvas, and transformed the spanking-white cow supplied to her...into a ZOW (half cow-half zebra). Her udderly fantastic ZOW was exhibited for three months on 57th Street and Park, on the median pasture that separates that classy avenue, seemingly grazing on the lush green grass, and observing admiring New Yorkers walking and riding up and down Park. 75 cows were selected to be auctioned and the ZOW was purchased by a fun-loving (rich) couple, where it now grazes on a spacious Long Island estate.

PORTRAIT OF HARICLEA’S IRIS

(1985)

COLORED PENCIL ON PAPER

18” X 24”

Hariclea Tracosas, the younger of my two older sisters, was a dedicated homemaker, cook, baker, crewel-work designer, basket-weaver, and a magically gifted gardener. Among a treasury of floral gems, her Irises were a sight to behold! One day Lewandowski-Lois brought her colored pencils to Hariclea’s home in Westchester and drew one of them. In tribute to her, she titled her drawing Hariclea’s Iris. The last days of her life, Hariclea suffered from diabetes and gradually had to give up most of her creative activities she loved so much, especially after she lost her legs. But Billy, one of her three devoted sons, followed her daily directions as she continued designing her beautiful garden, right up to the day she died. This drawing captures the spirit, creativity and dignity of Hariclea Tracosas, forever,as she lays in rest near Harry Joe and Reba Sochis.

HIBISCUS

(1985)

COLORED PENCIL ON PAPER

19” X 14”

“I watched this flower as the petals slowly folded back, unveiling the pistil fully erect–an incredibly erotic performance.”

LEWANDOWSKI-LOIS

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

(1976)

COLORED PENCIL ON PAPER

18” X 24”

Lewandowski-Lois drew this remarkable portrait of an orchid plant I gave her to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of our elopement.

BOUQUET

(1977)

COLORED PENCIL ON PAPER

18” X 24”

Lewandowski-Lois loves drawing flowers in colored pencil because of the freedom it gives her from the intensity of oil on canvas.

MAREA KOTIADIS

(1965)

OIL ON CANVAS

16” X 20”

Marea Kotiadis is the daughter of my cousin, Viola (who is the godmother of our son Luke). Marea projected the quiet serenity and confidence of a traditional Greek girl ready to perform her role of a devoted wife and mother who found fulfillment in her passion for her family.

Lewandowski-Lois saw this in Marea’s eyes and personality and recognized the feelings deep inside herself that she really wanted more than a career as an art director–she wanted to be home with her kids as they grew up. Luckily, because my advertising agency was doing well, I was able to make that possible and to also support her aspiration to become an artist.

STEMMIE LEE CHIRGOTIS

(1965)

OIL ON CANVAS

18” X 22”

This is a portrait of our niece, Stamatia, when she was 13 years old, bursting to become a woman. Rosemary and her niece became very close during Stemmie’s teenage years when she stayed with her Thea (Aunt in Greek) Rosie and Theios (Uncle in Greek) George and five male cousins at Fire Island in the summers.

SABRINA PALLADINO

(1965)

OIL ON CANVAS

16 X 20

This is a portrait of Lewandowski-Lois’ goddaughter, Sabrina. Her parents, Angela, a painter and sculptor, and Tony, an advertising designer and conceptual artist, have always been true friends of ours and our families are very close. Sadly, Tony passed away and we miss him intensely. (A lamp he designed is installed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.)

Sabrina grew up to be an incredibly talented film producer and a lead soprano opera singer at the Amato Opera House in New York. Her daughter, Aleksa Palladino, is an accomplished movie actress. And Sabrina’s lovely sister, Kate, worked with their father on his many art and design projects. How creative can one family be!

HARRY JOE AND  PEGGY

(1964)

OIL ON CANVAS

20 X 24

“The Odd Couple of Fire Island,” Harry Joe and our next door neighbor’s daughter, Peggy, were inseparable buddies every summer from the age of five to seven but nobody knew why. He was easy going and friendly, but she was a tough cookie. Then we rented a bigger house on the dunes, “right on the ocean,” but Peggy never came to visit.

When Harry Joe was 14, he fell in love with Wendy, “the prettiest girl on Fire Island.” He told me he wished he could write poetry to her.

TAÍNO WOMAN

(1968)

OIL ON CANVAS

21” X 25”

Lewandowski-Lois conjured this beautiful face to represent all the Taíno natives who died when Columbus and his crew arrived in the New World, with all their foreign diseases.

THE LOIS FAMILY DANCING

(1959)

OIL ON CANVAS

36” X 24”

Greek families love to dance the Hasapiko. This is Lewandowski-Lois’ painting of my father and I leading our family with intricate steps while we both hold a handkerchief to keep our balance as the rest of the family dances in a circle. There was no room in the painting for my younger sister, Hariclea, so my older sister, Paraskeve, had to be symbolic of them both (shown holding the shoulder of her brother-in-law Ernie to the left and her husband Bill, to the right). Opa!

MY GEORGE

(1959)

OIL ON CANVAS

19” X 25”

This was her first portrait. She didn’t know yet if she was a painter, but since she was home with Harry Joe, she thought she would try. The first thing she learned was how hard it is to paint someone you love. She wasn’t sure if the painting was “successful,”  but she’s glad she kept it all these years.

DULCIE McHALE

(1963)

OIL ON CANVAS

31” X 41”

Dulcie McHale came to New York from the Bahamas to start a life in the United States, and quickly became a part of our family. She helped clean our home and raise our two sons, who were one and four years old at the time. Rosemary thought she was beautiful so she painted her while she whirl-winded through the apartment to finish all her work by the end of the day.

GREEK FLOWER CART

(1959)

OIL ON CANVAS

20” X 16”

This portrait of a Greek immigrant proudly displaying his country’s flag on his flower cart was one of Lewandowski-Lois’ earliest oil paintings. My grecophile sister Paraskeve admired it so much that Lewandowski-Lois gave it to her as a gift.

FIRE ISLAND HOUSE

(1965-1966)

PASTEL ON PAPER

16½” X 10½”

Beach-front architecture is distinctively different from all other architecture. As famed architect Louis Sullivan famously said, Form Follows Function. These simple Fire Island structures, raised on pilings to avoid flooding from high tides, most with large, wrap-around porches and lots of windows, captured the imagination of Lewandowski-Lois.

She illustrated them not with oil paints, as she typically did, but with pastels, giving these drawings a simpler, more rustic charm, capturing the essence and warmth of the cottages.

FIRE ISLAND CHURCH

(1965-1966)

PASTEL ON PAPER

16½” X 10½”

Beach-front architecture is distinctively different from all other architecture. As famed architect Louis Sullivan famously said, Form Follows Function. These simple Fire Island structures, raised on pilings to avoid flooding from high tides, most with large, wrap-around porches and lots of windows, captured the imagination of Lewandowski-Lois.

She illustrated them not with oil paints, as she typically did, but with pastels, giving these drawings a simpler, more rustic charm, capturing the essence and warmth of the cottages.

FIRE ISLAND HOUSE

(1965-1966)

PASTEL ON PAPER

16½” X 10½”

Beach-front architecture is distinctively different from all other architecture. As famed architect Louis Sullivan famously said, Form Follows Function. These simple Fire Island structures, raised on pilings to avoid flooding from high tides, most with large, wrap-around porches and lots of windows, captured the imagination of Lewandowski-Lois.

She illustrated them not with oil paints, as she typically did, but with pastels, giving these drawings a simpler, more rustic charm, capturing the essence and warmth of the cottages.

HARALAMBOS GEORGIOS LOIS

(1955)

PENCIL ON PAPER

11” X 13”

My father had been a shepherd in a primitive mountain hamlet that scraped against the Greek sky, high above the northern rim of the Isthmus of Corinth, a hundred miles west of Athens. In 1907, when he was 14, he came down from the mountain on a bony mule and headed, alone, for America. His heartfelt loyalty to his Greek ancestry and his passion for forging a new life in a new world taught me that to live a fulfilling life, a man must live, and act, courageously.

This stunning pencil drawing by Lewandowski-Lois truly captured the elegance, sophistication and courage that was consistently in my father’s eyes: a man who was a master chess player, a champion Greco-Roman wrestler, and who built Columbia Florist, a successful florist shop in the Bronx.

VASILIKE THANASOULIS LOIS

(1955)

PENCIL ON PAPER

11” X 13”

In the summer of 1924, young Haralambos rode the ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island for a visit to his friend, Costas Thanasoulis’ vegetable farm to look over his blue-eyed sister, the prospective bride for ex-Evzone Lois, the bachelor. Costas called in his sister from the vegetable field to be sized up by the visiting suitor. Vasilike Thanasoulis had recently arrived in America from the same mountain province as my father.

Unfortunately no dowry, Costas confessed, but what a girl! She was a great cook, he bragged – fed the farm hands, ran the house, excellent health, very Orthodox – and as they bartered over the bride, the humiliated Vasilike ran to hide in the kitchen, where she turned on the faucet at full tilt, sending a rush of water crashing into the sink to drown the sounds. But Haralambos was taken by the fiery Vasilike and insisted on paying the dowry–to her brother Costas!

PRECIOUS WAGONS

(1967)

OIL ON CANVAS

24” X 18”

There are no cars allowed on Fire island, except for the handful of year-round residents. So when people take the ferry across the Long Island Sound to “the mainland,” they lock their wagons on the dock so when they return they have something to help carry luggage or groceries home. Lewandowski-Lois painted this unique way of life where a toy wagon became an invaluable necessity.