"December in the Country"

This is a painting I finished recently. Last December Linda and I spent ten days or so just before Christmas in Vermont. Just as we arrived, a beautiful snow storm hit, turning Vermont into a storybook Country Christmas. We had the chance to stay with our friends, the Dunkle Family, near the beautiful village of Tunbridge. This painting looks down on the farm next to the Dunkles and their farm just in the backround. The whole scene struck me as an ideal scene of " December in the Country ", with all the attendant memories that many of us have of pulling our sled and gathering brothers, sisters and friends, along with the dogs and heading to the nearest hill to race down through the snow. Now we do it with lots of grandkids. Good times!

I've been painting Vermont quite a bit over the last few years and love having an excuse to spend time there. I've always felt that we can save the things we really love, for future generations if we really make our mind up to do whatever it takes and pay whatever price we have to, if it is worth it. And Vermont represents to me a place where people have tried to do that. They seem to have decided that small farms and small villages and the country lifestyle were worth holding onto, and worth passing on to generations to come. So they've paid the price of not having a Walmart in every nearby town and not taking the best offer from every developer that wanted to plant the newest Country Acres Subdivision. And I admire them for it. It is cold, hard place in the winter, but I have met some wonderful warm people there and I'm grateful for them and all those who work so hard to keep small farms and small towns alive.

Merry Christmas and thanks to all who support the arts! And thanks to the Dunkles for the wonderful hospitality last December.