Purple Haze
14" x 11"
Oil on RayMar panel

The jacaranda trees bloomed earlier in San Miguel de Allende than they did here in Southern California. I absolutely LOVED my time in that city last March. I felt I learned a lot from painter Frank Gardner and so enjoyed making new friends (Hi Joy, Mary and Kathy) and seeing a bit of that beautiful city. Since then I've worked on a few paintings from photos I took while I was there. (Calle Dorado and Trinity)

I had started one of a scene from the top of Garita Street looking down toward the main cathedral of the city. The jacarandas were blooming and the scene was glorious. As always with scenes involving architecture, I was struggling. I had gotten most of the painting fleshed out when Frank posted a gorgeous painting of almost the same scene. Then he did another ... a night scene that was equally wonderful. I threw up my hands... Put my poor effort in the corner and went on to other things.

A bit later, another blogger friend, Paula Villanova, painted the same scene but VERY DIFFERENTLY. I loved the color and vibrancy of that one too. It was totally different but also wonderful.

About three or four weeks ago our local jacarandas began really blooming here. They were calling to me, saying, "Don't chicken out.... What is your painting is YOURS... It will never be someone else's." Okay, trees here we go... This is MY version. And it WILL always remind me of good times and good people.