How the Art Happens - Painter Boy Columbine

April 09, 2025 • Leave a Comment

Painter Boy Columbine

Painter Boy ColumbineA Colorado Blue Columbine, the state flower, blooms beside the hulk of an abandoned blue truck at the Painter Boy Mine in Gunnison County, Colorado.

Right after I moved to Colorado, I spent lots of time exploring the backcountry around my home in Crested Butte. There were a handful of backroads that I would travel in my diesel VW Rabbit. Most of these roads were more appropriate for a Jeep or other 4 wheel drive vehicle, which I did not own. Thanks to the very short wheelbase, my Rabbit survived the journeys. Many days I was lucky to make it home.

About five and a half miles from my home was the Painter Boy mine site. It was a spot where hearty miners searched for gold, silver, and lead. I'm not sure how successful they were, but they left behind an old International truck and a little bit of building. In the late afternoon, the truck made a cool silhouette against Crested Butte Mountain in the distance. Today, there's only a tiny bit of truck left at the site. The building is long gone. The owners of the property have it pretty well closed off to visitors.

Painter Boy Mine ViewThe old International truck at the abandoned Painter Boy Mine near Crested Butte, Colorado is silhouetted below Crested Butte Mountain in the distance.

While exploring the scene, I noticed the single Colorado Blue Columbine growing below the front fender of the remains of the truck. The contrasts of nature vs. industry, soft vs. hard, new vs. old, and alive vs. dead were just too much to pass up. Even though the shadows made exposure difficult, I was able to record the scene above. For the contrasts stated, this has always been a favorite scene of mine, even though it has generated no commercial value. I don't remember ever selling a single print of this photograph. That's the way art seems to work. The creations of the artist frequently don't align with market forces and we are left with personal images that matter only to us. I have many, but there's still time for "Painter Boy Columbine" to turn the corner!

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