I hate these kinds of good byes.....

So there it is, some of the creative forces at work in this little plein air painting. I did not know that I'd be writing these things this morning: I only knew that the cloud shadows across the face of the mountain and the orange reflections in the pond were an answer to the hunger inside me. The hunger to live in harmony with the beauty and peace of my surroundings.

Its been a week of "getting started" with this oddball project. The weather has been a huge obstacle, rain pouring from the sky, cold and damp in the car, even with the heater on. We're at an ugly in-between stage in Oakridge Oregon, the snow with all its beauty and balance is melted away, except for chunks in the roads and lawns, where it was compacted by a shovel, or the heavy weight of an automobile.

Being a painter means that sometimes you work without a brush in your hand. It's not always about direct action: there are times when it is more important to BE in this world and absorb what you need to keep painting.

This is heaven on earth for a landscape painter!

This morning over my first cup of coffee I experienced an ephiphany! Why not try painting from my car on those days when the rain slides from the sky in a sheet? Or when the ice and snow settles in?