To the Moon and Back: Jacob Vasquez Memorial Portrait

Artist statement:

A joyful remembrance of Blue Moon employee Jacob Vasquez, this painting was made at the request of his pub friends to honor him. Jacob was killed in a random shooting after leaving work one night in 2021, leaving a hole in the hearts and lives of his friends and family.
 
Jacob had a big impact on all the people he encountered, and he was known to his friends for saying, “I love you to the moon and back,” a phrase that became especially important to them after his death, so it became the jumping off point for this painting. Multiple versions of the blue moon from the past years at the pub became hot air balloons flying to the moon. Details about Jacob may seem minor, but they were part of him and so important to include: his single earring, the sparrow tattooed on his chest (recreated flying near him in the painting), his favorite drink – a shot of vodka and chaser of pineapple juice – turned into the basket of his balloon to the moon.
Friends describe Jacob as having a big presence and personality. He liked being the flamboyant center of attention, and the way he was described evoked the image of a happy circus ringmaster.
 
I worked on the painting over the course of nine months, pausing at times because I felt such a weight of importance to it. Every year on the anniversary of his death, his friends and fellow co-workers gather at the Blue Moon to remember and toast him with his favorite drink. In 2024 I brought the finished painting to Jacob’s gathering for people to sign. The back is where people left their love and remembrance of Jacob, lending to the energy of the painting.
 
It was a true honor to create this painting. It is McMenamins way of honoring Jacob, his life and love.
 
Myrna Yoder