Moment in Time

“Right now a moment of time is passing by.  We must become that moment” Paul Cezanne

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a wedding at a ranch. Many have come to this place to celebrate; photos around the home showing famous people such as Robert Kennedy have been a testimony to its history. 

Their Spring Roundups every year have been amazing and a right of passage for many a young girl and boy.

I painted a series called “California Cowboy” inspired by one of their spring Roundups post 9/11 and had final showing in June 2008.  Images of cowboys, Mariachi singers and flags of our country reminded me of my childhood, where I grew up in Silicon Valley.

Intensified by the loss of innocence, post 9/11, the twenty-seven paintings covered a six-year span of work, an idealistic portrait reflecting the way things used to be.

At the wedding, the owner had pulled out one of my paintings from the series. The daughter, then 14, who had been perched on the corral fence at the time I painted the scene, was now getting married.  How time has flown. His baby girl who was able to be a participant in castrating a cow, killing a rattle snake and hunting with her father has now grown up to be a beautiful woman. It tugged at my heart that the father saw it a blessed moment to display the painting at the entrance to the wedding.  The painting is shown below.

 I am now reminded that artists are here also to capture moments in time.

*Original Paintings above “Flags” and “Spring Roundup” available, measure 36″ x 36″ oil on linen, price $3240 ea. Contact me for purchase at jvander51@msn.com, thank you!

*Giclees available at Art That Fits