Templeton Feed & Grain

I heard the news around 5:55 am on July 5th. The emotions that surfaced were complicated - disbelief, anger, loss, and a deep, unimaginable grief. I didn’t know where to put it all, and in moments where I feel overwhelmed, I paint.

I had taken this photo of the Templeton Feed and Grain just two months earlier, in May 2025, while I was filling up my car at the Templeton Market. Friends had been asking me for years to paint the granary, and I thought to myself, “This is a good angle for that someday painting.” Like so many things we think will be around forever, I didn’t realize it would be the last photo I’d ever take of it - or the last time I’d ever really appreciate it’s silhouette in the Templeton skyline.

It’s strange how we don’t always realize what something means to us until it’s gone, until it’s too late to take another photo. My heart has found comfort in the outpouring of love from our small, close-knit community. I grew up in Templeton and have called it home for 37 years. The Templeton Feed & Grain was the heartbeat of this little town, and though the building is gone, I know it lives on in the memories and hearts of all of us.

I began painting while my heart was breaking and the fire was still burning. The original, an oil on a 30" by 40" canvas, took roughly 70 hours to complete. For an artist that typically paints people, that tangle of pipes and cables was tricky to get right.

My hope is that this print brings you a smile, sparks a cherished memory, and serves as a gentle reminder to be present - to love fully, and to appreciate that every day is a gift. We never know when the things we love will be gone.