"Bookends" ©

Great success at the "Art Matters" exhibit was followed by disaster at the Rancho Camulos Spring Fiesta. I was painting on this small piece while visiting with folks when a sudden gust of wind picked up my pop top and sent it sailing up into the sky, one big white kite. Next all of my panels went crashing to the ground in a heap with paintings splashed about, some in the lawn, some still tethered to their panels. After what seemed like minutes I looked back at my plein air easel, lying face down in the grass along with my unfinished painting. It was as if a giant was playing pick up sticks with my whole set up. He took his trunk like fingers and swirled everything into a heap. The damage to my bars was so extensive, putting the show back up was impossible. And so I slowly picked through the rubble, finding pieces and organizing my work. Today I pulled out the painting I had started and just picked off the grass, filled in the scrap marks and painted fresh. These trees really do look like "bookends". As an artist I know I am suppose to avoid bookends, but with Saturday still reeling around in my mind I went with the true scene.

Oil on panel, 8" X 10"