Telluride, Colorado is a favorite vacation spot for one young family I know.
They’ve found so many things they like to do there that they have now made going there an annual trip for parents, children and grandchildren. From their myriad of photographs of their outings, I managed to select this picture to paint. It gives them a memory they will always have to look at, both to reminisce about past good times and to build their anticipation of the next Summer trek to Southwestern Colorado.
It was not easy to select the “right” photo to paint from. The family members all had favorites, based on which activity they preferred. A couple of them liked hiking in an area with steep drop-offs and precarious, narrow trails. Detractors pointed out that such a location, because it was not appealing to most of the family, didn’t capture a positive memory of the area that all shared. The same argument was true for those who liked to frequent the quaint shops in town. So, capturing the high altitude beauty, the variety of flora and fauna, and the unanimous appeal of a hiking trail — even though it wasn’t considered challenging by all, won the day.
Most important: The family reports that the resulting painting captures enough of the beautiful area to recall a positive memory for all.