Art with a Story

I love art with a story! 

Last week while I was in Crested Butte, I saw this beautiful garden outside of Teocalli Tamale in Crested Butte, Colorado. The flowers just captivated me! Mostly because they were stunningly gorgeous especially against the colorful wall and partly because, let’s be honest, I didn’t expect the cool powder-seeking snowboarders to have such amazing flowers in their garden!!  I snapped a quick photo to remember their beauty. 

(By the way, if you’re ever in Crested Butte, you must stop by Teocalli Tamale for a tamale or burrito! They are the absolute best!  They are located at 311 Elk Ave in Crested Butte, CO. But you’ll recognize the brightly colored building!)

A few days later, I attended an “art crawl” through the local art galleries in town. It was raining and it was cold but my husband and I love art so off we went to explore.  I am so thankful that we did!!

We visited several of our favorite galleries (Redline, Shaun Horne Gallery, Oh Be Joyful and Eclectic, to name a few). When we entered the Shaun Horne gallery we noticed there was a new artist being featured in the gallery. Don Sahli is a well renowned artist and he has joined Shaun and his wife Dawn in their gallery. Don has a very unique (Russian influenced) impressionistic style and he uses lots of color!! He also has some ties back to Tulsa which made for some  fun and interesting conversation. 

I showed Don, Shaun and Dawn the photograph I had taken of the Teocalli garden and told them I hoped someone would paint it!  Don had already spotted the flowers and had taken some photos as well. 

On Monday, I drove down Elk Ave and there he was! Don was painting my colorful flowers! ❤️

I stopped in the gallery today and the painting is finished! It’s fabulous. It’s bright and colorful and it captures everything I love about the Colorado wildflowers!  

I happened to be wearing the exact color from the painting! It was a match made in heaven.  We snapped a quick pic to commemorate the occasion. 

Don named the painting “Kelly’s Colors” and it’s definitely done in my colors! It will also be hanging in our Colorado home, “Our Happy Place”, as soon as the paint has fully dried.  I am truly honored to have a Don Sahli painting in my home!

I’m so thankful that I said yes to an opportunity I almost declined. Sometimes the best evenings are the ones with low expectations. It was cold and dreary but in the end I have a bright and cheery masterpiece that warms my heart!