out in the country - Greg Brown

takin the photos

I think Chris Moulton took this.  Its me.  Yes I am putting pictures of myself on my blog.  That's what I do these days.

Mel in springtime

Some of my paintings mean more to me than others.  This one means a lot to me, so I thought I'd explain it.  Not that anyone reads my blog.

This painting is about the impending loss of youth, and the worry of being barren.  Its a worry for young people that usually goes unnoticed by others.  Sometimes young people look at themselves, and feel wasted.  Springtime comes, but its a short season in the desert.  There are a few flowers growing around the utility pole, but they won't last the summer in this dusty parking lot.  The empty buildings warn of what comes of long life, or even a short life in a place that is isolated.  This young woman out in the country is happy to be acknowledged for a moment.  But the way things go...
Well there is hope. There are fertile places. They're distant.  They're in that far field, and even more, beyond those blue hills. For a short moment, flowers bloom in the desert, and maybe if the dust doesn't cover her up she will be able to preserve youth through her own children.  O to be useful.