At The Park: Murphys Park

At The Park

9" x 12: acrylic on canvas

available: email libbyfife@ymail.com

$65 + $10 USPS or free local delivery

Though we have rain now, two weeks ago the weather was absolutely gorgeous as I sat in Murphys Park in Murphys. The park is beautiful. It is everything you might want right in the middle of a small rural town: bandstand, playground, picnic benches, a creek, and pathways on which to walk. During the summer the trees provide shade and much needed refuge from the temperatures which can get pretty high. The sign at the entrance to the park says that the park was established in 1948. The town itself was established in 1848 by the Murphy brothers who were some of the first to successfully pull their wagons over the Sierras. They set up a trading post and gold mining operation and got to work! The gold mining eventually died out and was replaced by other types of "industry" including grape growing and wine production. Today the town is still up and running and is a popular tourist destination for people seeking a great combination of "old west" and the "wine country" experience. If you would like to read more about the history of Murphys, follow this link here. Also, long time resident Judith Marvin has written an Images of America book about the history of Murphys. It is available locally or through Amazon.

Artist's note:

As enthralled as I was with such a beautiful park, there was quite a lot going on there composition-wise. I settled on this longish view of the tables, bridge, and gazebo and edited out some things to hopefully make a less cluttered painting. I wanted the viewer to feel as if they could sit right down and enjoy an unseasonably warm winter day.

Libby

(Photo included for reference)