Stranger Safety

Sometimes I wish I could get a little background scoop on random people I meet...you know, a quick Google search and all.  I suppose the mystery is the charm of it all, though.  Yesterday I went for a long walk with one of our dogs.  My path met with that of a woman.  At first I thought she was part of a construction project as she was wearing a bright yellow hard hat.  But after she engaged me in a conversation bits and pieces of what was her life came clearer.  She was quite charmed by my big dog, Hazel, and lamented her similar dog she had put to sleep sometime in the past.  She spoke of her son.  She spoke a lot.  As she continued the little movements I'd noticed at first became what was clearly a tic.  The lines on her face weighed heavy with tales of much grief and life gone unexpected.  As we parted ways I felt some understanding of her need to wear that hard hat. 


About this painting:  I had intended to use it as a background for a drawing, but every time I picked it up to sketch on top of it I just couldn't.  I liked it so much just the way it was.  Hope you do, too.

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