Belvidere Pond in Belvidere Vermont is a beautiful location with great roadside access. After a few trips I just had to wait out the autumn colors to get a nice collection of reference images. On this day the late afternoon/early evening stillness left a beautiful calm on the water, and since it had rained earlier in the day there was just a hint of mist above the surface of the pond.
The painting has an interesting history. Started as a 24 x 18 it came together fairly quickly over a few painting sessions. Except for the bottom 1/4 of the painting. After weeks of contemplation, repainting, and reworking, I finally determined that the part of the painting that was giving me trouble was also unnecessary. It created a somewhat awkward composition is its original form. The solution? Cut off about 5 inches from the bottom of the painting. While unconventional, I am very happy with the result.
