A Favorite Painting 1

I've discovered that regular features make it easier to come up with daily posts, and since the political and historical comments are somewhat dependent on events beyond my control (that is, they are generally in response to something else happening in the world) they don't really count. So, herewith, I'm initiating a new recurring topic that ought to pop up a couple of times a week to go along with the philosophy quotes and Friday Family Blogging: Favorite Paintings. The first one I've chosen to highlight is Grant Wood's "Stone City, Iowa" from 1930.

Although I consider myself more of an urban person, preferring big cities to the country, this image has a lot of appeal. It seems so sunny and lush, and it's easy to imagine feeling safe and secure in a place that looks like this. My occasional travels through Iowa actually match up pretty well with this picture, and I've often thought it would not be a bad place to live (though I'd probably opt for Des Moines as a residence, with trips to the country left for weekend relaxation). I guess that's what I like about this painting: it makes me imagine a better future (regardless if it actually plays out quite that way) even as it evokes a bucolic past.