water mist

While I was casting on the river this weekend, Derek armed himself with the camera and got some wonderful shots of the mist rolling in on the water. The fog comes on suddenly, lingering thick and mysterious until the morning sun burns it away several hours after it rises.

river morning

Saturday morning I dragged Derek out of the tent around 5:00 a.m. to hit the river at sunrise. He dropped me off at a place I had a hunch might be harboring some trout. Sure enough, with the helpful advice of a fellow fly fisherman who showed up an hour later, I landed my first rainbow trout ever. Truly a great day.

caney sunset

Friday night we ventured east to Center Hill Lake and nabbed one of the last campsites on the lake. I rushed down to the river before sunset to make a few casts before dark. After fishing until dark (and catching nothing) I had a chance to try my hand at cooking over the fire in my new dutch ovens. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and relaxed around the glowing embers.

georgia storm

The week has managed to get away from me. I drove to Atlanta to deliver paintings for a show on Thursday, a long but beautiful drive. On the way back, I watched a summer storm roll through the mountains and plateau.

fireworks

We made a last-mintue decision to head downtown for Nashville's famous fireworks just as we saw them beginning on television. I couldn't in good conscience know that the massive display was happening only three miles away and sit on the couch watching instead. We managed to linger downtown long enough to see the never-disappointing show from the car, and escaped before the mass exodus away from the riverfront. The only way to do it...

exotic yellow

Since my plant identification skills are obviously lacking, I simply have to paint this intricate plant without knowing its name. Its bright yellow spiky center caught my eye at once, one of many treasures to be found in the woods this time of year.

myrtle

On Saturday we broke away from the house and went for a short walk in Beaman Park. I wanted to practice identifying wild plants, hoping to learn some new ones. We walked slowly, explored the creekbed, and took plenty of photos. I found, though, that when I arrived home to look up all the unfamiliar plants, I had not gathered enough information. So, my best guess is that this is myrtle, though I could easily be mistaken.

dark dusk

This glowing dusk is one that I have wanted to paint for some time, with its warm light and dramatic darks. I would love to see it very large, looming dark. I still have not found the best way to approach it technically, but I think it is worth figuring out.

kingfisher

Although I spent most of the time on my fishing outing with my eyes glued to the water, I was occasionally startled from my concentration by a huge great blue heron or a striking kingfisher gliding by. I admired their confidence on the river, certain of their next meal, especially since I felt completely inept and out of place.

caney fork

On Friday morning I had my first-ever solo fly fishing outing. I felt a little lost, even after managing to find the place and set up my rod. I really didn't know where to begin-- I just made my best guess, picked out a spot that didn't look too difficult to wade, and made a few very poor casts. Of course, those tactics don't lead to catching trout, but I had a wonderful time on the river and spent the morning watching the mist rise from the water. Even though I have yet to catch a trout, I would gladly spend many hours more on the water trying.

canal

This month, along with working on two of the largest pieces I have ever attempted, I will also be focusing on a series of images for a show in Knoxville this fall. Here and there, I will be working out some of the color and composition issues as daily studies. This image is from my trip through Holmes County, Ohio earlier this year, of a deep canal cutting through some farms. I liked the rich, dark earth and the deep green of the banks.

black locust

What better way to learn about plants and animals than to draw or paint them? When you spend time looking at forms and colors, they are burned into your memory in a unique way. I have long been embarassingly bad at identifying trees, but from now on will know the locust by its graceful leaves.

coreopsis

Yet again, my notes seem to be incorrect, since I had recorded this as a "whorled" coreopsis, and upon further research it seems to be "greater" coreopsis. I have just been informed that one one else is nerdy enough to care about the difference, but if I learned one thing about edible plants (which this is not), it is that one should be absolutely certain of identifying what one eats. Don't eat this one...but if you live in the east or south, go out in the woods and find one. They're beautiful!

spicebush

After coming across spicebush in some previous reading, I was really hoping to learn to identify it, since I was not already familiar with it. It is such an "ordinary" looking plant, though, that I doubt I will notice it quickly in the wild. The woody stems are used to make a tea called spicewood, and the dried berries are used as allspice (finely ground for seasoning). Hopefully I will find a little of my own someday to try these tastes.

elderberry

Next in my little botanical series is the lovely elderberry...at this time of year it shows large white flower heads, but is also known for small, dark berries known to make good country wine (or so they say).

arrowhead

Although I wrote down in my notes that this marsh-growing plant is called "arrowroot," after further research it seems that this version may be called "arrowhead," true arrowroot having a much different leaf shape. Both are reputed to have edible roots, although the arrowroots are dug after twenty years, so one would probably have a long wait.

bergamot

After my little outdoor retreat this week, I am back in the studio (at least for now). Aside from my first success at casting a fly rod correctly (and catching a nice largemouth bass), I found the most fascination with the edible plants class that I took. We tasted and foraged and I learned a great deal...almost too much information to take in all at once. This exquisite plant is bergamot, also known as the distinctive taste of earl grey tea, which I am enjoying as I paint.

rolling field edge

Here is a little study of an image I found in Iowa. I have always liked the barely-visible tree rows in the distance. On another note, I will be spending the next few days at an outdoor workshop learning about wild edible plants and flyfishing, among other things. I will not be posting again until early next week, but hopefully I will have plenty of great new images by then!

heavy skies

I have always been drawn to images with rain-heavy skies. There is a drama inherent in the waiting for a downpour. I love deep green trees and dry golden fields begging the purple sky for rain.

deep twilight

When I came across this image among the thousands I have shot this summer for potential landscape reference, I immediately wanted to paint it. I love the way the light comes through the trees sharply, muting everything in front of it.