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perspective and tonal qualities that
suggest distance and emotion, res-
onates with Alkon, who works in a
_-__1, asement studio late at • night, , after the
day's other activities end. During some
weekends, he also retreats to the work-
room in his Huntington Woods
home.
When invited, the realtor-artist
gives Chinese brush painting demon-
strations to art students in suburban
public schools. Through his teacher,
Alkon became one of the early mem-
bers — and later president — of the
Mid-West Oriental Club, which plans
group exhibitions and brings in speak-
ers to enhance awareness of the
Oriental culture. Besides learning and
exchanging ideas about art forms,
some 35 participants gain information
about philosophy and customs.
Although Alkon thought his career
\1)would be in design and attended the
School of Architecture and Design at
the University of Michigan, he went
on to serve in the Navy and then
drifted into other professions when his
tour of duty was completed.
"I was one of the people who flew
in the Bermuda Triangle looking for
lost aircraft," recalls Alkon, who was a
-Navy navigator. "They're still looking,
but [some believe] the pilots just lost
their direction."
Alkon kept up his interest in flying
as a hobby after returning to
Michigan, where he operated a car
dealership. Soon, however, he decided
to try real estate.
"I used to keep a sketch pad and
\,: pencil in my car," Alkon says. "While
sitting and waitina for clients, I used
to draw different kinds
°
of faces.. I
accumulated so many that I just
stopped."
While recuperating from a back
problem some time ago, the
Huntington Woods artist briefly tried
his hand at miniature wood carvings.
For fun, he made a chess set with
>some of the pawns in rocking chairs
and a replica of Captain Hook.
Alkon stayed away from art for 25
years before his wife encouraged him
to take the painting class. Flying had
consumed his free time until medical
limitations grounded him and made
him ready for other experiences,
including art.
"I've had customers come into my
office and ask to buy the work," says
Alkon, whose paintings hang in pri-
vate and corporate collections, includ-
ing those owned by National Bank of
Detroit in Ann Arbor, First
Nationwide Bank in San Francisco,

RON
CODEN

First American Title Insurance in Troy
and Universal Specialty Co. in
Chicago.
"I paint birds and fish in action,
and I paint serene orchids," the artist
says. "With this style, I can be very
forthright. An idea conies into my
mind and goes on paper. There's no
drawing beforehand. I work from an
inner vision after reading about some-
thing or seeing a bunch of pictures.
My wife bought flowers, for example,
and I painted a bouquet. I saw a horse
on TV and painted it wildly."
Alkon gives a lot of thought to the
titles, sometimes humorous, of his
paintings. "Are You Sure This Is

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The Oriental style, with flat images
painted without perspective and tonal
qualities that suggest distance and
emotion, resonates with Alkon.

North?" captures the mood of two
birds sitting on a branch.
"I hope viewers will pick up on
what I thought when I painted them,"
says the artist, who keeps renderings
of birds and flowers in his own home
because he finds them quiet and satis-
fying. Other interests that are impor-
tant to him include membership in
Temple Beth El and gardening.
Sometimes, Alkon writes poems to
go along with his work and asks
friends to translate them into calligra-
phy, which becomes part of his per-
sonal expression.
The poems become part of the
artwork," he says. El

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1

Detroit Jewish News

5/2 1
1999

89