On a recent trip to Silverton to see my workshop partner
Barbara Bassett I was compelled to take some side roads into the lovely
surrounding countryside. Newly harvested hay fields and the hint of fall color
took me down a lane with this stunning view at the end.
I pulled over and sketched the line work of the tree trunks,
the subtle light values in the curves of the field and the reddish purple in
the trees. The sky held a light robin egg blue.
I stood for a long time, taking in the
visual feast as I caught the scent of the rich Willamette valley soil I grew up
with in nearby Corvallis.
The simplicity and elegance of this scene is what
draws me in. That, and the knowledge that my great, great grandparents
homesteaded in this landscape so very long ago.
I’ll post the final
painting next week!
