When the boy proudly revealed that these images came from oil paintings created by his own father, I innocently asked, “Oh, is he that guy, [famous muralist you’ve probably heard of]?”

Given the stung look I received in response, I had apparently struck a nerve.

It seems that [famous muralist you’ve probably heard of] was once an apprentice to the boy’s father, who invited his protégé into their home and taught him all of his techniques only to have the upstart claim they were his own.

I later learned that the famous muralist had a long history of such behavior. I also learned to distinguish the work of environmental impressionist George Sumner—the artist whose work graced that boy’s t-shirts—from that of his peers.

Since I ended up marrying the artist’s son, this is probably a good thing.

In the seventeen years that have intervened since that fateful interchange in civics class, I have seen the amount of passion and dedication involved in being a successful artist. I have also seen how vulnerable the art market is to the ebbs and flows of our economy.

When I first met George in the “fat eighties,” his enormous talent and gregarious personality went far in helping him sell paintings to an ever widening, and often famous, clientele. Many were drawn to work inspired by George’s early involvement with Greenpeace’s “Save the Whales” campaign, or to his commemorative portraits of symbols of freedom like the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge.

As things became leaner in the nineties, Sumner Studios adapted accordingly. Many of the paintings became smaller and more affordable, and George and his wife Donnalei spent more time traveling to art shows.

Anyone who has witnessed the time-consuming and physically demanding task of setting up and breaking down an art show display knows that being a working artist entails far more than artistic ability. Yet George and Donnalei’s tenacity has paid off. While they still frequent art shows, they find buyers who are eager both to own a Sumner original and to meet the artist.

Whenever I attend these shows, I am amazed at the rock-star treatment George’s fans deliver! I think a lot of his appeal derives from how accessible both he and his work are—people really feel like they connect with both the paintings and the man who created them.

Fans also notice that Sumner Studios is preoccupied not with making a profit but with making a difference in the world. When I first met George, he was donating his time and talents to groups like Earth Island Institute and the American Oceans Campaign. Currently, he and Donnalei are committed to the nonprofit organization “Roots of Peace,” whose “Mines into Vines” project seeks to transform minefields into fertile farmland.

The first time I met George, and in spite of his impish charm that tends to put people at ease, it is safe to say that I was intimidated. Meeting your boyfriend’s father is challenging enough, even when he’s not a famous artist who counts Tony Bennett, Beau Bridges, and Mikhail Gorbachev among his friends.