Spirit Garden

This really happened. This was my courtyard in Sacramento, California (the hills and sky you see in the painting, that was exterior siding). It was mid August 2007 and the white azaleas, which had already bloomed in the cool of spring, began blooming again in a heatwave of 107℉. These huge blossoms were just as you see here, right next to the tomatoes and marigolds. They were from my amazing son Jarrad, something to make me feel better. And they did help; I was awestruck at his gift. I couldn’t believe how he pulled this off and I figured they would only last a few days in the brutal heat. Well, never underestimate Jay… the azalea bush bloomed without stopping for the next 18 months! Thank you Jarrad for being with me every day during that difficult time and for convincing the azaleas to go along. I took many pictures of the garden and in 2009 started this painting but was unable to finish it. Now, finally, in the summer of 2014, for his anniversary, I brought this medicine painting to completion. It is part of my private collection and prints are available.