Dear Friends of Gene’s Pen and Ink,
Celebrating Gene’s Life
On Feb. 27, 2026, Gene flew west into the arms of Jesus. Before he left us, he told us he wanted everyone’s memory of him to be a happy one.
Gene lived a full life grounded in faith, family, and friendship. He loved his profession, served in the U.S. Army for 30 years, and had a deep appreciation for aviation and music. In everything he did, he chose to find beauty. He was a joy to be around and brought laughter wherever he went.
His Artistic Gift
As many of you know, Gene was blessed with a unique talent: the ability to draw and paint. Through his art, he shared his love of nature and the beauty he saw in the world. His work reflects a distinctive vision and a remarkable sense of color that touched so many lives.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has sent photos of Gene’s artwork displayed in your homes and shared your cherished memories of him. The collection of his work—and the way it continues to live with all of you—means more to our family than words can express.
Continuing Gene’s Pen & Ink
In honor of Gene and his art, Gene’s Pen & Ink (genespenandink.com) will continue to be available for online purchases. Our family sees it as both a privilege and a responsibility to keep his artwork available—both to those discovering his work for the first time and to those who have supported it for years.
Stay in Touch
If you would like to contact me, please feel free to email me at gpiartwork34@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Linda Irvin
Gene’s wife
Genes Artistic Style
Although Gene has experimented with oils, his medium of choice is pen and ink. He uses this method most because of the detail he can achieve, which he says is an important key to making his work believable. After a subject has been chosen and sketched, he then decides whether to add color or not. He states the initial image is most important and color is of secondary importance. Besides drawing in the traditional solid line method, he also works with stippling, creating an image with a series of dots that depict shadow and form. “I really like the effect that stippling has. It’s not hard to do, it just takes so much more time, but to me it is worth it because you get an image with such a unique dimension,” stated Gene.His peers from the Casa Grande Art Association appreciate all the dedication that goes into each of his pieces. Gene doesn’t believe in simply drawing something on paper. He must research any potential subject thoroughly before beginning his project. He spends countless hours analyzing the angles, structure, and history of his subjects. His pieces are quite detailed and accurate. Yet his pieces don’t always meet the standards he has set for himself; oftentimes a piece will be discarded into a growing pile of sketches in his studio.
Gene states Pinetop is an excellent source of inspiration because of the scenery and types of fowl that live in the region. “It’s been very gratifying to spend summers drawing in the mountains.” Most recently he has been exploring more use of watercolor. Gene feels his artistic talent is always expanding, never latent. It is a self-expression of his many interests in the world of nature and living in the southwest.