"Thunder Maker" Oil on Canvas, 8X10"

                                                                                                           


















I was having a tough day on Saturday, so  packed up my painting gear and headed to one of my favorite spots.  This is Chase Falls, and I have painted it many times, but never en plein air, and never swollen like this with spring run off.  It was really an amazing experience for me.  The sound was mesmerizing and powerful.  I put up my umbrella because mist was landing on my palette.  During an afternoon in a spot like this, tension melts and a meditation begins.  The day to day is dwarfed by the power of the place and vigor and elan can manifest.

Experiences like this are the immediate gratification that the outdoor painter gets.  You don't  necessarily walk away  with a large piece, a finished piece, or even a marketable piece. If you do that is icing.  What you always walk away with is an experience; one that cannot be gotten within the safe confines of the studio.