This piece was painted on the shore of Lake Michigan on July 26, 2012, during the Door County Plein Air Festival. It has a very personal story behind it. My father was in hospice care when I reluctantly left for Door County the Saturday before. My father insisted I go. He instructed me to "paint the best paintings I've ever done" and if something happened while I was gone, not to feel guilty. He took a turn for the worse shortly after I arrived in Door County, so I turned around and came back home. When he saw me, he said "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Wisconsin painting." I promised him I would go back. That was Monday night. On Wednesday, July 25th, my father entered his eternal rest. The next morning, I kept my promise to him and went back to paint in Door County. This is the first painting I did after arriving. I cannot even describe the emotions I experienced while painting this piece, but all the while I felt my father guiding me. As I finished, I called for my husband to come and see what he thought. At that exact moment, the most beautiful double rainbow I've ever seen appeared over Lake Michigan...it looked like the same rainbow our pastor saw the afternoon before, shortly after my father passed away. I knew it was a sign from my father...I kept my promise and he was pleased...Needless to say, this painting is and will remain in my family's private collection.
This piece was painted on the shore of Lake Michigan on July 26, 2012, during the Door County Plein Air Festival. It has a very personal story behind it. My father was in hospice care when I reluctantly left for Door County the Saturday before. My father insisted I go. He instructed me to "paint the best paintings I've ever done" and if something happened while I was gone, not to feel guilty. He took a turn for the worse shortly after I arrived in Door County, so I turned around and came back home. When he saw me, he said "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Wisconsin painting." I promised him I would go back. That was Monday night. On Wednesday, July 25th, my father entered his eternal rest. The next morning, I kept my promise to him and went back to paint in Door County. This is the first painting I did after arriving. I cannot even describe the emotions I experienced while painting this piece, but all the while I felt my father guiding me. As I finished, I called for my husband to come and see what he thought. At that exact moment, the most beautiful double rainbow I've ever seen appeared over Lake Michigan...it looked like the same rainbow our pastor saw the afternoon before, shortly after my father passed away. I knew it was a sign from my father...I kept my promise and he was pleased...Needless to say, this painting is and will remain in my family's private collection.