John Swincinski

A Gift for the Fourth
oil
60 x 48 in
$6,380
Inquire
It was Fourth of July weekend. The busiest fly fishing weekend of the year. I was in Colorado delivering artwork to the gallery. I couldn’t let the fact that it was a holiday deter me from wetting a line. But there were challenges. The day before, I drove all up and down the South Platte River looking for an available dispersed campsite. But alas, all of Denver was on the South Platte. It started to rain. I wanted a shower and a cocktail – so off to Colorado Springs I went.
The next morning, Fourth of July morning, would be my last morning in Colorado. I had catch fish. A while back, a Colorado Springs local mentioned a place called Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area. I was a little out of the way, but I was convinced that I would be shoulder to shoulder with other anglers anyways. When I finally made it to the parking area, I was shocked to find that it was completely empty. Being the consummate pessimist, I assumed that it must mean that the fishing here was poor. I was wrong – very, very wrong.
The Beaver Creek starts up on Pike’s Peak and in the SWA it flows through a rugged and beautiful box canyon. The walls are high. You have to cross the stream about every 100-yards as the crystal-clear water continues the carving process started hundreds of thousands of years ago. And to my absolute delight, it was full of fish - Browns and Cutthroats. So many in fact, that I could not count how many I hooked with my dry fly. Maybe fifty. Maybe more. The reality is I probably didn’t deserve such a wonderful gift given my poor attitude earlier. I learned my lesson. Mother Nature never lets me down. Even on the Fourth of July.

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Breckenridge Gallery is a carefully curated collection of fine art from renown painters and sculptors. Since 1969, we have offered diverse work including abstract, landscape, impressionistic, wildlife, western, nature, contemporary, bronze, mixed media, and more. As the longest-running fine art gallery in Summit County, Colorado, we welcome collectors and visitors to experience our works in person or online. We're accessible, friendly, and can't wait to show you our gallery at 124 South Main Street in historic downtown Breckenridge, Colorado.

Sunday 11am - 5pm

Monday 12pm - 5pm

Tuesday 12pm - 5pm

Wednesday 12pm - 5pm

Thursday 12pm - 5pm

Friday 12pm - 5pm

Saturday 11am - 6pm

Breckenridge Gallery is a carefully curated collection of fine art from renown painters and sculptors. Since 1969, we have offered diverse work including abstract, impressionistic, landscape, wildlife, western, nature, contemporary, bronze, mixed media, and more. As the longest-running fine art gallery in Summit County, Colorado, we welcome collectors and visitors to experience our works in person or online. We're accessible, friendly, and can't wait to show you our gallery at 124 South Main Street in historic downtown Breckenridge, Colorado.

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