08/05/2023
Most of my preschool and elementary school days were spent along Nolan Creek in Killeen, Texas, not far from FM 440 (now Hwy. 195). My dad was in charge of operations at Allen's Ice Plant and we lived next door in an old wooden building taken from the early construction days of Camp Hood. Since my two brothers were considerably older and there were no kids my age in the immediate area, my days were spent alone roaming the banks and shallow waters of the creek. It was a fascinating place where a young boy's imagination could run free and conjure up all types of adventures and tall tales. Not long ago I went back to that area that had been my playground seventy years ago. The banks were grown up with bushes and weeds and trash had been left by the generations, but the creek was still gently flowing and the wind moving in the trees was not much different than I recalled. This painting was done to keep that magic place in my memory. It is a 12"x 16" oil on panel titled "The Enchanted Place". I still can wade in the water and wonder "what's that over there beyond the bushes?".
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