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Sweet Gardens..

Writer's picture: Vashti VerschoorVashti Verschoor

Many years ago, after hearing a call from God, I moved to Colorado and it changed my life forever!

Colorado is the exact opposite of Florida. For starters...Florida is humid to the point of drowning you, while Colorado will dehydrate you faster than you can say "Jergens"!

The people of Colorado have a Pioneer's spirit! They feel they can achieve anything they set their mind to... Here in Cocoa Florida, we're on vacation...


The catalyst to move out there was the shooting at Columbine High School, resulting in the deaths of 13 people. I will have to write more about that in another post, but this event changed my life, as well as the Nation as a whole!



The people I met in Colorado, quickly became like family to me! In no time I had Mothers, Fathers, Uncles, Brothers and Sisters, Nieces and Nephews... Andrea is one of those Sisters! She wrote to me asking if I would do a piece with Columbine Flowers ... She went to Columbine, Her brother was there that day..


Although he wasn't shot, the terror was felt.. Like I said, so many people affected that day!


It took a long time for this painting to take shape in my heart. A couple of years actually! Andrea would just remind me, every so often, "Don't forget, I'd love that Columbine painting..." ...


I would research Columbine Flowers online, looking at their shape, leaves, texture and color...

I took a 16' x 20" canvas and applied a color wash to get started... I put 13 large Columbine Flowers to represent the fallen and to anchor the garden and the other flowers would represent the many lives affected by their loss.

So many things have happened in the 21 years since this tragedy... I am back in my hometown, Cocoa, Florida... I am married with children... Andrea still lives in Littleton, Colorado with a child of her own... but we still remember and.. we are even, can we say, grateful for an event that brought us together?


Today we are experiencing another life altering event with COVID-19, lockdown and social distancing... Because of the lessons learned in the tragedy of Columbine, I am daily looking at the things that I can be grateful for and a bit excited to see what unexpected blessings are on there way!! We may be forever changed by this event, but we will also be ok!




"April 20th, 1999"

16" x 20"

Acrylic on Canvas

Commissioned Piece

(prints will be available)


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