Finally

Studio time is getting shorter and harder to accommodate these days...the days are finally getting longer and finally getting warmer! I'm putting the emphasis on "finally" only out of frustration with the cold/dark April we've been experiencing this year. I do think I'm getting more patient with some things as the years pass by but "feeling and enjoying" spring is one part of life I cannot abide by getting skimped on!

When the weather outside isn't cooperating, I do get more studio time I guess...maybe that's the only saving grace here for the time being. I've been doing a good deal of framing and catching up on several things put on the back burner this past fall and winter.

One thing I finally worked through was another small color pencil study that will perhaps take on new life as a larger painting some day. This pencil is of an area north of us that still looks fairly much like it may have a couple hundred years ago...well, that's the way I drew it anyway. The distant shoreline is dotted with houses and docks; I removed them. They did not contribute to the emotional affect the location had on me - so as the Queen of Hearts so frequently stated in Alice In Wonderland "Off with their heads!" :)

I'd become stuck on this piece for some time. The sky was really creating problems in retaining a visual "feel" for the light and carefree clouds. The wax medium of the prismacolor pencil was fighting me on this. I came upon another type of pencil that I'd read about and gave them a try. They are Lyra brand pencils that are oil based rather than wax. It's the wax build up that often throws cogs in the wheels of progress when drawing difficult/stubborn passages in a piece. Working over the already lain down wax pencil gave me some pause but things worked out alright I think.

Angler's Bay is on Spirit Lake's northeast corner, adjacent to Hales Slough (an old favorite wetland of mine). This area was part of an intense conservation/preservation effort about 5-6 years ago...it was the final remaining rush bed left on Spirit and an important spawning and nesting area. The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation led a hard sought campaign to secure the property for our grand children's heritage. This would not have been possible without the landowners seeing the need for this property's preservation!

Thankfully there will be no future marinas or private houses and docks dotting this fragile/final remaining wetland. We ALL get to enjoy this place for generations to come!