"Wood and Swink Post Office" by Brenda Hofreiter

I completed this painting during an invitational paintout sponsored by AAONF in Evinston, Florida. Part of the proceeds from artwork sales went to preserve this Florida frontier era (1882) post office and general store in Evinston, FL. The paintout was successful and over $83,000 worth of artwork was sold during the week-long event. This is the only unsold piece from the 6 paintings I created.

I have great memories of creating this. I finished it after the formal paintout was completed and life was returning to normal after all the hub bub of the paintout. It was lovely to sit and paint outside the post office and watch life return to normal in this quiet rural area. The post office and general store serve as a meeting place for the locals. Neighbors were stopping by to pick up their mail and some fresh produce, and stayed for a bit to exchange news and catch up on events. It was a window on a way of life that still exists and it made me happy that I had a small part in helping to preserve it.