Edge of Summer, 11x16

Edge of Summer, 11x16" Pastel on sanded paper

For the 4th of July weekend, my family gathered at the farm for some time to decompress after our tragedy. I was glad we proceeded with the plans to get together because we needed to start our lives forward, acknowledging the sadness. Going to the farm means time stands still and it takes only a few minutes to settle down to a slower pace. This was a much needed visit for those who could make it.

I love the sounds of the air...if there ever were sounds in the air. I mean the birds, bugs, and the whisper of the grass in the breeze. I brought my plein air box and knocked out 2 pieces just prior dinner, while the kids played ball in the grassy plot next to me. This is the stronger of the two pieces, looking again towards the edge of the property. I'll post the other one here soon enough. This one has a pastel under painting with a turpenoid wash of pink, blue, and yellow. It looked strange in the beginning, but as my sister stopped by my easel periodically, she saw it come alive.

The next day was the 4th and we started out in the morning with the town-run pancake breakfast in the park. The money raised from this goes towards the fireworks show for the next year. After breakfast, everyone walks over to line the streets with their chairs and waits for the F-15's to pass over prior the parade. I love it when the loud roar of the engines runs down my spine! After the small town parade, we go back to the farm and eat...eat...and eat some more until we are plumb full. At dusk, we go over to the town's High School football field and wait in our fold up chairs for the fireworks show. They do a spectacular job! It's truly a quintessential 4th, kinda like the one you'd see in the movie Sandlot.