I lived in an Old spanish house on a hill for eight years, until I got a call from my landlord saying he had broken up with lis girlfriend and needed to take the house for himself. I was going through a challenging time myself and the disruption of the forced move on short notice had an impact. at the same time, the usually pricey Santa Barbara housing market was peaking and had become daunting. Life's inevitable uncertainty and impermanence seemed heavy and dark.
Then a great place appeared: a spacious, light-filled loft in town, with ocean and mountain views. with this as my new home, I looked back and painted " the Open gate" as a memento of the joy I knew in the old house, a send-off to the past and a celebration of an auspicious beginning.
Shadows of trumpet vine, bougainvillea and palms mingle with the old brick of the front porch. I painted this from a photo. It is the most representational piece in a series around light and shadow.
Christopher Pilafian
Age: 56
"The Open Gate"
Acrylic on canvas 48" x 30"
2003
