THe Road to Winner, South Dakota

When someone says “home”, my senses are quickly transported to the sounds and smells and sights of the sprawling fields of South Dakota.   This latest whimsical, wonky painting is a gift to a young man born in Winner and raised on a farm west of town.  The first big road he traveled from Winner lead him east to SDSU in Brookings.  After graduation, he followed the same road westward to California.   It’s the same path I took as I was born and raised in Winner, went east to SDSU in Brookings, and then traveled west to California.   

To me, there will always be something magical about South Dakota.  From the beautiful Black Hills with Mount Rushmore and Spearfish Canyon in the west, through the Badlands, across the prairies of wheat and corn, and along the meandering Missouri River to the beautiful Sioux Falls area, it is such a rich and diverse state.  But, for me, the people of South Dakota and their way of life are what make Winner, South Dakota home.  There is a reason this area is called the heartland.  People in this neck of the woods are tough and resilient like the land they farm and the cold winters they survive.  They have old-fashioned values and don’t compromise.  They understand the nature of having their livelihoods dependent on the elements, and they are grateful for life’s blessings.  They know the value of neighboring.  There will always be conversations about the weather, and those discussions sooth my soul when I’m home.    I suspect this young man also thinks of this little spot of South Dakota as home.  

This year, I decided I wanted to paint a picture as a special birthday gift for my nephew.  I asked what type of picture he wanted.  I was not surprised when he said he wanted a painting of South Dakota.  He is a man who wants to live in a city and not on a farm.  Although he is in his element in downtown L.A., I suspect that South Dakota will always be home to him as it always will be to me.  Happy Birthday, T.J.  Love you!