One of Stephen Sondheim's best known musicals is called Sunday In The Park
With George. It is a fictionalized version of the pointillist artist Georges Seurat, as
he draws inspiration for his work, during visits to the public parks of Paris. I have
lived beside a park for over sixty years, and that close access to views of the
changing seasons, has undoubtedly been an inspiration in my own work.
This past Sunday, I was finally able to spend a short time in the park, after being
confined to a sickbed for most of the month. During my confinement I had not witnessed
the daily, gradual changes in the foliage, from the fading greens to the more brilliant
tones of Autumn. I saw with surprise, that many of the maples had already hit the peak
of color, and had already begun to set their leaves adrift on the winds.
I did not risk a health setback by walking the full length of the park on Sunday, but I
did take a few photos of the section closest to me. I have reached an age at which it
becomes a question, as to how many more of these Autumn changes I am likely to
witness. We all need to ask ourselves whether that last fading leaf, drifting away on the
wind, may be the last we see. Perhaps then we will plan our lives more wisely.
I will post a few of my Sunday photos here. Perhaps there is another artist out there
who will find a bit of inspiration in them, maybe even one by the name of George.
Eugene P. McNerney
