Saturday, November 19, 2011

THE DREAM WELL



My own personal family histories have always fascinated me. Over time I have repeatedly heard the story of one of my ancestors who helped settle Northern Arizona as a Mormon pioneer.


The family had moved to an area in the AZ White mountains that was called Fools Hollow. My understanding is that the reason it was called Fools Hollow was because others had tried to settle there and had failed because they could not find water in the area for a well, making it necessary for them to have to travel a mile or more to get their supple of water.


While this ancestor was trying to settle there his brother and nephew came to visit. They had discussed the water situation and one night my ancestor had a dream about where he could find water. The next morning he told his brother about the dream and it was decided that they would start digging for water that day. Within a relatively short amount of time, of digging, they found water. This well ended up supplying several families for generations.


My grandmother’s journal included a very small black and white photo of this well taken year after the families had moved. I used this very small photo as the model for this painting called ‘The Dream Well’. Someone later told me that the well was still a producing well but that had been abandoned because they were putting in a new housing development and flooding that area to create a lake for the subdivision.

WILD ROSE



THE LESSONS



THE RED WINDOW

THE PROTECTOR



I painted this painting for my husband soon after we were married in June of 2005

OH MY LOVE



SHRIMP FLOWERS



THE GOOD MOTHER



THE LAST STEPS TO HOME



SMALL WONDERS



ROCKIN' K



THE GATHERING STORM



MONUMENT VALLEY SUNSET



THE LIGHTNING TREE



FORGOTTEN FUN



BIRD OF PARADISE



CELTIC CROSS



AFTER THE LONG RIDE




THE HEALING PLACE



BEST FRIENDS



This painting was done as a thank you for the surgeon who replaced my shoulders and made it possible for me to paint again. I will forever be in her debt.
For the years of 2009-2010 I was unable to paint much because I needed to have both of my shoulder joints replaced. The last year of that time I was in so much pain I could not paint anything. This painting is the first one I did after I had the first one done (my left shoulder…I am right handed). It was painted with my left hand…only small details on the cats were done with my right hand.

RIDE UM'