I find inspiration for my paintings frequently from my dreams.
In this dream, I was walking along a golden path and had just reached a clearing in a forest. The air was clear and sweet smelling. The trees in the forest were a little strange and different from the trees that I am use to seeing. Their trunks were very long and the branches didn’t begin until they were well above me. They were like the trees you see growing in Italian countryside. As I was walking, I was aware of the sun rising behind my back. It’s rays were catching on the leaves of the trees and I was aware of the warmth like a wonderful massage on my back. There was a patch of blue flowers along the side of the path that smelled sweet. I actually, picked some of them but they melted as if they were ice leaving behind a wonderful fragrance and a dry hand. It was almost as if they were never really there. As I walked along the path, I could see mountains in the background and trees in the distance from the clearing. I was about to enter the forest but had this wonderful feeling of peace and being an integral part of nature. Life was around me and things were right with the world.
This painting is an interpretation of my dream. It’s very hard to capture the mystical quality of a forest and nature in subtle ways. I am very happy with the results though I hope it conveys to you that sense of peace that I experienced.
24″ x 30, oil on canvas
You can find more of my paintings at http://www.mfcarter.net