One Man's Trash

"Not So Distant Threat"

9"x12"

acylic on canvas

My Saturday morning routine is simple. At 6AM I make a special treat of my version of french toast made with the healthiest of ingredients to give me energy for the next few hours painting en plein air. This past Saturday was no exception and the morning promised to be great as it was cool, crisp and clear for a July morning. I planned to paint marshes so that I would have three versions completed. However, when I got to the site I yearned to paint, the traffic was so heavy I feared it would not be wise to stand on the shoulder of this busy road.

I then decided to paint on the beach in Elsinboro but a voice in my head directed me down Ft. Elfsborg Road. No marshes were to be found but there on my right was the smoke plume of the nuclear plant lit by the morning sun overlooking the farmland of Salem County. It reminded me of my cancer in that it was something ominous yet beautiful. I had to paint it. As I set up I kept wondering who the heck would want a freaking painting of the nuke plant and therefore why should I paint it. I just knew I had to paint it even if it collected dust in the studio.

As the birds sang and that little bee came around that follows me to every painting site, a handsome cyclist stopped to admire my work. It turns out that he worked at the plant and mentioned that the executives would contact me about owning such art for the corporate offices. Once he peddled off a local farmer came by and thanked me for creating such a lovely piece about the beauty of his backyard. He mentioned how he loves how the light changes the color of the cooling tower. Another fellow stepped out of his house to wave and give me the thumbs up. Two phrases entered my mind. "Build it and they will come" and "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

(Please pardon the skewing of the horizontal landscape. I was too close to the painting when I photographed it.)