Smoke and Poppies

I painted this at the Jim Coutts Centre in Nanton, Alberta. The University of Lethbridge hosts four annual Plein Air Paint outs yearly. On this one, we were dealing with the smoke that blew in from Forrest fires in BC Canada as well as Washington US. Because of that, attendance was low. It is usually hard to set up near this field of poppies as it is a well-coveted spot.

I liked the contrast between the vibrant red of the poppies and the haze covering the Popular trees. It reminds me that the colour we have in our lives is due to others' sacrifices and service.