The Engagement

When you have great friends, consider yourself blessed.

I have many that I am proud to call friends.

However, when I moved to Plaquemine, we had

great neighbors, Lionel and Linda Collins.

My maiden name is also Collins but that is not

why I call them Hubster and Sister Wife.

Don't get all excited, it is all platonic.

I labeled them this because after my divorce and 

the sale of my home, moving into the Cottage

was made a bit easier because these two were my pals.

If I needed help, advice, company,

I could call either of them and they would be here.

Unless of course, they were on one of their many vacations, Lol.

When I needed to have my fireplace redone,

Hubster not only did my homework for me,

but came over to install the things he told me to order.

We try and have coffee visits as often as we can.

Ok, that is setting the tone for the blog.

All of that and I have not even got to the meat of the blog.

They love their family and like all of us with Grandbabies,

they adore each of theirs. 

However, their oldest, Chaston, lived with them for most of his life.

Chas lived in my big home until it sold which gave me lots

of peace of mind. 

When a few months ago, they shared that Chaston and his long time

girlfriend, Aryelle bought a home together and they would like 

a home portrait, I was excited to do it.

A little background, their new home is beautiful but

the thing they are most excited about it the acres that came with

it allowing Aryelle to have her horses on their property instead

of being housed in a rented stall.

They were so happy, so proud of them.

They asked if I could put their dogs in the photo.

I explained that sure I could but because of the scale they would be small.

It did not matter to them as long as they would know it was their pups.

If you have read the blog about the home portraits,

you will know that my paintings are not just putting a home on slate.

No, much more is involved. I sketch the home until I am

happy with it, I pray for those I am working with,

I think and pray about the music or papers I will use on each

project. Because this was a surprise gift, I could not ask

the little couple what they liked.

Going through the many music books I have, looking

for titles that would be special,

my hand kept going back to a song 

"A MAN AND HIS DREAM"

I told myself, no. This is the couple's dream, not just his own.

I texted Linda, "Any chance they might get engaged for Christmas"

her answer was they said no because with the buying of the house,

moving the horses to the new property, it was just not going to happen.

I put the titled music sheet back in my stash. I found a few others

an still my hand came back to

"A MAN AND HIS DREAM"

Something told me I just had to use it so I did.

I placed my music down on slate, covered with my chosen music 

and began to paint their beautiful home.

As I do with all paintings, I kept in touch with 

Linda with many questions.

She told me when they built the fence together,

she shared when the horses were moved

and then, a few days later she sends me this photo:

My heart must have known, when i chose that music piece,

that this was coming. Surprisingly, no one else did.

As Chaston helped Aryelle move her horse to their homestead,

he planned this engagement.

Yes! Score! Now my Title fit perfectly.

I am not a face painter, Just don't want to take the time to study

people portraits that it would take for me to be proficient at it.

But to have this beautiful photo of their engagement,

both dogs in the photo, her horse she loves like her child,

I had to find a way to add it into my painting.

I was nervous about it, the scale had to be small but 

I had to make it look like them and as close to the photo as

I could get it. Just like what happens for many of the home portraits,

I surprised myself. Although no facial features, everyone will 

know this as the engagement because of the iconic photo.

I could not wait for Hubster and Sista Wife to see it in person

as the waves in the slate and the paper, does not do the painting justice.

I invited them for coffee and presented them with the finished product.

I was proud of it and they were pleased, could not wait to 

gift it to the very special couple, Chaston and Aryelle.

...And now the title,

A BOY AND HIS DREAM

made sense. Good luck to the happy, beautiful couple.

Thank you Hubster and Sista Wife

not only for your order for being such amazing friends!