We had a beautiful holiday weekend that included visits with siblings and nieces and nephews that we rarely see....our family has been scattered across the country....in California, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. I don't that is so unusual these days. We share history with these relatives, so it is always wonderful to touch base and find out where life has been taking them. "Degrees of Ripeness" will be going home with my wonderful sister-in-law Ann Hutchinson Jenkins. She recently lost a pet of many years and I think that she was able to relate to the chaos I felt as I painted this work in a mid-July heat wave in my garden last year. I was definitely trying to make some sense of things. And.....as I also found out this weekend.....tomatoes don't grow well in Louisiana, her home, as they crave the cool nights and warm days of other climates. I am happy that my painting will find a home in her kitchen and will be a bit of a connection between us. Paintings are like children....we are always relieved when they find great homes.
