Recreating a memory is nearly impossible. We often times try to relive them in our minds, but at no fault of our own, the memory is not perfect. This painting is a particularly special piece to me because I created it for my wife, Amanda. During college, she studied abroad in Granada , Spain , a place that she loved and frequently yearns for. While she was there, she took hundreds of photos of the city and its people…trying to capture the moments she was in. It was as if she knew that leaving Granada would break her heart. The painting is based off of a photo she took of the façade of Granada ’s 16th Century gothic cathedral. A place so special that King Fernando of Aragon, Queen Isabel of Castile and their daughter Juana and her husband Felipe, are laid to rest in its Royal Chapel.
Many people, including myself, have traveled to the City, allowing it to woo them with its charm. During his final days in Granada , Washington Irving wrote “Day after day was spent in lingering about my favorite haunts, and day after day they appeared more delightful in my eyes.” I know this is how my wife feels about Granada . Each crack and crevice, every statue, building, tree and street performer became more delightful to her each moment she was there. I am so glad to have created a piece that she sees everyday and smiles at when she thinks of this beautiful City where she left a piece of herself behind.
The title The Pleasantest Dreams of a Life is taken from Washington Irving’s book Tales from the Alhambra . "A little further and Granada , the Vega, and the Alhambra , were shut from my view; and thus ended one of the pleasantest dreams of a life, which the reader perhaps may think has been but too much made up of dreams."
