We began to pack up all of the paints right after breakfast. I was hoping to get to Chautauqua, which really would have been an adventure!  With the time we had, our hike would just be to the Rose Garden, across the street in Roosevelt Park. I packed all the brushes I still had, a couple palette knives, the gel plate, the brayer, the deli paper, the medical paper, a tarp, and a plastic container of water, if we needed it. And about five stencils. I looped the canvases together on a strap. One for each of us, and one for cleaning our brushes.  Off we went!  Asa carried ALL of the paint!  His pack was heavy for sure. It’s a workout, a hike ‘n paint. For the body, for the mind. Soothing for the soul. Painting with a five-year-old.

We quickly set up once we arrived in the rose garden, using the paper to safeguard the concrete and bricks. 

I like to start with a poem on my canvas. This time, a declaration. Peace. Love one another. Support. Three declarations.  This is what I declare for me. My friends. My family. For all of humanity. 

We all got busy painting in the beautiful cloudless Colorado sun. Asa with the brayer, creating color blocks. His mom, brushing flow and strength. Me with my declaration. We all used the gel plate as the palette, all of us painting with the same colors. 

The stencils came out. More colors. More layers. More laughter and joy being in our creative zones in the warm Colorado sunshine. People walking the park on this beautiful day, stopped by to say hello, have a peak at what we were doing. Curious. Happy.  Someone left a little pencil drawing on the concrete near us. 

I painted Asa and his hat on top of the stencils and the poem, smashing on impressions of roses with clumps of deli paper. And as always, the canvas where we cleaned our brushes was so interesting. 

In the end, we made no drips. We all left with a little more color.  On our faces, in our hair. In our hearts. What a beautiful day.