Friday, August 20, 2010



Once Upon a Time

Oil on canvas panel, 6" x 6"
$125 plus $6 shipping in U.S.





For check payment or other arrangements, email don@dailyartwest.com.


The idyllic looking place in this painting no longer exists. It was painted from a photo I took a couple of years ago. Today, the area looks like the photo below, taken yesterday.

Catherine Creek courses through this low-lying land, and if it weren't for the earthen dike you can just make out along the treeline in the photo, this farmland would be a marsh year round. Even with the dike, water finds it's way into low spots, and my painting shows one of those backwater channels. The farmer has graded out the channel and dozed the trees down, probably in an effort to reclaim agricultural ground and in hopes of reducing flooding.

I watched a program the other night on a photographer (forgive me, I don't recall his name) who took many photos of older buildings. He said "Every photographer is a historian." The simple truth of it struck me. Even painters, artistic license and all, work at freezing a moment of time...a fleeting impression...an historic instant. And we are constantly reminded that the only constant is change.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

truthful play on words and beautiful title and painting Don.

Don Gray said...

Thank you, Rahina.

Dean Grey said...

How very sad to see that beautiful spot changed into something not as lovely IMHO.

In any case, that former tree you painted looked great.

-Dean

hmuxo said...

Glad you took this photo so we can all enjoy this beautiful painting today. Well done! I also love the barn you painted.

Don Gray said...

Thanks, Dean. Yeah, I felt a sense of loss. But I also understand the challenges the farmer deals with, as well as the inevitability of change--so...it's complicated!

Don Gray said...

Thank you, hmuxo.