Recently, I was compelled to paint something from my roots, so I painted a '66 Chevy entering the Richmond Fair.
That fair, held annually on the second weekend in September, was a mainstay of my childhood and never did we miss going. It was an event brimming with things to do; local farms and farmers showing their prizewinning livestock, the most incredible homemade goods, contests, live music, square dancing, a bustling midway and activities planned for all ages. As a teenager, sneaking into the beer tent was always the most daring challenge. Cotton candy, giant stuffed teddy bears and long ribbons of tickets for rides hanging from our pockets... those are the images that come to mind. Greeting friends we had just spent the day with at school as though we hadn't seen each other since the Civil War. Complimenting each other's fashion choices and checking out cute boys from nearby towns we had never met before. Giggling, screaming on rides and flirting. Getting bellyaches from cotton candy and dizzy from being spun around at unnatural speeds on the Zipper, Tilt-A-Whirl or the Scrambler. I can smell, taste, feel and hear it all... even after 30 years of missing the Richmond Fair, it's still so fresh in my mind.
My painting 'Richmond Fair 1967' came from a memory of anticipation as the car pulled up to the entrance and the bright lights beckoned us in for what would surely be "the best time ever".
Photo; Courtesy of Expo Richmond Website