Tomorrow's the Opening! Today, Saw Creek.

30  F Sunny

People online seem to really like the "money shot" as I call it, I don't know if it makes for a better painting or not, it does make them more popular, and what could be better than that?

8 x 10

Here is my canvas at the start, I'm at Salem Art Works, my home away from home when I'm in Salem, I love this Creek, the way it winds through the landscape, and picks up the sunshine, I'm still tired and couldn't muster the energy for anything bigger than 8 x 10, and in the end I felt limited, ( I was also pressed for time, when am I not)

I had a difficult time finding the parameters of this small canvas, I do like the intimacy of the scene but it is often that I want to put in a bit more real estate than the view will hold.

There is an equation about that, and using sight-size, I should know it.......

What struck me first was the light off the water and I ended up oainting the shadows on the snow, there sorta similar, right?

 I had to tramp to the site, it wasn't far, but I've been lazy, I had wanted to find a scene I could paint from the tailgate, but that wasn't at Saw, not today anyway, the snow limits where I can drive.

 The shadow improved over the session, which was all of an hour, I thought for sure I had spent 1 1/2 hours,  I couldn't change it was a balmy 30 degrees, I chose a shaded spot, maybe I didn't want the sun in my eyes?  but I actually got cold!, especially in my fingers, so.......

I painted this scene last year(the painting is in the Salem show), it was April, and felt like spring, as it should!

This is looking the other way.