There is a brief period of time in spring that I like to call Awakening Season. It's that time of year after the snow melts when everything seems to start to come alive. The birds are singing, leaves are breaking out, snowmelt is running high in the streams and rivers, growth in the forest floor is poking through the remnants of winter and the bugs are not yet unbearable.
Nothing exemplifies this season better than a woodland stream with its rush of water spilling over rocks. The sound is energizing. The air is filled with the scent of wet ground and fresh growth. And lucky for me, the opportunities for interesting paintings are everywhere!
Of course the challenges of painting all these textures and colors, from the hard edged rocks to the flowing water, deep shadows, glistening light, and fresh green leaves, requires some careful observation. The sheer volume and variety of surfaces and objects leads to some simplification, but in the end patience is rewarded.
