I finished Country Blessings during the Thanksgiving season, actually the day before Thanksgiving. It took the longest for me to complete of any of my published pieces so far because I just really wanted to put a lot of effort into it. I wanted to really capture the feeling of the season, the color, the grandeur of the mountains, and most importantly the feeling of home. I wanted to start with a soft darker sky in the background and layer on top of that really bright Fall colors. I wanted the really bright colors in there to give maybe hint at the warmth and the joy of the season for Thanksgiving. Then I wanted a distant mountain range so that maybe we give a hint of Winter being on the way, you know of a kind of dark cloud back there so as to appear like a cold front is moving in. Then the biggest thing I wanted to capture was the road to beckon you in to the farm. I accomplished this technically by making he closest fence posts appear larger and get gradually smaller as you walk into the painting. I really wanted it to be well lit and I really wanted you to just feel like entering into the farm and then resting on the porch in one of the chairs. Some of you would want to go into the barn, and none of my paintings would be complete if it wasn't for having several critters. Inside the barn you will find a cow sniffing noses with a golden retriever, I also painted a squirrel in the nearest tree sitting on a branch. This is my friend, his name is Buddy. Another thing that gives this painting special meaning is the tractor; my grandpa had a tractor that looked much like this one. I hope you feel the joy and warmth of Thanksgiving and I really hope that God blesses you as you enjoy Country Blessings.

~ Abraham Hunter

Country Blessings by Abraham Hunter