THE SOUTH

I can feel the spirit of the south in the crowing of the rooster in the early morning. I can feel the spirit of the south in the sound of the crickets in the silence of the night and in the sound of the wind blowing trough the trees. I can feel the sprit of the south in the old country spirituals that radiate through the country churches on a Sunday. The spirit of the south is present in the smell of the country dirt after the rain has sprinkled the earth or in the smell of honeysuckle growing on  a wooden fence.  There is beauty in the South, a beauty that cannot be matched by any architectural design created by man. There is a refuge in the silence of a country night and in the sound of a flowing stream. In the depth of the country in the beauty of the greenness of the earth there you will find  peace. You  will gain an appreciation of the elements of the earth. There you can experience the  fullness of the God as Creator. I am a product of the south. A product of  my family, town and church. My personality was shaped by values of the people who lived simple but rich lives. It is through my paintings that I depict the beauty of the rural South.  It is through my paintings that I tell the story of a people that are strong in values, culture and spirituality. It is through my paintings that I tell the story of a time that was simple but beautiful.