The Boston Public Garden Delights!

"Elo and the Ducklings" 24x30 oil

My 2 year old granddaughter, Elouise, lives near the Boston Public Garden. I think she thinks  of the Garden, the Common, and the Esplanade as her backyard. We have frequented the "Make Way for Ducklings" sculpture since she was born. Her first spring, summer and fall was spent sitting on the blanket and watching other children climb and play on the ducks. We would pose her on a duck for a photo now and then. By the following spring she was walking and couldn't wait to explore them by herself. I have loved them for a while, but have never spent so much time there until the past two years. The sculptor, Nancy Shon, has brought much delight, not just to children, but to adults too. Robert McCloskey's book delighted generations and inspired the sculpture. The book is a piece of my childhood, and it and many visits to the sculpture inspires me as an artist. My first painting of the ducklings was without  Elo, but now I am adding figures in to my landscapes and Elo is a favorite. I find the duckling compositions work from many different angles and the subject  matter has great appeal. The sunlit bronze reflects surrounding colors and is so tactile. I hope my painting inspires viewers to visit them too, or to recall a memory made there. They'll keep you forever young!