Cover Artist : Dr. Louis G. Mandin

It's hard to square with such professional results, but Dr. Mandin hadn't painted a portrait since 1985. “After such a lengthy hiatus, you need an extra stimulus to start again,” he observes. “That is why I picked Robert Bateman as my subject. He's a man I really admire.”

Bateman eventually got a first-hand look at the painting when he travelled to St. Paul on a marketing trip. “It was really something special to see his face light up,” Dr. Mandin recalled. “Mr. Bateman said some very nice, complimentary things to me, and on the back of the painting, he wrote in large script: ‘To Dr. Mandin: In appreciation of having done this superb portrait of myself. You are very good.' – signed Robert Bateman.” With a boost like that, Dr. Mandin is painting again at age 78. “My next boost will be when I see the painting appear on the cover of JCDA.” We're happy to oblige.