The painter stood before her work
She looked around everywhere
She saw the pictures and she painted them
She picked the colors from the air
Green to green, red to red
Yellow to yellow in the light
Black to black when the evening comes
Blue to blue in the night
It's a long road behind me
It's a long road ahead
If you follow every dream, you might get lost
If you follow every dream, you might get lost
~ Neil Young
Yesterday (when I was on strike) was my dear friend Angie's birthday. (Surprise! Happy Birthday, Angie!) Angie and I met when we were five or six, as far as I can recall. Angie's Aunt Margaret lived next door to me on Maple Avenue, and when Angie and her sister Kim came to visit, my sister and I were right there, knocking on the front door. We spent endless hours playing with our Ginny dolls on Aunt Margaret's screened-in porch. If I were to recall the many stories that go along with my memories of Aunt Margaret's house, this post would turn into a novel. Just let it be known that there were ribbons and ghosts and police cars and Aunt Margaret's suicide by hanging in her attic . . . which pretty much ended Angie's visits there. But we met up again when we attended the same high school, and as is true for so many friendships, Facebook reconnected us a few years ago.
Angie is an extraordinary artist, which explains my song lyric choice for today. Although I cannot relocate the information to verify, I'm pretty sure Neil Young's painter is his daughter. "The Painter" came out on Young's 2005 release Prairie Wind, which many claimed brought him back to his Harvest and After the Gold Rush mood. Having some health issues at the time, it is not surprising that he would compose such emotive tunes as those that can be found on Prairie Wind.
What is so unique about Angie's watercolors is that they are miniatures. I mean like postcard size. The precision and detail that Angie incorporates into her country scenes is mind-blowing. I am certain that she has the steadiest hand and best eyesight of anyone I know. Well, here . . . take a look for yourself: http://www.perennialdesigns.net/?page_id=2413 Angie and her husband John own Letterpress Studio in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Through their website, you can purchase Angie's beautiful paintings on notecards and calendars. My intention here is not to promote Angie's or anyone's products, but Angie's work is so beautiful, I thought you might be interested. (By the way, if you view the video of Neil's song linked above, those paintings are not Angie's, although they, too, are beautiful.)
Angie followed her dream, and she did not get lost. She picked the colors from the air. I hope your birthday is as beautiful as your paintings, Angie . . . and as beautiful as you are!
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