Art for the Love of It

Here is a painting that I'm just about finished with that I'm giving to the Palmer Home Orphanage in Columbus, MS. My friend Vicki Overstreet emailed some of the members of the Mississippi Oil Painter's Association to let us know that some art could be used in the Orphanage and what was needed in the various "Cottages". The children live in groups on the campus and I selected the boys cottage. Here's why: When I was a child I had very kind foster parents who had previously worked at Palmer Home as house parents before they decided to keep foster children in their real home up in Calhoun County. What cottage did they parent? The boys cottage! They were there up until the year before several girls including my sister and  I came to live with them! So I have a sentimental attachment to Palmer Home Boys Cottage from the funny and sometimes endearing stories they told about the boys!

 At the Lake (c) Oil, 30x24 by Dot Courson

I wanted to paint a scene that boys would enjoy and something that made the viewers feel both safe and happy! My hope is that it's just a fun scene for boys to view day in and day out. It's a scene that I love, and have painted before,and you'll recognize it if you go to my website,  I've just added the boys in this one-  and kept the brush stokes a little looser.