A change in scenery

Yesterday morning was really dark and stormy, with a heavy rain for just a few hours, and by noon the sky was almost completely clear again. I took a little break about five o’clock to go for a short walk. Walking in the woods is one of my great delights. Even in the middle of winter, so many colors, and an almost overwhelming abundance of textures.

As I was walking back toward the house (you can just make out the peak of the roof in the center at the top of the photo), the sun was just dipping below the tree line behind me, so that the last rays were lighting up only the very tops of the trees in the distance ahead, making them look as if they were all aflame, and making me catch my breath and feel really glad I had grabbed the camera on my way out the door.

Throughout the year I’ll be working on a series of large landscapes for a two-artist show in Shreveport in December and January. This view is definitely a top contender for reference material!