September Sentinel

Just got back from our 'up north' camping spot in Florence, WI.  We have a vintage 1976 Free Spirit Holiday Rambler that we refurbished and "camp" in when we go fishing.  And it has become one of my favorite places to go painting or photographing scenes for painting.  I keep a large photo reference file for times when I can't or don't want to go outdoors to paint.

I had however, planned to do some plein air work during the last week of May, but several rather violent spring storms, kept me inside.  Its one thing to brave the elements to catch the light, the atmosphere of a place.  Don't get me wrong, I love to paint outdoors.  There is nothing like it for seeing color. But its another thing to paint in 40 - 60 mile an hour wind, driving rain and hail, thunder and lightning.  No longer an adventure, I say that's a little crazy....and dangerous.

So, here it was late May and I was painting indoors from some photos I took in the Florence area last September, instead of enjoying the fresh air and the challenge of outdoor painting. For whatever reason, I didn't get to these photos over winter.   But a few rainy days in a camper was enough to make me dig them out and find in them some fresh material for painting.

This maple tree was one of the first to change last September.  The photo was one I took in the area last fall when we were camping in tents.  Again it was raining, cold, and we had taken a ride through the woods for entertainment, and a warm dry truck interior!  It was a very grey somewhat foggy day which made the colors of the first few trees to change shriek among all the wet green trees.  The red maples all seemed to be brilliant that weekend; there were very few other trees changing except for them, which made them stand out all the more.  There was enough diffused sunlight to cast a few shadows.  It was something of a shock to turn the corner on this gravel road and see the tree.  We had to stop for pictures.

The painting, "September Sentinel", is an 11 x14" oil on a canvas covered panel.  The photo of the painting unfortunately does not capture the nuance of color of the original painting.  I feel I finally caught the many reds a maple turns in September in paint.  And I love the mystery of the road dissolving into the darker woods.  The title reflects a feeling that I had of the tree guarding over this area of forest where the road turned into the darker woods.

I have been attempting to do simpler landscapes - a single tree, a small area of a lake, a single flower.  Even my still life compositions have been simple things like a bunch of radishes ( another painting from the week up north, which will be coming in a post, soon).  In contrast, I have been photographing enormous sweeping skies....maybe my next series?