Greer's Barn.
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Greer's barn is a real barn in a real place. It is owned by friends of ours who live in Alexandria, Ontario. We dropped in on them at the end of winter after visiting a relative. The snow had started to melt and you could hear the cool water running beneath its crust. It was a beautiful afternoon, with a bright blue sky and white fluffy cotton-wool clouds. The type of day where spring was starting to show and proclaim its presence everywhere. You could feel the inside of your nose tingle with every breath you took, and the outside air felt very cool and fresh against your skin. I noticed the barn as we drove up the driveway towards the house . The sun reflected on the roof, making it quite visible. I said to my friend after being welcomed inside his home, "I like your barn." "It's old and has seen better days", he said. I didn't see it just as an old barn, more of something with aesthetic beauty. There were heavy timbers put into place by hard working hands. Some were missing on the west side, after giving into the strong west winds of time which blow across the wide fields. What is it about old barns that attract people? Why is it that we seldom see new ones or do we chose not to notice them? I had this painting hung over my fireplace for awhile and every time I looked at it, back came the memories of the day I spent up to my knees in snow and slush studying the barn's structure and the hill on which it sat. The evergreens to the left were not that mature at the time, so I added a few years of growth. The long grass was breaking through the melting snow, casting long shadows across its crystal-like surface. These were the images which captured my interest and imagination. The dark greens of the pines, the yellows and browns of the grass against the snow led me to thinking this would be a very pleasant scene to paint. So I did, and with a lot of enthusiasm, I might say. I hope that you get just as much delight and enjoyment in looking at my rendition of Greer's Barn as I did in painting it.
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