2017
My daughter Prairie showed me the top of Rib Mountain near where she lives in Wausau, WI. There are ancient rocks up there, piled here and there. It seems like everywhere you turn there are great looking groupings, I could have stayed all day drawing and taking pictures of them. This was my favorite view, complete with the Paper Birch tree along the path. The light was clear and bright, the trees had some Fall colors, and the rocks were creating excellent shadows. I worked on this painting for several weeks, trying to get back to that moment when I was there, and veering off of the photos and sketches I'd made. When you paint for long stretches of time you are traveling down a path hoping that it will take you somewhere, and hoping that you will be aware enough to stop when the time presents itself.