LARRY REINHART

     I like to go hiking and spend the night in the wilderness.  It's a good way to connect with nature.  My favorite time to go hiking is in the late fall when the days are cool and the nights are cold. The trails are generally very quiet during this time of year.

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     The day that inspired this painting was a very cold day.  The sun had just gone down behind the mountains and the temperature dropped.  I decided to stop and make camp.  I had a very small fire going as I was warming up my dinner.  It's started to snow.  I was sitting there enjoying the quietness and warmth of the fire when a rabbit came out of the brush and hopped closer to the fire.  I was sitting there with the rabbit for a while when a bird showed up.  I laughed because I thought, "This is odd."  The bird squawked as if to acknowledge what I was thinking.  A moment later a female deer came out of the brush.  The deer saw me and froze.  She stood there, I sat there, and we looked at each other.  The fire popped and she bolted, as did the bird and the rabbit. 

 

     I felt at peace.

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     This painting is about the odd things that happen in cold weather.  How animals and people come together for warmth and comfort.  We usually stick to our own, but sometimes, we all come together even if for just a few minutes.