Lemons and Mint

10 x 14 Oil on Linen

August. Friends chatting on the deck, dogs playing in the pond, sun tea brewing. A little down time, a million miles away from work. Unless you are an artist. I cut a few sprigs of mint from the herb garden and drop them in a glass of water to keep them fresh, start to slice the lemons, catch the blue napkin out of the corner of my eye. Suddenly I'm no longer thinking about iced tea for my friends. A little painting is starting in my head. Yellow lemons, blue napkin, a warm red tabletop. Primary colors. Perfect. A shimmer of light passing through the water glass, the dark greens of the mint, a neutral background to control the scene. Cool, refreshing, it can't miss. I return to my friends with the tray of iced teas but it's hard to hear the conversation. I'm listening to the painting. I'm hearing it as one of the 500 or so keyboard sonatas by Scarlatti. Delightful. I finish the painting in my head, tomorrow I will transfer it to a bit of canvas. Down time, relax. I turn to talk to Bill and am fascinated by the shadow that his hat is casting over his face. His eyes resting in the shade as the sun lights up his cheeks, a highlight lands on the end of his nose...Another painting...Down time, relax.....