A summer evening from my childhood

OK, I know this is a worn-out cliche’, but it really rings true for me. This represents that certain time of the summer evenings I knew as a boy.

Yes, it really is true: When the streetlights came on, it meant we had to go home. Of course, there might still be hours of fun yet to come, but it all had to happen in our yards (or at least close-by).

I was originally inspired to paint this by a smaller piece I did with my grandson, Atlas. That piece has similar proportions, composition, colors, and theme. I really didn’t know what the name for this piece might be (or if it even would have a name) until the very end, when I added the birds in the lower right. I took a step back and thought “Fly away, fly away home”.

So, there you have it. My interpretation of a summer evening from my childhood, when I could wander safely, explore the world around me, and my bicycle was the key to my first taste of freedom. Enjoy!