Not long ago, Chris said she wanted to renew her passion of painting in nature, especially now that we were traveling to so many beautiful places. She always has been an artist—teaching art, painting for others (we have very few of her artworks)–but with raising kids and all the activities, her painting had taken a backseat to the pace of life. We bought a well-crafted easel engineered to fold up into about the size of a brief case. After setting up camp on our next adventure, she and Service Dog Charlie set out to find the perfect location. In her own words, she recounts what happens next…
“Painting has been a life-long expression for me, and painting from nature is the ultimate inspiration. You are actually in the place you are painting with the sights and sounds becoming part of the creation. Earlier this month Bill and I camped on the Shenandoah river in Front Royal, Virginia. The camp we stayed at was a little slice of heaven with the river meandering around the banks and trees. I set out to set up my easel one morning right on the river bank, the morning light was perfect, and the trees were just starting to turn. Most times painting is a type of worship for me, so painting in the midst of God’s creation is the best possible place. Just as I was getting to the final touches, I had a visit from two little sisters who were curiously drawn to my canvas to see what was up with the lady by the river.
“After checking me out, Addie, the oldest sister told me that she too loved to paint and wished she could paint like that. I encouraged her and her sister to keep painting, because you never know what amazing work may come out of you unless you keep at it. Then the girls’ father came to round them up, and I’ll never forget what Addie said to me, she said, “don’t forget to add the bubbles! And there were many tiny bubbles all over the surface of the water, something I might have missed had it not been revealed through the eyes of a child. So I did just that, I flicked some white paint with a small brush over the water in my painting. The perfect finishing touch, with a little help from my new-found friend.”
For Chris and I, this particular stay at Low Water Bridge Campground was a new beginning. I am so excited to see Chris once again expressing her God-given talent. It’s never too late—Chris’ mother is still painting at 92 years young. We both encourage you to take that next step in what you would really like to do, what inspires you and makes you feel at peace in this world. And, hey, don’t forget to add the bubbles!
