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As summer wears on and everything turns to a similar, dark hue of green, I look for the bright pops of color that Crepe Myrtles bring. They show their colors just as the last of the early summer flowers are giving their last, when everything else is a deep shade of green. I look forward to their arrival not only for the beautifully timed color, but also because of where I went to college.

My Alma Mater

I went to college at University of Ozarks, a small, liberal arts university nestled in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Every summer as we returned for the fall semester, the crepe myrtles lining the middle of campus greeted us as we moved into our dorm rooms. They remained blooming through several weeks of classes as I walked to and from the Smith-Broyles Science Center. They seemed to beckon us back from every corner of the globe back to our college home. Since I loved attending college at U of O, I've carried that love over to the flowering shrub that seemed to welcome me back every fall term.

Memories

I have so many fond memories from my time at the Ozarks and the crepe myrtle has held those memories for me through the years. When I see crepe myrtles, I remember how beautiful the campus looks in the fall with the changing colors of leaves both on the canvas and the hills nearby from my dorm window. I recall walking to my first class of the day in the cold, typically a biology class with either Dr. Jeffries or Dr. Knight. Crepe myrtles also remind me of pancake breakfast the faculty served us one evening before finals week. They remind me of rock climbing in the mountains near the campus in the spring. They remind me of warm spring days with the sun shining brightly on the newly greening trees. These and so many more memories come to me every time I see a crepe myrtle bush.

I think the university has removed those crepe myrtles from the campus, but they remain in my memory, as bright and colorful as ever. So when I saw this house in Jonesboro, coincidentally enough on College Avenue, I knew I had to paint it. The crepe myrtles were in bloom and seemed to add to the beauty of the house. The colorful bushes added to the aesthetics of the house and beckoned me to capture their beauty.

It's funny that in the painting the crepe myrtles are a small part of the painting. Sometimes, that's how things go in life as well. We choose something for one reason, but end up staying for another. I picked the house because of the crepe myrtles, but chose this view because of the beautiful lighting effect on the house that Sunday morning. I hope you enjoy viewing this painting as much as I enjoyed painting it.

Update:

This painting was accepted in the 31st Annual Women's Works Exhibition in Woodstock, IL 2018.