Nostalgia

nos•tal•gia
noun \nä-ˈstal-jə, nə- also nō-; nə-ˈstäl-\
: a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one’s life, to one’s home or homeland, or to one’s family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the past.

I think we’ve all experienced nostalgia at one point or another – we hear a song and remember our youth, see a picture and are instantly transported back to a different time, usually (although not always) remembering those times as better, gentler, kinder.

Although often bittersweet, nostalgia counteracts loneliness, boredom and even anxiety. It is a reminder that life has roots and continuity, providing strength to keep moving forward.

A Girl and Her Dog
2014

This painting, A Girl and Her Dog, is a commissioned piece, based on one woman’s memories of her childhood home. Growing up in a log cabin in Canada, she remembered vividly an old wagon, a ‘29 Chevy, her dog and the beautiful Northern lights. For her, this piece is a reminder of her youth, a time when things may have seemed simpler, a time long past.

I’m happy to say that she loves the painting and the nostalgia it evokes.

The Way the West was Won

Imagine with me, if you will, what it took to take a 2,000-mile journey on foot, to an untamed wilderness, taking few possessions, hoping for good weather conditions, decent health and no encounters with other people hostile to you. Imagine your wife and young children walking, day after day, by your side, sometimes hungry, often thirsty and tired, frequently scared, no roadside rest stops, restaurants or hotels. Really, no roads, just a well-worn trail and trail guide to keep you headed towards your destination.

Opportunity, for the bold and the brave, the opportunity for a better life, religious freedom, wealth, and land was the motivation for this journey of a lifetime. It wasn’t long before trading and hunting routes blazed by fur traders and Native Americans were well worn, deep and wide, as thousands of wagons, animals and people passed by.

As many as a half million people traveled this way and along the way, numerous individuals died. There is a body buried every 80 yards along the trail, with over 20,000 men, women and children dying during their journey. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to bury a loved one, and then continue on, one foot after another.

Women were an important part of settling the West; their lives were difficult, fraught with hard work, and sorrow. As I painted this, I thought of my ancestors and those of my wife, making their slow, deliberate way across those wide-open plains, crossing rivers and even mountains, burying their children and their spouses, on their way to the Great Salt Lake Valley.

The Way the West was Won
Gale F. Trapp, 2013

In this painting, I tried to convey the reluctance of a mother leaving behind her beloved child, facing the necessity of moving on, the cow seeming to sense the somber mood, while the wagon train continues the journey west. The mountain peak represents the obstacles still ahead, the dark sky the gloom of the moment. Not all is sad though, as little children in the wagon represent the hope for the future.

Wishes for the New Year

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and productive 2014.

Productivity can be exhausting…

These past few months have been filled with physical challenges for me, including not one, but two knee surgeries (the second to fix an unusual problem with the first), anemia brought on by said knee surgery, and finally, a Christmas celebration in the hospital as I faced gall bladder surgery. Many thanks to the kind doctors and nurses (especially my patient wife) as they helped me through these issues. I’m humbled by the kindness of strangers and blessed by the love of my family and reminded daily to be grateful for these challenges, because I am alive and able to face them.

Today, I am feeling considerably better and definitely looking forward to the new year. Excited for the day I can brave the stairs and enter the art studio again, paintbrush in hand, to imagine life before ready surgery, sterile hospitals and modern medicine. While I will always love history, and wish that I had been around to traverse the mountains with the fur trappers, for now at least, I am glad to live in modern times.With that in mind, I once again, wish you a happy, healthy and productive 2014.