Bend of the River
Channel Pickering Townsley
Staff Pick | Monthly Muse June 2021
A devoted wanderer, I am often compelled to explore just a bit further. What might be discovered around the next turn? My curiosity and wonder draw me to Channel Pickering Townsley’s Bend of the River, 1919.
Invited in, I follow.
A calm, quiet morning, I imagine the slight rustling of leaves, the faint call of a distant meadowlark, and the untamed churning of the river. Gold patches radiate on branch and chaparral, while long, violet tree-shadows slowly form as the Sun begins to burst over the horizon. Intense contrasts of blue and yellow lead to a well-worn, sunlit path that follows the bend. A faraway cottage perches on the bank.
I reluctantly depart the solace of the painting, leaving no footprint, broken twig, or sign of my presence. The scene remains untouched, pristine into perpetuity.
Dora James
Education Coordinator, Langson IMCA