The Gardener in Springtime
Dad
12" x 16"
oil on canvas
[click on image to enlarge]
Some men love the soil. They love the joys that are found in rich loamy soil, compost, planting, growing healthy crops and anticipating the fruits of labor.
I think that it is only partly the rewards at harvest that make it so. Often the crops are damaged by frost, or hail, or wind, or summer heat or insects or deer grazing, yet next year the cycle will be eagerly repeated.
Faith and anticipation are a large part of the attraction. One harvests only after planting and nurturing.
Dad has had a life-long love affair with the soil. From his youth he worked on the family farm, even missing high school at times to get the work done. Despite trying other things as a young man he came back to farming. Then in retirement his yard has been a steadily enlarging area of vegetable, fruit and flower beds while the lawn steadily shrank in size.
So rather than paint the harvest, I have tried to paint Dad's anticipation and vision that bring forth the bounty of the land
His sons have inherited the same happiness in gardening.
How much I love this man.
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