Peanut and his Posse

Peanut and his Posse | oil on panel | 12" x 12" | Flanegan | $550

This painting stirred a memory of a TDY assignment at Lowry AFB, now the Denver International Airport, where a friend and I had the weekend off so we decided to head to the Rockies and climb a mountain. We were young.

One false peak lead to another and to another. We stopped for a breather and gasped looking at each other - our hair was standing on end. We were so focused on getting to the top of the mountain that we didn't realize a storm was brewing. Break time was over.

It was kind of like that when I painted this one, but safer as I had my truck for shelter. It's easy to lose yourself when surrounded by such beauty, this time at the Bar Ten Creek Ranch. The cloud formations were incredible with varied shades and intensities of stormy blue - so striking that I didn't paint the trees' foliage.

But I had to remind myself that as commanding as the clouds were, they weren't the main attraction here. My painted commentary was of companionship and feeling safe. That's what I wanted you to see in this painting. It amazed me how Peanut and his miniature donkey buds felt protected enough to sleep with a front moving in. How we all should have faith through thick and thin. So there you have it, it's all about hanging together during the storm.

Tomorrow I'll post my third favorite entry in the Plein Air Austin Exhibit.

: )