Just sipping a glass of wine gazing at a painting Terry, my brother-in-law, gave me years ago, remembering the day. We were at the family cabin in Tahoe… he was painting a landscape in the field next to the house. The same field where my little nieces picked wild flowers for my wedding.
It was a beautiful day… bright sun… crisp blue sky… so my mother-in-law and I decided to take a walk to see how Terry was coming along with his latest painting. He had such an eye for light and detail, we were always excited to see his work.
In the forefront, the sand colored field slipped easily into trees of mustard, yellow, and shades of chartreuse, as Fall was just announcing its seasonal change… I’m sure, a much anticipated event for plein air artists.
Pines shot up behind these brightly colored trees and in the air was the slight scent of vanilla mixed with butterscotch wafting from their bark, so you knew they were Jeffery Pines. If you looked closely through the base of the pines a hint of blue peeked out, letting you know that the lake was close.
Unknown to us at the time, Terry decided to paint us into his “Tahoe”. I can’t tell you how amazing it is to have a painting of a moment in time, in your life… a thousand times better than a photo. I look into it often and remember the day. There I am with my cobalt jacket leisurely strolling toward the lake with Patty, my favorite mother-in-law. It was a good day.
Sadly as I look at it today, I realize that my brother-in-law will never paint again. He had a gift. He was, without a doubt, as we say, “one of the good ones.” A decent and kind man… and an incredible talent.
He’s an award-winning artist and was fortunate enough to have his own gallery located in the heart of Palm Springs, CA. He spent most of his time plein air painting in Coachella Valley, eventually earning him the epithet, “The Desert Painter”.
I’m sorry most of you didn’t have the chance to meet him… but if you have time, click on the link below to learn more about him.