SPRING TREES, FALL GROUND

 

Trees are budding out, but the ground is still full of dried grasses, bushes full of seeds saved over from last fall for the birds.  Spring is just a hint of green, more red than green.  And yet, the sun-warmed pond is alive with ducks, geese, (snakes), and tadpoles.

GREENWAY PARK WETLANDS

March 27, 2010
Greenway Park Wetlands

I join the paint-out group (had to wrestle car from husband to get there) at the wetland area parking lot. There we all find spots to paint the budding trees across the pond. It is a beautiful day with sunshine and colorful atmosphere, and a welcome break from spring rains. This is my first outing of the year en plein air (as opposed to en plein car and en plein window.) Lots of people show up, including a bunch of pastel artists I haven’t seen in a while. I spend about two hours painting and four hours visiting. We talk equipment (obligatory), painting grounds, drying aids, and travel tips.

I also visit the other side of the lake, via a swampy path, feeling thankful for my boots. I also feel thankful for my boots as I encounter several snakes. One, a nondescript black rope, hurdles fallen logs at a breakneck slither. Another, with beautiful orange diamonds on its side, heads straight for the water, hanging out there with its nose on the surface and tail submerged. I think it is probably California Redsided Garter snake, the first link, but it could be many of these:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/images/tsinfernalisma604.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/t.s.infernalis.html&h=650&w=912&sz=295&tbnid=6b4zaF3UogkkCM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=147&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthamnophis%2Bsirtalis%2Binfernalis&hl=en&usg=__qLJcoSCYoCJ4dv4w7EWs_WVUyvA=&ei=uaquS8r_JKW4tgOxw-Qw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image&ved=0CA8Q9QEwAg

http://www.uoregon.edu/~titus/herp/sirtalis.html

http://www.wildherps.com/species/T.sirtalis.html

MAGNOLIA

A rare, warm day, over 60 degrees, surrounded by days of rain. And fortunately, it’s a day I set aside for painting.


The backyard is a busy, elaborate place, full of trees and flowers and changing shadows. It’s always a challenge to predict where the sun will swing and how it will affect the view. I choose the star magnolia as my focus, knowing that it will be in full sun within an hour.

The grass is a vivid spring green. Everything is intensely green. This is going to be a really green painting. Maybe that’s okay. It’s refreshing after the browns of winter.