2nd of November 2012
Apparently this tribute post to my friend Loreen has caused considerable angst to folks that also have called her friend.
If in my own sadness I said anything that has caused hurt I regret that fact.
I received a comment from one individual, quite mean spirited and untrue, that gave me an indication of the breadth and impact this modest studio blog possesses in this age of hyper connection.
My intention was a testament to my friend, her kindness, her quirkiness and her compassion.
I have combed through my post searching for anything that might be misconstrued.
What I will not do is erase the memory of my friendship with this exceptional woman.
That belongs to me.
If for some reason (even after scrupulous editing ) I have somehow missed an untruth I will consider reasonable requests for further editing.
Please remember to maintain a courteous tone when making comments.
Thanking you in advance,
respectfully,
Leonard Greco
I lost a friend today, she died suddenly, I hope without too much agony.
In April she was gleefully attending to her duties as a Palm Beach hostess; by August cancer had spread through her little bird like body.
My heart is heavy thinking of my friend suffering .
Her name was Loreen Farish her maiden name was long , complicated and Teutonic ,”B” something, I’m ashamed to say I do not know it. Nonetheless she was a wonderful friend, a joy to play with, laugh with and share a cocktail with.
Born into an old Philadelphia family, rich in lineage; she fell in love with Judge Joe. Equally old family, southern charm, grand old plantation sort of background, he had love to spare . They were an odd-ball pair, he a bit older, both vivacious and social. He built the biggest house on the block, dwarfing Tiger Wood’s pile.
Restraint wasn’t their style, they lived lavishly yet in keeping with good old Waspy sensibilities (if not orthodox taste), frugally popping into the Dollar store almost every day -” A hundred bucks buys a lot!”one of Loreen’s familiar refrains.
I met Loreen as a client, initially it was difficult, she wanted mermaids but insisted upon Disney characters; fortunately she liked me and I reminded her of fairy tales and she warmed up to softer imaginings. I worked for her for years, often camping out in Palm Beach, she would golf, go to Walmart for inexpensive fabric (she made her own clothing out of some of the most audacious patterns I have ever seen), she would play and fuss over her ridiculously spoiled cat Maya but most especially fun, she would chat with me.
Trips down Memory Lane of “fabulous” parties and costumes, tickled by excess,she would trot out her jewels (Harry Winston, the NY jeweler was a family friend and crafted much of her collection) modeling them in her sweetly silly pajamas.
Every day was show time, no outfit was complete if it wasn’t thoroughly “themed”, jungle print costume required amber pineapples tipped with jade fronds and panther bangles ;summertime fare featured funny crab pins articulated in such a way that the ruby arms pinched you amusingly, pearled starfishes sat on her breast; a trip to the race track suitably and campily equestrienne.
Loreen loved camp and adored skewering “good taste”, nothing made her happier than pissing off her somewhat priggish decorator (my boss) with her outrageous glitzy taste.
I loved her for all these reasons, her “garden” fashioned from dollar store blooms; her silly cards on “our” holidays: St. Pat’s, Valentines Day and most especially Halloween. She didn’t manage to live to see Halloween this year, I sent her a card as usual, but I doubt she was well enough to chuckle at it. That hurts.
When told her cancer had spread essentially everywhere, chemotherapy wasn’t helping at all ; her response was typical: “Oh shit!”.
Such a statement, typical of her, would have been more effective with a tall glass of gin in one hand and a cigarette in another , but by that time… But Loreen was right, “Oh Shit!”.
I miss you my friend.
The following are snippets of the work I did for her (around 2004).
I confess they are not really something I am particularly proud of : but she loved them, that makes me proud. I haven’t had many “fans” over the years, but Loreen was my most faithful.
Today I lost a fan and a friend, and tonight my world is a bit lonelier.
Red, purple, gold (real gold) and white (as in marble), were the only colors permitted. I love a design challenge and this was a doozy.
My favorite room was the Breakfast Room, the Atlantic lapping at the door, and one of those ostentatious mega fishtanks front and center. But Loreen and I had a ritual at day’s end, drink martinis and feed “Joe’s” fish. She was squeamish about the live fish food so she thought her vegetarian friend should have the honor. Suitably lubricated we would giggle and fall in love with the finned fellows. When one died (they were always dying) we were heartbroken. We decorated the room with a grotto theme, it is far more elaborate than what I have posted, but enough is enough.
Joe was big game hunter ( I know disturbing as all Hell). He had tons of musty dead animals all over the place. Loreen was the least PC person I knew, she delighted in decorating the stuffed horrors with diamonds. It was awful, but her delight tickled me in spite of myself. This poorly painted cat is taken “from death” , a study of a ratty moth eaten feline, one of a pair.
As I mentioned Loreen wasn’t at all politically correct, quite the opposite. Her husband didn’t hold strict politically correct views either. When decorating the house powder room a Blackamoor was requested. Blackamoors are considered by many to be a “no-no”, viewed as insensitive concerning racial identity. There is a decorative tradition for this sort of thing, that’s what I told myself , for I also love Blackamoors.
I cringe a bit at this image, poorly rendered, harsh coloring,distasteful; but it pleased Loreen immensely .
The following is a page from the aforementioned “shelter” magazine. The “slipper” chair was equally treasured, you see what company my poor Blackamoor keeps.
Loreen was the last of her line, the house will be sold.
It is an ostentatious pile, 20-30 thousand square feet, I can’t keep track of that sort of thing. But it will most likely be torn down, my frivolous decorations with it: Jack climbing his Beanstalk as you ascend the elevator; the pretty golden mermaids in the maid’s bathroom; Maya’s feline portrait a la Turque over the bidet, all will go. That’s the price you pay with decorative work, it’s ephemeral.
I’m not saddened by the loss of work I am not particularly proud of. I am saddened at the loss of the moment, funny hours, a bit blottoed on martinis giggling with my friend. Silly funny memories from a delightfully silly, sometimes terribly sad woman I was very pleased to call my friend.
Tomorrow is Halloween , Happy Halloween dear Loreen.
You were a complicated, perplexing , sweet and thoughtful friend.
I miss you, looking at these images reminds me once again how fleeting all of this is, the good and the bad.
Take care friends,
Happy Spookiness!
LG
Boondocks Babylon 
So sorry for your loss…
She was obviously a fabulous individual. How blessed you each were to have been friends! You enriched each other in ways which will continue to be made apparent.
Thank you, she was indeed fabulous-her favorite word. We only spoke every month or so, but each time I felt a little giddier afterwards. Hard to fathom her not in Halloween drag this year.
I’m sorry Luv, I know how much you loved her and she you. I still think you were one of the few people to see her and get her which is why she was so attached to you. I wish I was there to hold you….
Fabulous post, Leonard, a great tribute to your friend and a fascinating glimpse into a (to me) weird and wonderful world. What fun you clearly had together.
(Actually I think as blackamoors go, that one’s rather good; he looks subtle and suave not stupid and grotesque as they usually do…)
Thank you, it was a weird world, visiting Loreen was like visiting another planet with its own tastes and values. I’m glad I was able to visit occasionally.
And yes, some blackamoors are fashioned in a very mean spirited sort of way yet some are ethereally pretty.
Oh my dear friend Leonard, we both share having experienced earlier and very different lives to the ones we live now. I applaud you for posting the work you made for Loreen, even though you balked at the time at what was occasionally asked of you. Some would have taken the money but secretly laughed and sneered. You were honest in your dealings, gave your best in the circumstances, and responded kindly to overtures of friendship. Life isn’t always simple. We don’t always come to love people whose every action we approve of. Clearly a rich seam of warmth ran through your relationship with this extraordinary woman.
Leonard, I take my hat off to you. You could so easily have continued doing what you were doing as a decorator in these photographs. But no, you’ve chosen the harder path. It’s a privilege to see you following your heart, and turning yourself from decorator to painter. Finding the artist that you really are is an inspiration. You are finally becoming yourself.
You’ve written a fine tribute here, not only to Loreen, but perhaps all unaware, to yourself.
Thank you friend,
You made me tear up again because I think you are correct, Loreen having died,symbolizes the final cut to that past. It was a very different world, severing ties with it has had its challenges, but your recognition of my desire to become an artist really brightened my day. It is far harder to be yourself.
There was a great deal of affection between us,I never thought to sneer at her as my “sophisticated” friends did. I thought they were priggish whereas Loreen was vivacious and vital and true to herself in many ways. Sadly she was also a depressed little bird.
again thank you,
Len
oh, i am so sad that you are sad, and so sad to think of a woman like that being sad! it sounds as if it was fantastic to be around her, a time of good fun, and i’m glad that you got to spend it with her. and i think what you made out of it was fantastic. i hope no one tears it down! what a terrible thought!
Thank you Zoe,
I just rec’d the most mean spirited comment concerning this memorial post. Accusing me of using this tribute as a publicity stunt. stunning accusation. Your kind words soften his harsh judgement and keep in focus the joy of my friendship with Loreen.
Take care,
LG
oh, please. some people will do anything to fulfill their nasties for the day. i’m sorry.
Thanks, rec’d a bit of drama concerning this post so have made it private, not sure if you will receive this.
🙂
You could not be further from the truth about Joe and Loreen. I have listened to Loreen discuss your work done at Jupiter and the joke was on you. How dare you use her death to promote your work!
Self promotion was the furthest thing from my mind.
What I do know is the fact that your comment was mean spirited and profoundly untrue.
Respectfully,
LG
A beautiful, touching tribute to a dear friend, Len. Including photos of her and the home she clearly loved ~ which you helped to create for her are only fitting. Your work brought joy to her on a daily basis and for that, you will forever be tied. Love you, Kat
thank you kat
Dear Leonard, this post touched me for its honesty and the joy you shared with your friend, which shines through.
I too was a mural artist / specialist decorator in the past and can well relate to your experiences. Don’t kick yourself so hard, there’s a lot of good work here (love the demon seahorse and dolphins and drapes and orchid). As I felt about my own work though – I couldn’t live with it myself! but then I don’t have that wonderful, flamboyant character … or lifestyle.
Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog.
Dear Patricia,
Thank you, as you might have guessed from the post there was a bit of hub-bub concerning this little memorial . I’m very happy to hear that you were touched by it, that was my only intention, a tribute.
I’m sure your decorative work must have been stunning. The way you handle animals is really wonderful. I saw you have a fondness for Wm.De Morgan, so do I. You have the same keen eye many of my favorite 19th cent. reform movement artist possessed. Very happy to have stumbled upon your site, will return again.
Leonard
I stumbled upon your blog today and read your memorial to Loreen with a smile on my face. You captured her essence so well! Loreen Jodell Beisswenger Farish, class of 1965, Ocean City High School (NJ), and a dear friend, would drag us along with her every Friday after school on her weekly shopping trip to Stainton’s Department Store to buy a new outfit for the Youth Center Dance that night. I remember how excited we all were when her Dad, Bob, brought her green Morgan home from a business trip to England for her 17th birthday. You know how she loved that car, keeping it until her death! We cooked a truly horrid spaghetti dinner for some of her yacht club friends (male) at Adelaide’s house one weekend, and laughed until we could not breathe! Her parents were truly remarkable, wonderful people…so in love with each other and with their only child. Parties at their home were fun and vibrant and so delightful for we island kids. She had her own princess phone…a dream for the rest of us!
Loreen never acted like a child of privilege… a mother who made all her own clothes and many of Loreen’s, no daily household help, a sense of adventure shared joyfully. There are many fond memories from those early days, as well as more memories from more recent visits to her home…which she loved, in great part due to your work there. You know she didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought about her choices at the house! Her Mom’s lavender room, complete with hair salon area and closet hung with many of her mother’s handmade clothes, is where I stayed when visiting. What a hoot! Truly one of a kind…she is greatly missed by those of us who love her.
Pat Rahn Konover
St Augustine, FL
Dear Pat,
That makes me very happy. I know her time, from what she shared, in Ocean City was particularly special for her. She often spoke of those halcyon days by the sea.
Reds was a wonderful, delightful woman, I never met Loreen’s father but he seems to have been a perfect gentleman. They both adored him, that was apparent from the stories they would tell of him.
THAT Morgan is essentially how I was introduced to our friend, the designer who I worked for was trying to talk her out of putting it in the dining room! You have to love Loreen for that! Alas Loreen lost that battle, not really sure what she had in mind but i imagine it was, as she would say, “fabulous”!
Red’s lavender room was very pretty, you should have heard Loreen tell the poor beleaguered designer that the carpet samples were NOT lavender enough- they were in fact a very pretty orchid color. Loreen won that battle, she rec’d hubba-hubba lavender.
I am happy you smiled at our mutual friend’s memory, a kindly warm spirit the world will miss;I know I do.
Take care and happy 2013,
Leonard
As Loreen’s friend and neighbor of 6 years I got to enjoy her home on several occasions. This tribute to her is a wonderful. Your art work was admired by all. The house will sell, and I don’t think it will be torn down. So hopefully your art work will continue to be admired by our new neighbors one day. They are missed daily here as I pass Joe and Loreen’s beautiful home. Memories that I will cherish forever. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I sometimes suffer from purple prose, I imagine the house will not be raised; but that time and place when Loreen was amongst us has passed. Memories hold truer than masonry.
May I ask who took this photo of Loreen? Am I the only one that sees the 3 orbs around her? The one closest to her is the one by her foot on the carpet. That I would believe is Joe standing by his Lady Loreen ready for an evening out. Then there is one just behind her very small one (also on the carpet) which is more than likely her mother that passed away while staying at her house. Then if you look further behind her not on the carpet there is another one which I am sure it is her father. Last night was a full moon and I thought of her as we would look out the window over the ocean, remembering when I would go over and she would tell me she was looking at the full moon, just talking to Joe, her mom and dad. Now our dear friend is home with her family that she missed so much. Bless who ever took that photo, it is an amazing shot. Knowing her like I did she carried them with her always and this photo just comfirms it. I will miss her and Joe everyday.
Thank you so very much for you thoughtful, genuine and heartfelt memoriam for our friend Loreen. It is your words that has allowed me to experience an afternoon on this Good Friday with Loreen. Often on occasion she would share with me her delight in the masterpieces you created from her wonderful fairyland imagination. I truly miss Joe, I truly miss Loreen but she is surely holding onto her cowboy forever – and that is most fitting.
I’m happy the post brought back fond memories.