Tilled soil, crusted earth, fresh greens, and morning dew. These are just a few things that make me think of farm life out here in our humble Morgan County. You dear reader wouldn’t know it, but this foot print is actually from our Morgan County’s very own Levity Farms. Since I’m Chris Cook’s son I do have some inside knowledge and can give some reasoning and/or inspiration as to why my Dad has painted some of the things that he has. This painting was part of the,”Farm 2022″ show my Dad did for the Madison Cultural Center. This painting is also unique in how it was made as well. You can kind of tell by looking at the painting online that it has some depth to it. There is nothing that compares to seeing the real thing of course, because you would have that added depth of being able to feel the texture of the soil as you brush you hand down the canvas. That depth is actually dirt that my Dad got and sprinkled on that painting itself before he painted over it. “It’s pretty hard to paint dirt to look more like real dirt”, this is what my Dad told me as I watched him work his artistic magic on this painting.

I feel as if the more you look at the painting the more you notice about it. I like the detail of the pepper in the corner having morning dew on it’s leaves. There is also how Dad paints the shadows in the boot print to make it have depth on this 2-d surface. I have watched my Dad paint many a painting and still every time I go into his art studio to see what his next artwork is going to be I always learn something new. Weather that be a new style of painting or just him talking me through how he is going to work around something that he wants to change before he is finished. I will be sure to cherish these moments now that I am old enough to be able to grasp more of what he is trying to tell me. I’m doing my best to follow your footprints Dad and I would like to at least try and come close to being the good and kind man you are and will always be.

– Elijah Cook