Pears and Broccoli

On an early March morning, I discovered a blue wheelbarrow in a garden which was within a pear orchard in Walnut Grove, located in the Sacramento River delta area, south of Sacramento.  The cerulean blue of the wheelbarrow was a beautiful contrast to the early Spring pear blossoms in the background.  This painting brings back memories of that early Spring morning, painting among the brilliant pear blossoms sharing their light with the blue sky.  This painting has been showing at the Folsom Art Association show at the Harris Center, Folsom Lake College, this summer through August 31st.


The second painting was also painted in the early morning this last February at a junior high school garden.  The preliminary painting was begun on the morning of the school's first ever broccoli harvest.  Community volunteers and students came out to harvest the broccoli which was going to be utilized at the Davis School District central kitchen for student lunches.  By the end of the harvest days in February, 600 pounds of broccoli were harvested.

This painting of the Broccoli harvest was donated to The Village Feast fundraiser this month for the Davis Farm to School and Yolo Farm to Fork programs.  This fundraiser, The Davis Village Feast, is patterned after the "Le Grand Aioli," the food feast that is a summer tradition in Provence, France. (http://www.davisvillagefeast.org)  It was truly great food and conversation at this summer feast.  A good way to bring August to a close and begin to prepare for the autumn season ahead.