So a few weeks ago a dear friend’s daughter, Marla, got married. I’ve known Marla since birth so it was great to see her marry Ben, a handsome and successful young man who appears to love her very much. They had planned the wedding for September of 2020, but as we know, very little celebrating went on in 2020. It was a blessing to be able to share their joy, even if it was a bit delayed.

So what does this have to do with art? I sent them a nice gift from their registry, but registries have always felt impersonal to me. I planned to take them a card to drop off at their ceremony, so I decided to paint a little watercolor sketch to put in the card. I didn’t really care what they do with it, but wanted to give them something of myself and my wishes that they have a life of travel and adventure. I chose a scene from Monet’s garden, but only loosely interpreted from the photo I had. My trip to Giverny was very special to me.

It’s a cute little sketch. It’s not meant to be a masterpiece. I decided to put two people on the bridge. They aren’t really meant to look like Marla and Ben, but I wanted two people in the scene. People are difficult for me and painting them is something I wish I was better at. I think people add interest to scenes be they urban or rural. So, I’m vowing to practice and get better at them. In the mean time, I hope Marla and Ben excuse the inadequacies of the people I included in their little sketch. I just hope that when they look at it and see the people on the bridge that they imagine all of the places they can go together. Wishing them many happy adventures!