The Flower Bridge

The Flower Bridge

I looked at my cell phone and saw a text message from a good friend and fellow artist, Carla. I hear from her from time to time, as she’s now a devoted wife, mother, and teacher.

Her message said she had some free time on Sunday and asked if I wanted to get together and paint. I looked forward to our outing right away.

Now the question was: where to paint?

Since my studio is located in Simsbury, I thought of the Drake Hill Flower Bridge. I often walk there from my studio for exercise. The views are pleasant, and I believe it captures the essence of the area.

But since Carla had texted first, I asked if she had a place in mind. We tossed around a few ideas, and she mentioned the Farmington Reservoir across from the UConn Health Center.

That sounded good, so we left my studio and headed for the reservoir.

When we got there and parked, we realized there was a barrier of rocks and pockets of water we’d have to cross to reach the edge. It seemed like a bit too much effort for a leisurely outing.

So, I suggested going back to Simsbury to paint the bridge — a subject I’d wanted to paint for a while.

We parked near the bridge, scouted a good spot, set up our easels, and began painting.

It was a peaceful day. There were people of all ages — young, old, and in between — enjoying the scenic views from the bridge. As we painted, we felt the joyful energy of children running by and spoke with a few locals strolling across.

By happenstance, I ran into a man who lived across the street — someone I’d spoken to before. He gave me a bit of history about the bridge.

He told me it was built in 1892 and, at one time, was a single-lane car bridge all the way until 1996, when a new bridge was constructed nearby for heavy traffic.

Later, I chatted with a woman who shared her thoughts about how medical care has become more of a business, and how some advice feels questionable. I agreed with her but added that we still need good doctors.

Conversations like these continued throughout the afternoon as we painted.

Eventually, I took my painting as far as I wanted for that day and decided to finish it later in my studio.

I sat on a boulder at the end of the bridge near River Road and enjoyed a sandwich Carla had kindly brought for me, while she added the finishing touches to her own painting.

When she finished, we said our goodbyes and packed up.

Posted here is the painting of the Drake Hill Bridge in Simsbury that I completed back in my studio, inspired by that wonderful Sunday outing with visitors and my friend Carla.