Sunday, December 4, 2011

A CEMETERY, RECLAIMED By Cecelia Lyden

oil/canvas

11x14




Inspired by a story in our Harrisburg Patriot newspaper about a local Vietnam veterans group becoming caretakers of the Historical Lincoln Colored Cemetery, I sought out the cemetery. It containes the remains of about 80 Afro-Americans, some veterans of the Civil War. I got permission from the owners of the property for a group of plein air painters and I to paint there . It's in a very small and carefully tended area, surrounded by serene, beautiful farmland. Its peaceful setting and clusters of trees reminded me of some of the Gettysburg battlefield settings, but its simple tombstones and small size made it much more humble.