I was an "artist-in-residence" at Dollywood Theme Park, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee a few years ago for one summer. Sonny and I had to dress in costumes of the 1860's pioneer period. My long dress and bonnet were sweltering in the 100 degree plus humid weather! Sonny got off easy with wearing bib overalls, as he wears them all the time at home anyway! We were located in a "barn", and I demonstrated painting while Sonny manned the booth of my artwork. While there I painted this scene of cotton fields near northeastern North Carolina. I can't tell you how many people thought it was a cotton field that they had personally scene, in lots of different states! I had one old man watch me paint and he said, "That makes my back hurt. I remember picking cotton as a young boy for fifty cents a hundred pounds, that's a lot of cotton!" Then he wisely said, "Why didn't you paint the scene 'after' the cotton was picked?" Hummm. I said, "Why didn't you come by earlier before I painted all the cotton?" A lot of little kids didn't know what the white "flowers" were! They'd never seen cotton growing before. They thought it came in medicine bottles or plastic bags in little balls! I had taken some samples from the actual fields to show folks, thinking this might happen. They were amazed by the cotton boll and all the little seeds embedded in the cotton.

The Bible Scripture title on this scene is:

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest?' Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!"

- John 4: 35