Gardening with Grandpa

I suppose that there were always rocks and weeds in Grandpa's garden, but I didn't have to paint them in, did I?

I have great memories of the garden. When I was very small, I got to ride on Prince, the big brown mule, while Grandpa plowed the long rows. (I know that tillers were usually used by that time, but Grandpa and Prince worked the rows just as they had done for years.)

My strongest memories from the garden involve dealing with its produce. Strawberries to slice and cover with sugar to freeze... Peas to shell... Beans to snap... Cabbage to shred and salt for kraut... Tomatoes to blanch for canning... Egg plant to, hmmm, I don't remember what we did with the egg plant...

This particular painting was done based on an old black and white photograph sent to me by my aunt. The photograph was developed in September of 1960. There were actually 4 grand kids in the garden. (Look carefully behind the guy in the front.)They were far enough away and just blurry enough not to be sure which ones they were. I'm going to choose to believe that the two in my painting are my brother and sister... can't be me... I wasn't around yet in 1960.

Summer Memories will take you back and make you remember when... Visit Ahh, Dirt Beneath My Nails Again,  Grow Your Own Food, Find Me in the Garden Part 3,  A Green Thumb, Almost time to Get Your Hands Dirty, or Soon Enough, Etsy Treasuries (collections of art pieces and vintage items) that celebrate springtime gardening. Or, visit one of these treasuries - I Do, Do You?  or  April Trends. There's Farm House for a wonderful collection celebrating farm life.  It was an honor to see my painting with those of Sunday Fresh Finds: Etsy Fine Landscape Art.  Then, visit Happy Birthday Grandpa or Grandparents.  It might make you want to give your own Grandpa a call.  Finally enjoy the buildings in Funky Structures and Not.

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Black Swallowtail on Purple Horsemint

My husband and I went to an art museum yesterday, so I should be writing about the wonderful paintings I stood in front of. We did see art. It was beautiful.

Oh, but then we went for a stroll outside in the gardens! Perfectly manicured lawns, fountains, flowers of all kinds... and this one beautiful,

yellow butterfly! He practically flirted with me - posing from this angle then that one, flitting from one flower top the then next. I believe he knew he was having his picture taken and enjoyed every minute of it! Surely, he deserves to be painted!

The picture used for this painting was a little harder to get. Oh, I think this butterfly also knew that I had a camera; he just didn't want to have his picture made. I chased him all over the top of Mount Magazine. He'd wait until I was ready to snap a picture then flutter off to a further flower leaving me no choice but to follow.

After a little research, I discovered that he's called a Black Swallowtail. The flower he's sitting on is called a Purple Horsemint.

Click below to view a lovely treasury (collection of art pieces from various artists) on Etsy celebrating Original Fine Art.

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