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I can still remember the campaign commercials with that unforgettable slogan-- “It’s morning in America!” He had an infectious smile and an eternal optimism that inspired the nation. He also possessed self-confidence and an unwavering sense of humor. The greatest example of that came at perhaps the darkest hour of his presidency. On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley shot him. With a bullet lodged perilously close to his heart and his life hanging in the balance he quipped to the doctors in the operating room, “I hope you’re all Republicans”. I’ve tried to capture both the president and the citizen in this portrait - both the eyes that stood up to Communism at the Berlin Wall, and the rugged hands that chopped wood on his ranch in California. I don’t believe he needed a coat and tie to look presidential. His commanding presence accomplished that for him.
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