Stephen C. Datz - Old Friends and True Companions (PLV90469-1220-010)

30" x 22" framed. "This intimate view comes from another spot I have frequented over the years in the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado. I find aspen trees an endlessly inviting and interesting subject, especially when they are graced with evening light in winter time. I have painted these same trees, and others in their somewhat sparse family grove, many times over the years. Interspersed with occasional patches of pine, I find this area a rich source of inspiration. So the title refers somewhat to that familiarity. These trees feel like old friends and true companions. But there is another layer to it as well. Going out painting on cold winter days seems to be regarded by most folks as positively insane, and companions who are up to the task are rare. So when I do go out into the cold and I find scenes like this I am reminded of departed friends who would never hesitate to grab their field kits and join me to brave the cold and paint the wonders of wintertime. I imagine their exclamations of delight as we set up our easels to record our own impressions of such splendor, and the companionable silence we would share as we worked. Like these trees, they were also old friends and true companions." -Stephen C. Datz