A Painter of Memories and the Bolivar Light House

The Beacon
Mark Nesmith
Oil on Canvas
8" x 10"
2015

I have painted the Bolivar light house several times in the last couple of years.  It's a sight I never seem to grow tired of and brings back the thrill of waiting on the ferry to go to Galveston as a kid. I started this little 8" x 10" after lunch a couple of days ago and spent yesterday afternoon finishing it. I often post progress photos of my paintings on Facebook, and yesterday when I posted this one I immediately had a buyer.  She and I have been Facebook friends for the past year or so and she often sends me incredibly thoughtful and kind comments about paintings I post. She's wanted to buy one for herself for a while and the timing hadn't worked out yet.

She used to live at the coast but moved to North Texas decades ago.  She had plans to move back home to the Gulf Coast with her sweetheart but he died a year or two ago.  Turns out this would be their anniversary and she's decided to make this painting an anniversary present to herself in honor of her life with him. When she commented about the painting she told me "It looks like you have painted a picture of a memory of a light house...not just a painting of a light house.  You're a painter of memories."

Wow! It's always nice to have buyers for my work, but when something I've made touches someone so deeply money doesn't compare.  When people ask me about the subjects I choose to paint I always point out that each and every image is related to a memory I have of time spent with the people I love. My paintings are a personal diary of sorts.  I'm humbled and honored every time someone else chooses to make my memories a new page in their own book of life.